Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Business

This is a four-year double degree that puts two qualifications on your testamur: a Bachelor of Laws and a Bachelor of Business. You study law and business side by side rather than one after the other, which means you finish with both degrees in the time a law degree plus a business degree would normally take if you did them separately. The law component covers the areas you need for legal practice in Australia, contract, torts, criminal law, property, equity, constitutional law, administrative law, evidence and procedure, and the business component covers accounting, economics, management, marketing and business law. Because the two strands overlap in places, you get credit for shared units, which is how the four years works.

How the degree is structured

Australian bachelor degrees are built from units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. You need to pass a required number of credit points to graduate. At Southern Cross, the academic year runs across study periods rather than a single long semester, so you can spread your units across the year and, in some cases, speed things up or slow things down depending on your circumstances. The law degree includes a capstone unit in your final year, where you work through a complex legal problem or project that pulls together what you have learned. Many law students also complete a professional placement or internship in a law firm, community legal centre, government department or in-house legal team, and the business side often includes a work-integrated learning unit where you apply your skills in a real organisation.

What you actually learn

You learn to read a case and work out what it means for a client. You learn to draft a contract, write a letter of advice, research a point of law and argue it. On the business side, you learn how organisations are financed, how they are managed, how markets work and how business decisions are made. Put together, you graduate with the kind of training that lets you sit in a room with a business client and understand both the legal problem and the commercial context. The law degree is taught with a focus on the Australian legal system, and if you intend to practise as a solicitor or barrister you will need to complete the practical legal training or supervised workplace experience that your state or territory requires before admission. Check the requirements with the relevant admitting authority, because they differ around the country.

Who it suits

This double degree suits students who want to work in commercial law, corporate advisory, compliance, or who want to run a business with a law qualification behind them. It also suits people already working in business who want to move into legal roles, or legal professionals who want a stronger commercial grounding. If you are an international student, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight while your course is in session, and after you graduate you may be eligible for the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream, which lets you stay and work in Australia for a period that depends on your qualification and circumstances. English requirements for international applicants are set out on the university's official page, IELTS Academic 6.0–6.5 overall is the common undergraduate standard, rising to 7.0–7.5 for law and some other fields. TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and the university's own English programmes are accepted as equivalents, and the Department of Home Affairs sets a separate English threshold for the Student visa itself. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register under course code 117744K. Always confirm the current details on the official page before you apply.

• Solicitor or barrister, after completing the practical legal training or supervised experience your state or territory requires for admission.
• In-house counsel or legal officer, working inside a company, government department or not-for-profit.
• Compliance and risk analyst, in banking, insurance, superannuation or professional services.
• Business analyst or manager, in accounting firms, consultancies, retail, agribusiness or technology companies.
• Contract administrator or procurement officer, in construction, mining, infrastructure and government.
• Policy adviser, in federal, state or local government, or in industry bodies.
• Entrepreneur or small business owner, using the business training to run your own practice or venture.

Australian employers that hire from this mix include law firms, the courts, legal aid and community legal centres, the big four banks, insurers, ASX-listed companies, state and federal government agencies, and accounting and consulting firms.