Why Study / Key Benefits

The Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Cyber Security is a five-year double degree combining professional legal education with technical cyber security training. Swinburne describes the course as preparing students to address complex legal and cyber security problems, with learning in secure programming, penetration testing and cyber resilience.

Key benefits include:

• Two complementary qualifications in law and cyber security.
• Development of legal analysis, legal writing, persuasive communication and critical-thinking skills.
• Development of technical skills in programming, networking, cyber security testing and cyber security strategy.
• Exposure to penetration testing, malware analysis, network security and secure remote-access networks.
• Legal and technology content that directly intersects through subjects such as Legal Technology and Innovation and Cyber Security Ethics, Law and Policy.
• 450 hours of Professional Experience in Law.
• Professional accreditation/recognition involving the Australian Computer Society and Victorian Legal Admissions Board.

Programme Structure and Subjects / Topics

The 500-credit-point programme combines four main academic components:

• 20 core Law units: 250 credit points
• 4 Law elective units: 50 credit points
• 8 Cyber Security core units: 100 credit points
• 8 Cyber Security major units: 100 credit points
• 3 Professional Experience in Law placements: 450 hours, with 0 academic credit points.

Law core subjects include:

• Introduction to Australian Law and Statutory Interpretation
• Torts 1
• Criminal Law and Procedure
• Torts 2
• Legal Writing
• Contract Law 1
• Contract Law 2
• Evidence
• Administrative Law
• Trade Marks and Related Rights
• Federal and State Constitutional Law
• Property Law
• Land Law
• Legal Technology and Innovation
• Copyright
• Patents and Designs
• Equity and Trusts
• Company Law
• Legal Practice and Professional Conduct
• Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution.

Law professional experience consists of:

• Professional Experience in Law 1 – 150 hours
• Professional Experience in Law 2 – 150 hours
• Professional Experience in Law 3 – 150 hours.

Cyber Security core subjects include:

• Web Development
• Introduction to Programming
• Technology in an Indigenous Context Project
• ICT Inquiry Project
• Network Administration
• Networks and Switching
• ICT Project A
• ICT Project B.

Cyber Security major subjects include:

• Network Routing Principles
• User Experience Design Project
• Network Security and Resilience
• IT Security
• ICT Innovation Project
• Secure Remote Access Networks
• Malware Analysis
• Cyber Security Ethics, Law and Policy.

Examples of Law elective areas include:

• International Commercial Law
• Law and the Media
• Taxation Law
• Public and Private International Law
• Competition Law and Policy
• Asian Commercial Law
• Privacy in Law and Society
• Advanced Criminal Law and Sentencing
• Advanced Intellectual Property Law
• Legal Research Project units.

Disciplines / Specialisations

This is a double degree rather than a programme with separately named specialisations.

The two principal disciplines are:

• Law
• Cyber Security

Students can therefore develop an interdisciplinary profile around areas such as:

• Cyber law
• Technology law
• Privacy
• Intellectual property
• Network security
• Malware
• Penetration testing
• Cyber security governance and policy
• Legal technology.

Programme Highlights

• Five-year double degree.
• 500 credit points.
• Combines Australian legal education with cyber security.
• 450 hours of compulsory Professional Experience in Law.
• Cyber security training covering networks, secure programming, malware and security strategy.
• Legal technology and innovation content.
• Cyber Security Ethics, Law and Policy.
• Professional recognition/accreditation involving the Australian Computer Society and Victorian Legal Admissions Board.
• Hawthorn campus in Melbourne.
• Two published 2027 intakes.
• CRICOS registered for international students under CRICOS code 111770A.

Career Outcomes

Swinburne identifies career opportunities including:

• Solicitor
• Legal counsel
• Lawyer
• Security consultant
• Information security analyst
• Network or systems administrator.

The course handbook additionally identifies cyber security-oriented career examples such as:

• Cyber analyst
• Penetration tester
• Security consultant
• Information security officer.

Latest Updates / Special Requirements

• Course code: BB-LAWCYB.
• CRICOS code: 111770A.
• Current duration: 5 years full-time.
• Current campus: Hawthorn.
• Current 2027 starts: 1 March and 2 August.
• Current application deadlines: 24 February and 28 July 2027.
• International Student visa holders must study full-time and on campus.
• The course has professional recognition/accreditation involving ACS and the Victorian Legal Admissions Board.
• The course includes 450 hours of Professional Experience in Law.
• International students holding a Student visa cannot undertake the optional professional placement in this course under the stated government regulation.
• Students undertaking an optional 6- or 12-month professional placement would incur additional course fees; however, the placement restriction above is particularly important for international Student visa holders.
• Credit transfer and RPL are assessed case by case.

International Student Visa Requirements

The relevant Australian visa is the Student visa, subclass 500.

For this course, important requirements and conditions include:

• Students must hold a valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE) for their registered course.
• The course must be studied full-time and on campus for an international student holding a Student visa in Australia.
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) is required unless an applicable exemption exists.
• Applicants must satisfy the Genuine Student requirement.
• Applicable health, character and financial-capacity requirements must be met.
• Students must comply with all Student visa conditions.

Work rights:

• Standard Student visa holders can generally work up to 48 hours per fortnight while their course is in session.
• The unlimited-work exception for master's by research and doctoral students does not apply to this undergraduate double degree.
• Work conditions remain subject to the conditions attached to the individual visa.