Why Study/Key Benefits

The Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business is a five-year double degree combining professional legal education with broad business knowledge.

Key benefits include:

• Combines Australian law with business management and operations.
• Special focus on commercial law and intellectual property law.
• Covers trademarks, patents and designs, copyright, misleading or deceptive conduct and competition law.
• Develops legal research, writing, advocacy and persuasive communication skills.
• Develops business knowledge across areas such as management, finance, marketing, analytics, entrepreneurship and human resources.
• Includes compulsory professional experience in law totalling 450 hours.
• Includes an industry consulting project and practical learning opportunities.
• Provides opportunities for moot court scenarios and advocacy exercises.
• Allows students to choose a Business major to align their studies with a particular career area.
• The Bachelor of Laws satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Victoria and the Australian Federal legal systems, subject to completion of the required non-academic requirements and Practical Legal Training.

Programme Structure and Subjects/Topics

The degree combines Law core units, Business core units, a Business major, Law electives and compulsory legal professional experience.

Bachelor of Laws core subjects

Current listed Law core units include:

• Introduction to Australian Law and Statutory Interpretation — LAW10010
• Torts 1 — LAW10014
• Criminal Law and Procedure — LAW10015
• Torts 2 — LAW10025
• Legal Writing — LAW10026
• Contract Law 1 — LAW10028
• Contract Law 2 — LAW10029
• Evidence — LAW20009
• Administrative Law — LAW20010
• Trade Marks and Related Rights — LAW20011
• Federal and State Constitutional Law — LAW20012
• Property Law — LAW20013
• Land Law — LAW20014
• Legal Technology and Innovation — LAW20040
• Copyright — LAW20043
• Patents and Designs — LAW30011
• Equity and Trusts — LAW30012
• Company Law — LAW30013
• Legal Practice and Professional Conduct — LAW30015
• Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution — LAW30029

Professional Experience in Law

Students complete three professional-experience components:

• Professional Experience in Law 1 — LAW10016
• Professional Experience in Law 2 — LAW20018
• Professional Experience in Law 3 — LAW30016

Bachelor of Business core subjects

Current listed Business core units include:

• Financial Information for Decision Making — ACC10007
• Economics for Business Decision Making — ECO10005
• Contemporary Management Principles — MGT10009
• Marketing and the Consumer Experience — MKT10009
• Business Digitalisation — INF10024
• Business Consulting Project — BUS30032
• Creative Mindset and Entrepreneurship — BUS10015

Students also complete one Business Practice core option.

Examples include:

• Industry Study Tour – Business
• Professional Internship – Business
• Business Innovation in America Study Tour
• Business Innovation in Europe Study Tour
• Business Innovation in Asia Study Tour
• Indigenous Study Tour: Supporting Economic Development
• Business for Social Impact Study Tour
• Sustainable Business Practice
• Planning for Career Success
• Future Work Skills

Law electives

Students select four specialised Law elective units.

Current options include:

• International Commercial Law — LAW20007
• Law and the Media — LAW20024
• Taxation Law — LAW20033
• Public and Private International Law — LAW20035
• Competition Law and Policy — LAW20036
• Asian Commercial Law — LAW20037
• Privacy in Law and Society — LAW20038
• Indonesia Law, Governance and Culture Study Tour — LAW20039
• Advanced Criminal Law and Sentencing — LAW20041
• Advanced Intellectual Property Law — LAW20042
• Legal Research Project — LAW30026
• Advanced Legal Research Project 1 — LAW30027
• Advanced Legal Research Project 2 — LAW30028

Disciplines/Specialisations

Students choose one Business discipline major alongside the Law component.

The current course handbook lists:

• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Business Analytics and Analysis
• Entrepreneurship
• Finance
• Human Resource Management
• Logistics and Supply Chain Management
• Management
• Marketing
• Sports Management

Entrepreneurship major

The Entrepreneurship major includes subjects such as:

• Business for Sustainability, Social Change and Impact
• Ideas, Opportunities and Ventures
• Technology Commercialisation
• Lean Startup Fundamentals
• Entrepreneurial Sandpit
• New Venture Funding
• Entrepreneurship Launchpad
• Startup Ecosystems in Action

Finance major

The Finance major includes subjects such as:

• Business for Sustainability, Social Change and Impact
• Financial Statistics
• Financial Management
• Ethics and International Finance
• Financial Risk Management
• Management of Investment Portfolios
• Alternative Investments
• Fixed Income and Debt Markets

Human Resource Management major

The Human Resource Management major includes:

• Human Resource Practices
• Business for Sustainability, Social Change and Impact
• Managing Workplace Relations
• Dynamics of Diversity in Organisations
• Organisational Behaviour
• Digital Management and the Future of Work
• Human Resource Analytics
• Law of Employment

Programme Highlights

• Five-year Law and Business double degree.
• CRICOS registered under 085631K.
• Hawthorn campus.
• Semester 1 and Semester 2 intakes.
• 500 credit points.
• 450 hours of professional legal experience.
• Commercial-law and intellectual-property-law emphasis.
• Business major flexibility.
• Moot court and advocacy activities.
• Industry consulting project.
• Work Integrated Learning opportunities within the degree.
• Professional recognition through the Victorian Legal Admissions Board for the academic requirements of legal admission.
• Business school accreditation through AACSB.
• Multiple business majors with discipline-specific professional recognition where applicable.

Career Outcomes

Potential career directions identified by Swinburne include:

• Solicitor
• Lawyer
• Legal counsel
• Business analyst
• Business development manager
• Entrepreneur
• Accounting
• Finance
• Human resources
• International business
• Management
• Marketing
• Public relations
• Tourism

Latest Updates/Special Requirements

The current programme information confirms:

• Course code: BB-LAWBUS1
• CRICOS code: 085631K
• Hawthorn campus
• 2027 start dates: 1 March 2027 and 2 August 2027
• Application deadlines: 24 February 2027 and 28 July 2027
• 500-credit-point standard degree
• 450 hours of professional legal experience
• IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0
• EAP 5 Advanced: 70% overall with all skills 65% or above

International Student Visa Requirements

The programme is CRICOS registered under 085631K and can support an Australian Student visa application subject to admission and visa requirements.

The relevant visa is generally Student visa subclass 500.

Current Department of Home Affairs requirements include:

• Enrolment in an eligible registered course.
• A valid Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
• Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), unless an exemption applies.
• Meeting the Genuine Student requirement.
• Meeting applicable financial-capacity requirements where requested.
• Meeting applicable health and character requirements.
• Complying with all visa conditions.
• Complying with Australian laws.