Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications)/Bachelor of Laws

This is a new combined program with the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Law, commencing for the first time in 2008. Students in this program are able to complete two degrees in 6 years of full-time study, whereas it would normally take up to 7 years to separately complete both degrees.

Students will study Media and Communications, Arts and Law subjects concurrently through years 1-3 of their degree, Media and Communications, and Arts in year 4, and Law only in years 5-6.

A example of the structure of this degree and the subjects students may study is below:

• Year 1 - students will study compulsory Law subjects such as Foundations of Law, Torts and Legal Research. During this year they will also complete compulsory Media and Communications first years units such as Principles of Media Writing and Australian Media Studies. They will also undertake an area of study of their choice from the Arts Faculty.
• Year 2 - students will study Processes of Justice, Contracts and Criminal Law. They will also undertake Media Relations, Radio Broadcasting and Video Production as well as continued Arts study in an area of their choice.
• Year 3 - students will complete Torts and Contracts II, International Law and The Legal Profession, as well as Media, Law and Ethics, Advanced Media Writing, Media Production and Media Globalisation.
• Year 4 - totally Arts and Media and Communications study, in which students will undertake their internship.
• Year 5 - Law units only including for example Federal Constitutional Law, Corporate Law, Real Property Law, Litigation and Equity.
• Year 6 - also Law units only, and these units are chosen by the student. There are around 50 to choose from and may include International and Comparative Law, Intellectual Property, Criminal Law and Criminology and many others.

Please note that this is an example only and that these units are subject to change.

For more information about the Media and Communications program or the Law program please see the
Bachelor of Arts (Media and Communications) webpage, and the
Faculty of Law website.

Professional recognition
The Sydney B Laws (LLB) is recognised for the purposes of admission to practice law as a barrister or solicitor in New South Wales by the NSW Legal Practitioners Admission Board. Under the emerging regime of Mutual Recognition, the degree should also be accepted in the other Australian states and territories. The degree is also recognised for admission purposes in a number of overseas countries, but candidates must check for themselves with the admitting authority (usually the Supreme Court) in each overseas jurisdiction.

Career prospects
Examples include solicitors and barristers. However, an increasing proportion of graduates seek and find employment in the media, communications, banking and finance sectors, accounting firms and management consultancies, corporate management, education and publishing, government departments and regulatory authorities, and in the telecommunications industry, among other areas.