Course overview
- Description
This postgraduate diploma is available to those with a cognitive background who wish to pursue advanced or further study in law.
- Course title
- Graduate Diploma in Law
- Award abbreviation
- GradDipLaw
- Course code
- 20320
- Course type
- Postgraduate diploma
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- UWA Law School
- CRICOS code
- 026880D
Course details
- Intake periods
- Throughout the year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Credit points required
- 24
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 0.5 years
- Time limit
- 2 years
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Dr Marilyn Bromberg
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Enquiries and course advice
- Course advice
- Arts and Law Student Office
- 6488 2091
- askUWA
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Students without a recognised law degree: take 24 points from group A and B. Must include LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions.
Students with a recognised law degree: take 24 points from group B and C.
Group A
Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
---|---|---|---|---|
S1, S2 | LAWS4227 | Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions |
| Weekly attendance |
Group B
Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
---|---|---|---|---|
NS | LAWS5114 | International Environmental Law | Students must attend all sessions on allocated Tuesdays in April and May - please see timetable for more details. | |
S1 | LAWS5167 | Comparative Legal Method |
| 3 hours per week |
S2 | LAWS5181 | Health Law and Policy |
| 3 hours per week |
S1 | LAWS5215 | Risk Regulation |
| 3 hours per week |
NS | LAWS5219 | International Criminal Law | Students must attend session across September and October. Refer to the timetable for more information. | |
NS | LAWS5220 | International Humanitarian Law | None | Sessions will take place from 9am - 5pm on Wednesdays in April and May. Refer to timetable for further details. Students must attend each session. |
NS | LAWS5223 | Theories for Contemporary Criminal Justice |
| Attendance at all sessions in July - August. Attendance Compulsory |
N/A | LAWS5226 | International Human Rights Law | None | This unit will run 5-9 August 2024. Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
NS | LAWS5251 | International Sales Law |
| This unit will run for full day sessions over 6 weeks on 26 February 2025, 05/12/19/26 March and 02 April. |
N/A | LAWS5254 | International Trade Law |
| 3 hours per week |
NS | LAWS5260 | Intersections of Law, Policy and Governance | The on campus session for this unit will run in the mid semester break in semester 2, with the online pre-recorded modules to be completed beforehand. | |
NS | LAWS5261 | Planning Law | None | 2025 Contact hours are TBA |
NS | LAWS5296 | Technology Law and Governance | This unit will run from 01-05 September 2025. Students must attend every day of the intensive period. | |
N/A | LAWS5305 | Mediation: Practice and Skills | None | |
N/A | LAWS5398 | Construction Law |
| This unit will run 25-27 September 2024. Please refer to the timetable website for session times and venues. Attendance at all sessions is mandatory. |
NS | LAWS5517 | Mining Law |
| Students must attend sessions on 2-3 and 9-10 October 2025. |
NS | LAWS5521 | Climate Change Law |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period 17-19 July 2024. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
NS | LAWS5532 | Energy Agreements: Oil and Gas, Alternative Energy and Sustainability |
| Students must attend sessions on 21-22 and 28-29 of August 2025. |
N/A | LAWS5540 | Environmental Protection Law | None | This unit will run online with pre-reading from 29 July. Interactive classes will be held 27-29 August 2024. Attendance at these sessions is mandatory. Refer to the LMS page for further information, |
S2 | LAWS5577 | Governing the Commons: Oceans, ice and outer space |
| Sessions will run from 9am - 5pm on Wednesdays for six weeks across semester 2. Refer to timetable for more details. Students must attend all sessions. |
N/A | LAWS5590 | Water Resources Law |
| |
S1, S2 | LAWS5694 | Research Paper I |
| This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
S1, S2 | LAWS5695 | Research Paper II (12 points) | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. | |
S1, S2 | LAWS5696 | Research Paper III Part 1 |
| This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
S1, S2 | LAWS5697 | Research Paper III Part 2 |
| This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
N/A | LAWS5813 | Legal Issues for Not-for-Profit Entities |
| This unit runs intensively 3-6 September. Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
NS, S1, S2 | SVLG5001 | McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship |
| Internship experience: approximately 100 hours; McCusker Centre attendance: approximately 8 hours |
Take units as per the sequences notes.
Group C
Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
---|---|---|---|---|
NS | LAWS5117 | Advanced Evidence and Proof |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period 2 to 5 April 2024. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
S2 | LAWS5118 | Family Law |
| 3 hours per week |
S1 | LAWS5132 | Income Taxation Law |
| Students must attend all day sessions on Wednesdays in April and May. Refer to the timetable for more details. |
S1 | LAWS5144 | Mining and Energy Law | Lectures: 12 x 2 hour lectures Tutorials: 5 x 2 hour tutorials | |
S1 | LAWS5150 | Intellectual Property Law |
| 3 hours per week |
S1 | LAWS5152 | Media Law |
| |
S1, S2 | LAWS5160 | Law Review Part 1 (0 points) |
| Approximately 12 hours of meetings per semester; flexible and will fluctuate according to production schedule and other unit-related activities |
S1, S2 | LAWS5161 | Law Review Part 2 |
| full-time commitment throughout the editorial and production process |
S1 | LAWS5165 | Public International Law |
| 3 hours per week |
N/A | LAWS5358 | Innovations in Lawyering |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
N/A | LAWS5360 | Employment Law |
| 3hrs per week with additional seminars. |
N/A | LAWS5503 | Conflict of Laws |
| |
N/A | LAWS5528 | Unjust Enrichment and Restitution |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
N/A | LAWS5541 | Equity Capital Markets & Securities Regulation |
| |
N/A | LAWS5576 | International Commercial Arbitration |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period 24-28 June 2024. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) 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) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3.(1) To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
(2) Applicants presenting with the IELTS Academic require an overall score of at least 7.0 and no band less than 6.5.
(3) Applicants presenting with the TOEFL iBT require an overall score of at least 100, a minimum score of 28 in the Speaking section, and no other sub-score less than 26.
(4) Applicants presenting with the TOEFL Paper Based score require an overall score of at least 580 and a minimum score of 5.0 in the Essay Rating / Test of Written English (TWE).
(5) Applicants presenting with the Pearson Test of English (PTE) (Academic) require an overall score of at least 70 and no sub-score less than 70.
(6) Applicants presenting with the UWA Centre for English Language Teaching (CELT) Bridging Course require a minimum grade of Grade A (85%) in the final CELT examination, with no band less than 80%.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have1(a) a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; or
2(a) (i) a bachelor's degree in a cognate area, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; and (ii) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; or
3(a) (i) a bachelor's degree, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA; and (ii) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent; and (iii) at least two years of relevant professional experience.
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) The following courses form part of an articulated sequence:
- 20320 Graduate Diploma in Law (24 points)
- 20500 Master of Laws (48 points)
- 20550 Master of Mining and Energy Law (48 points)
(2) Units completed in the Graduate Diploma in Law will only be credited towards a 48 point Masters course if the Graduate Diploma is not conferred.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 24 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. This rule is not applicable to this course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).
Additional rules
Credit
14. Credit will not be granted for units that were taken in another degree that was conferred.