Advanced Diploma in Indigenous Legal Studies
This course provides a dedicated pathway for mature-aged Indigenous students that prepares them for entry to the professional postgraduate law course—the Juris Doctor (JD).
Students engage with fundamental principles drawn from the Law and Society major as well as gain greater insights into Aboriginal knowledge systems through enrolment in units offered in the Indigenous Knowledge, History and Heritage major.
Course overview
- Course code
- DA002
- Intake periods
- beginning of year and mid-year
- Status
- current / 2019
- Credit points required
- 72 (of which 12 points is advanced standing)
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Attendance type
- full- or part-time
- Delivery mode
- internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Crawley)
- Available to international students
- No
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Enquiries and course advice
- Course advice
- Mel Thomas
- Law Coordinator
School of Indigenous Studies - 6488 2973
- Mel.Thomas@uwa.edu.au
Course structure
| Key to availability of units: |
|---|
| S1 = Semester 1; S2 = Semester 2; N/A = not available in 2019; NS = non-standard teaching period |
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Note: Units that are indicated as N/A may be available in 2020 or 2021.
Take all units (30 points):
| Availability | Unitcode | Unitname | Unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | INDG1120 | Legal Studies Professional Practicum 1 (12 points) |
|
| NS | INDG2200 | Advanced Indigenous Legal Studies |
|
| NS, S1, S2 | LAWS2120 | Legal Studies Professional Practicum 2 (12 points) |
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
| Availability | Unitcode | Unitname | Unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | LAWS1104 | Introduction to Law | |
| S1 | LAWS1120 | Australian Legal Principles and Institutions |
|
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
| Availability | Unitcode | Unitname | Unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | INDG1150 | Aboriginal Encounters: Strangers in our Backyard |
|
| S1 | INDG1160 | Boodjar Moort Katitjin: Introduction to Indigenous Heritage and Knowledge |
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
| Availability | Unitcode | Unitname | Unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | LAWS1110 | Crime and Society | |
| S1 | LAWS1111 | Law, Conflict and Change |
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
| Availability | Unitcode | Unitname | Unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | LAWS2201 | Legal Framework of Business |
|
| S1 | LAWS2223 | Criminal Justice Systems |
|
| S1 | LAWS2224 | Evolution of Human Rights |
|
| N/A | LAWS2225 | Indigenous Peoples and the Law | |
| S2 | LAWS2226 | International Legal Institutions |
|
| S2 | LAWS2227 | Law in Action |
|
Take unit(s) to the value of 6 points:
| Availability | Unitcode | Unitname | Unit requirements |
|---|---|---|---|
| S1 | INDG2300 | Indigenous Knowledge: Mind, Body and Spirit |
|
| S2 | INDG2500 | Looking North: The Wild West |
|
| N/A | INDG2600 | Indigenous Representation | |
| S2 | INDG2700 | Knowing Country: The Dreaming and Darwin |
|
12 points of prior learning as recognised by the Faculty of Law and the School of Indigenous Studies on the recommendation of the Selection Committee.
Pathways
The Advanced Diploma in Indigenous Legal Studies is designed to prepare students for the professional postgraduate law course—the Juris Doctor (JD).
Graduates in this course have a foundation for career options in a variety of roles in the private sector, government and community-based organisations. These include law-related policy and research roles in law reform and justice agencies, and various positions in sectors that draw on a level of research roles in law, such as human rights organisations, native title and Aboriginal legal services.
The course also allows students to apply their knowledge in a range of contexts to a level necessary for many other related areas of vocational and professional employment.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials module
2.(1) Except as stated in (2), a student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module).
(2) A student who has previously achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module is not required to repeat the module.
Admission
3. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must—
(1) (a) be of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Island descent and aged 20 years or older on 1 March in the year of entry to the course;
and
(b) have an appropriate educational background and/or work experience as determined by the Selection Committee described in Rule 3, namely:
(i) formal prior educational achievement at Australian Qualifications Framework Level 4 or above, or equivalent as recognised by the Selection Committee; or
(ii) at least two years' work experience at a level recognised by the Selection Committee; and
(2) undertake a written assessment and interview conducted by the School of Indigenous Studies.
Course structure
4.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 72 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
Satisfactory progress
5.(1) To make satisfactory progress in a calendar year a student must pass units to a value of at least half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
(2) A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the ACE module when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress.
Progress status
6.(1) Unless the Faculty determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances,
(a) a student who fails to make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 5.(1) is assigned the progress status of 'Suspended' by the Faculty;
(b) a student who fails to make satisfactory progress for a second time under Rule 6.(1) is assigned the progress status of 'Excluded' by the Faculty;
(c) a student who fails to make satisfactory progress under Rule 5.(2) is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation' by the Faculty unless they have been assigned the progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to make satisfactory progress under Rule 5.(1).
Additional rules
Progression to Juris Doctor
7.(1) Subject to (2), a student who completes the Advanced Diploma with a grade point average (GPA) of 5.5 or higher is eligible to enrol in the course for the Juris Doctor.
(2) In exceptional circumstances, a student who obtains a GPA of less than 5.5 may be eligible to enrol in the course for the Juris Doctor at the discretion of the Faculty of Law.