Course Information

Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Psychology

Effective from 01-JAN-2024 : Code W83

Are you interested in a career in Law with a focus on human behaviour? ECU’s Laws/Psychology double degree will prepare you for a career in the courtroom and beyond. You’ll focus on issues of social change, group processes, group management and cross-cultural psychology. This double degree will equip you with skills in analysing and researching human behaviour and understanding interactions between people and their environment. You’ll focus on areas including mental health, human resources, child and family services, youth work, alcohol and drug counselling, rehabilitation and disability, migrant support, research and policy development. You’ll have the chance to put theory into practise and work on real life cases in our Law Access Program, compete in mooting competitions around the world, and gain access to the Law Society Peer Mentoring Program.

Disclaimer

This course information may be updated and amended immediately prior to semester. To ensure you have the correct outline, please check it again at the beginning of semester. In particular please check the course requirements and the unit and unit set offerings, as these differ according to course delivery location.

Work Experience Option

Students have the opportunity to gain practical experience at the on-campus Northern Suburbs Community Legal Centre and through the Criminal Justice Review Project (Innocence Project).

Duty of care

Conflict of interest checks may apply.

Application process

Students are required to apply to the Unit Coordinator.

Course Learning Outcomes

  1. Adopt professional and ethical behaviour and/or personal citizenship that reflect the interrelationship between ethics, codes of conduct, justice and community service.
  2. Apply broad and coherent range of legal and psychology knowledge to a range of theoretical and practical issues, incorporating international/global/cultural/Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives.
  3. Exercise critical thinking, judgement and intellectual independence to evaluate, consolidate and synthesise knowledge relevant to legal and psychology issues.
  4. Think creatively to anticipate challenges and generate solutions in legal, psychology-based situations.
  5. Communicate legal and psychology knowledge, concepts and advice using relevant technologies clearly and persuasively.
  6. Collaborate in team settings and demonstrate initiative to produce measurable outcomes.
  7. Reflect on feedback and critique on own performance to support scholarship and personal and professional development, demonstrating autonomy, responsibility and accountability.
  8. Use digital technologies and discipline related literacies to access, evaluate and synthesise relevant information from multiple sources.

Professional Recognition

Course

This course has been Accredited by: Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA).

This course has been Accredited by: Australian Psychology Accreditation Council (APAC).

Registration

Students will need to graduate to be eligible to register with the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA). Registration with the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA) is required to practice in the profession.

This degree satisfies the academic requirements for admission as a legal practitioner in Western Australia and is professionally accredited by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia. This means that graduates are eligible to register with the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA). For further information about the admission process contact the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia.

Admission requirements

Admission requirement (Band 5)

All applicants must meet the academic admission requirements for this course. The indicative or guaranteed ATAR is as published (where applicable) or academic admission requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

  • AQF Advanced Diploma or equivalent;
  • Undergraduate Certificate;
  • Successfully completed 1 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent);
  • Skills for Tertiary Admissions Test;
  • University Preparation Course;
  • Indigenous University Orientation Course; or
  • Associate Degree.

English Language requirement (Band 3)

English competency requirements may be satisfied through completion of one of the following:

  • Year 12 English ATAR/English Literature ATAR grade C or better or equivalent;
  • Special Tertiary Admissions Test;
  • IELTS Academic Overall band minimum score of 6.0 (no individual band less than 6.0);
  • Successfully completed 1.0 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher in the UK, Ireland, USA, NZ or Canada;
  • University Preparation Course;
  • Indigenous University Orientation Course;
  • AQF Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree;
  • Successfully completed 0.375 EFTSL of study at bachelor level or higher at an Australian higher education provider (or equivalent); or
  • Other tests, courses or programs as defined in the Admissions Policy.

Portfolio pathway applications are not accepted for this course.

Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) level

This course has been accredited by ECU as an AQF Level 7 Bachelor Degree Award.

Course Duration

  • Full Time: 5 Years
  • Part Time: 10 Years

Course Delivery

  • Joondalup: Full Time, Part Time
  • Online: Full Time, Part Time

Non standard timetable requirements

Students should be aware that unit overloads will be required in some semesters, in order to complete the course within the standard duration.

Course Coordinator

Dr Tanzim AFROZ

Course Structure

Students are required to complete: 24 Core Law units and 8 Law Elective units, plus 12 Core Psychology units.

Year 1 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW1117Torts I15
LAW1600Legal Writing and Research15
LAW1116Legal Reasoning 15
PSY1101Introduction to Psychology15
PSY1115Psychology of Motivation and Emotion15

Note: Generally, psychology units should be completed in year sequence (e.g. all first-year units should be completed before proceeding to second-year units)

Year 1 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW1218Torts II15
PSY1210Biopsychology, Sensation and Perception15
PSY1204Social Determinants of Behaviour15
Elective Unit2 x Law Elective Units30
Year 2 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW1113Criminal Law I15
LAW1111Contract Law I15
PSY2102Fundamentals of Psychological Inquiry15
PSY2105Psychology of Personality and Individual Differences15
Elective Unit1 x Law Elective Unit15
Year 2 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW1214Criminal Law II15
LAW1212Contract Law II15
PSY2204Learning, Memory and Cognition15
PSY2231Developmental Psychology15
Year 3 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW2102Property Law I15
LAW2104Constitutional Law I15
PSY3105Advanced Methods of Psychological Inquiry15
PSY3456Mental Health and Psychological Interventions15
LAW2350Administrative Law15
Year 3 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW2312Property Law II15
LAW2314Constitutional Law II15
PSY3217Cultural Issues in Psychology15
PSY3225Applications of Psychological Literacy15
Year 4 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW3102Corporations Law15
LAW3103Equity15
LAW3855Human Rights Law15
Elective Unit1 x Law Elective Unit15
Year 4 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW3106Evidence15
LAW3107Law of Trusts15
LAW2345Jurisprudence15
Elective Unit1 x Law Elective Unit15
Year 5 - Semester 1
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW4620Commercial Practice15
Elective Unit3 x Law Elective Unit45
Year 5 - Semester 2
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW4207Civil Procedure and Practice15
LAW4704Legal Ethics and Professional Responsibility15
LAW4625Statutory Interpretation15
LAW4607Family Law15

Electives

8 elective units are to be selected from any of the following streams.

Criminal / Social Justice Electives
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
CRI3120Aboriginal Australians in the Criminal Justice System15
LAW2605Security and Intelligence Governance15
LAW3600Coronial Law and Mortuary Practice15
LAW4206Contemporary Criminal Justice15
Private Law Electives
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW2106Intellectual Property Law15
LAW2108Workplace Laws and Regulations15
LAW3105Alternative Dispute Resolution15
LAW3018Law on Financial Institutions and Instruments15
LAW3460Competition and Consumer Protection Law15
LAW4601Mining and Resource Law15
LAW3207Law, Ethics, and Business Analytics15
International Law Electives
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
LAW2602Environmental Law and Administration15
LAW4108International Law15
LAW4110International Trade Law15
Practicum Electives
Unit Code Unit Title Credit Points
CRI3302Criminal Justice Review Project15
LAW3602Community Legal Practice15
LAW3650Mooting and Trial Advocacy15
LAW3700Supervised Legal Research Paper15
FBL3501Business Practicum15

Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005)

For the purposes of considering a request for Reasonable Adjustments under the Disability Standards for Education (Commonwealth 2005), inherent requirements for this subject are articulated in the Unit Description, Learning Outcomes and Assessment Requirements of this entry. The University is dedicated to provide support to those with special requirements. Further details on the support for students with disabilities or medical conditions can be found at the Access and Inclusion website.

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