Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences/Bachelor of Laws

Most people who do a Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Laws degree take five years to complete it, full-time.

In the first three years of candidature, you study both Economic and Social Sciences components and Law components and, in this way, meet the requirements for the Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences degree. This leaves you the final two years to complete the remaining Law components, and to graduate with a Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Laws degree.

Please note that the requirements given below refer in detail only to Years 1, 2 and 3 of the degree program. You can consult the Faculty of Law Handbook, in print or online, to find out more about the requirements for Years 4 and 5.

There’s some freedom of choice in what to study in the first three years of a Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Laws degree, but there are a few requirements that you will have to follow. These requirements are listed here and explained in detail below.

Let's go through what each of these requirements involves in turn.

What are credit points?

• Students doing an Economic and Social Sciences/ Laws degree are able to choose to study in a wide range of subject areas – for example, Government and International Relations, Economics, Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management, Political Economy and, of course, Law.
• A semester-length component in a particular subject area is called a ‘unit of study’.
• Each unit of study is worth a certain number of ‘credit points’, depending on the level at which it is taught and the amount of work required. All units of study are worth 6 credit points each.

How do I get 144 credit points?

• Most people studying full time take three years to complete the Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences component of the Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Laws degree.Full-time students usually earn their 144 credit points by taking units of study worth a total of at least 48 credit points per year (24 credit points per semester) over these three years of their degree, that is: 48 credit points x 3 years = 144 credit points!

Either a major (minimum of 36 senior credit points) or an extended major (minimum of 48 senior credit points) comprising units of study from a subject area selected from one of the columns below;
and
at least 12 credit points of senior units of study from a subject area selected from the other column.

What are junior credit points?

• You start your degree by taking ‘junior’ units of study. They form a foundation for more advanced ‘senior’ units. Junior units of study are worth 6 junior credit points each.
• Junior units are sometimes called 1000 level units because their unit of study codes all have the form 1XXX, e.g. ECON1001, GOVT1101, ECOP1001, etc.

How many junior credit points should I do in my first year?

Most full-time students take units of study worth a total of 48 junior credit points in their first year (a total of 24 credit points in each semester). It is important to remember that 48 credit points is also the maximum number allowed in first year.

To make up 48 credit points in your first year, most students take four 6 credit point junior units in each semester. You will need to make sure to include:

• any junior prerequisites you may need for your major senior requirements (see below);

Check the Faculty of Arts Handbook, the online Table of Units of Study or the Unit of Study Database to find out if there are any prerequisites for senior units in the subjects you plan to study.

• the CORE junior Law units of study;

There are two core Law units (both worth 6 credit points) that contribute to the first year 48 credit point load. These are:
'Foundations of Law' (LAWS 1006) and
'Torts (LAWS 1012).

• A third Law subject called 'Legal Research I' (LAWS 1013) is also compulsory for first year, but is unusual in that it has NO credit point value. You must enrol in this unit of study in first semester of first year.

Here is an example of how you might put together 48 junior credit points in your first year, if you're studying full time and want an Economics or Political Economy major:

Here is an example of how you might put together 48 junior credit points in your first year, if you are studying full time and want a Government and International Relations Major or an Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management major:

Just remember, if you’re aiming to complete the Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences part of your degree in three years, make sure your units add up to 48 credit points over the first year.

What are the core units of Law and when do I do them?

We’ve already discussed the junior core Law units (see above under Requirement 3).

• In second year, you undertake the following core units:
  ‘Criminal Law’ (LAWS 1016) and
  ‘Contracts’ (LAWS 1015) and
  'Processes of Justice' (LAWS1014)
• In third year, you should do the following core units:
  'International Law' (LAWS1018) and
  'Public Law' (LAWS1021) and
  'Torts and Contracts II' (LAWS1017) and
  'Legal Research II' (LAWS1019)

So how do I put this all together?

Most full-time students will get the required senior credit points over their second and third years by choosing subjects that add up to 24 credit points in each semester. (24 credit points x 4 semesters = 96 credit points).

Here is an example of how you might put together your senior credit points over your second and third years if you want an Economics or Political Economy major:

Here is an example of how you might put together your senior credit points over your second and third years if you want a Government and International Relations or Industrial Relations and Human Resource Management major:

• When you sum the credit points earned in Years 1, 2 and 3, you can see they add up to 144 credit points … you’ve satisfied the requirements for the Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences component of your Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences and Bachelor of Laws degree!!!

What's the maximum number of credit points I can take per semester?

• You might want to take more than the usual number of credit points in one semester – perhaps to make up for a unit of study that you have failed or to try to get through your degree more quickly.
• You are permitted to do up to (but no more than) 30 credit points per semester in your second and third years. However, be aware that 30 credit points in a single semester is a very heavy load. It’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do your best in each unit you take (and very unlikely that you’ll have a life while you do it!)

So..what happens after the first three years?

• By the time you get to Years 4 and 5 of your degree you will have completed the Bachelor of Economic and Social Sciences component, and will focus only on the remaining Law components of your degree. You’ll take Law units of study worth 48 credit points per year.
• At this time, the supervision of your candidature will be transferred from the Faculty of Arts to the Faculty of Law.