Master of Laws

The Master of Laws (LLM) at the University of Tasmania is a postgraduate law degree for people who already hold a law qualification and want to go deeper into a specialist area, or for law graduates returning to study after time in practice. It is not the Juris Doctor, this is an advanced law degree, so you need an LLB or equivalent before you start. Over two years of full-time study, you will take units of study in areas such as international law, commercial law, environmental law, human rights, or legal research, depending on the specialisation you choose. The exact unit list changes from year to year, so check the official course page before you apply.

How the degree is structured

Postgraduate law at Australian universities is usually built on units of study, each worth a set number of credit points. A master's degree typically requires 96 to 144 credit points, made up of core units and electives. The University of Tasmania runs its academic year across semesters, with some units also offered in summer or winter teaching periods. Many LLM students take a research component, a substantial thesis or research project, instead of, or alongside, coursework. That research pathway is useful if you are thinking about a PhD later, or if you want to produce a piece of original legal writing for your employer or a policy body. Teaching is usually a mix of seminars, workshops, and independent research, with assessment through essays, exams, and class participation rather than lectures alone.

What you actually study

You will read cases closely, write legal arguments, and learn to research primary and secondary sources using Australian and international databases. Units often cover public international law, maritime law (Tasmania has strong links to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean research community), environmental and climate law, corporate and commercial law, and human rights. If you choose the research stream, you will work with a supervisor on a topic of your choice and produce a thesis of 15,000 to 20,000 words. The law school sits within the College of Arts, Law and Education, and there are research centres focused on areas like marine law and natural resource governance. Work-integrated learning is not usually a formal part of an LLM, this is a research and coursework degree rather than a professional placement degree, but some units include practical projects with industry or community partners.

Who it suits

This degree suits law graduates who want to specialise, lawyers in government or private practice who need a formal postgraduate qualification for promotion, and international students who want to study Australian law at an advanced level. It also suits people moving into policy, regulation, or compliance roles who already have a law background. If you are not a law graduate, you would normally need to look at the Juris Doctor instead, which is the qualifying degree for admission to practice. The Master of Laws is not a pathway to legal practice on its own, it builds on an existing qualification. English language requirements for international applicants are set at IELTS 6.0–6.5 overall for most coursework postgraduate degrees, but law sits higher, at 7.0–7.5, because of the reading and writing demands. The Student visa has its own separate English threshold set by the Department of Home Affairs, so check both. While studying, you can work up to 48 hours per fortnight during the semester. After you finish, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may be available if you meet the requirements. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register, and you should confirm all details, including unit offerings and credit points, on the official University of Tasmania page.

• Solicitor or barrister, in private firms, the bar, or community legal centres, often after completing practical legal training if you are seeking admission in Australia.
• Government lawyer or policy adviser, in state and federal departments, including the Attorney-General's Department, DFAT, and environment and resources portfolios.
• In-house counsel or compliance officer, in banks, insurers, mining and energy companies, and large not-for-profits.
• Legal researcher or academic, in universities, law reform commissions, and research institutes, particularly if you took the thesis pathway.
• International organisation or NGO adviser, in human rights, refugee law, environmental governance, or maritime regulation.
• Regulatory or tribunal member, in bodies such as the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, fair work commissions, or industry regulators.

Australian employers in law, government, and finance recognise the LLM as a specialist qualification. Some roles require admission to practice in an Australian jurisdiction, which the LLM alone does not provide, you would need a qualifying law degree plus practical legal training. Always check the requirements of the specific role or regulator.