Course Structure
- The Melbourne JD comprises 24 subjects
- It is a full-time law degree taught on a semester basis, with a normal duration of three calendar years
- The course may be accelerated by undertaking subjects in the summer and winter breaks, with the approval of the Faculty
- The teaching year begins in February
- A combined course, with the Melbourne Business School’s MBA program, is also available
Compulsory subjects
Of the 24 subjects in total, 17 subjects are compulsory, enabling the Law School to provide you with cumulative learning, by integrating both subject matter and skills across and between semesters.
In addition, subjects in both private and public law build progressively over the semesters, contributing to the effectiveness of the learning experience. Students normally remain in the same cohort to complete the compulsory subjects.
The compulsory subjects, in the order in which they are usually taken, are:
Legal Method and Reasoning, Principles of Public Law, Torts, Obligations, Dispute Resolution, Constitutional Law, Contracts, Property, Legal Theory, Administrative Law, Trusts, Criminal Law, Corporations Law, Remedies, Evidence and Proof, Legal Ethics, Legal Research.
Optional subjects
A vibrant and exciting optional program will be offered by the School each year. Many of the actual subjects will vary from year to year, in response to demand and emerging trends. In general, however, choice will always be available from within standard optional subject groupings or clusters.
These presently include (but are not limited to) Asian Law, Corporate and Commercial Law, Criminal Law and Justice, Litigation and Dispute Management, Indigenous Issues in Law, Intellectual Property, Media and Information Technology Law, International Law, Comparative Law, Labour Law, Law and Society, Legal Theory, Property and Resources Law, Public Law and Taxation.
Standard course structure – three years
In its standard form, the degree is taken over three years. This format enables students to take advantage of other educational, professional and social opportunities during the summer and winter breaks, including seasonal clerkships, international exchanges, internships, mooting and Law Review editorial work.
| Time of year | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| February(Intensive) | Legal Method & Reasoning (Foundation Subject) | ||
| Semester 1 | Principles of Public Law | Administrative Law | Evidence & Proof |
| Torts | Trusts | Legal Ethics | |
| Obligations | Criminal Law | Optional Subject | |
| Dispute Resolution | Optional Subject | Optional Subject | |
| Semester 2 | Constitutional Law | Corporations Law | Legal Research |
| Contracts | Remedies | Optional Subject | |
| Property | Optional Subject | Optional Subject | |
| Legal Theory | Optional Subject |
Accelerated course structure
The degree can also be accelerated, at varying speeds, with the approval of the Faculty. The opportunities for acceleration can be gleaned from the following table:
| Time of year | Year 1 | Year 2 | Year 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| January/February(Intensive) | Optional subject | Optional subject | |
| Optional subject | Optional subject | ||
| February(Intensive) | Legal Method & Reasoning (Foundation subject) | ||
| Semester 1 | Principles of Public Law | Administrative Law | |
| Torts | Trusts | ||
| Obligations | Criminal Law | ||
| Dispute Resolution | Optional subject | ||
| July(Intensive) | Evidence & Proof | Legal Ethics | |
| or International Law(Optional subject) | Evidence and Proof (or Optional subject) | ||
| Semester 2 | Constitutional Law | Corporations Law | |
| Contracts | Remedies | ||
| Property | Legal Research | ||
| Legal Theory | Optional subject |
JD/MBA - 3 year course
The Melbourne JD is also available as a combined course with the MBA program offered by the Melbourne Business School. Students must take 15 subjects from the MBA (10 compulsory subjects and 5 elective subjects) and 22 subjects from the JD (17 compulsory subjects and 5 optional subjects). For details including course structure and selection criteria, see JD/MBA.