Course structure and plans

Melbourne Law School offers a variety of course plans to provide students with the necessary flexibility to tailor their studies to their broader needs and goals.

Course structure

The JD course comprises 24 subjects, including 16 compulsory subjects required for admission to legal practice within Australia. The remaining eight subjects are chosen by students from a wide range of optional subjects offered by the School.

The various course plans enable students to take advantage of other educational, professional and social opportunities during the summer and winter breaks, including seasonal clerkships, international exchanges, internships, mooting and Law Review editorial work. Where students have significant non-study commitments, less intensive course plans offer a path to fully integrate study alongside such other obligations.

Note: Full-time students who are receiving Centrelink payments are advised to check their eligibility if they extend beyond 3.5 years as they are required to maintain a certain study load to be eligible. Part time students are unlikely to be eligible for Centrelink payments.

Course advice for part-time students: If you plan to study on a part-time basis and experience issues with prerequisites, please ensure that you check JD course planning on the JD LMS Community and review the video and advice for part-time students on the appropriate sequencing of core JD subjects.

Students may also use the new My Course Planner tool for assistance with planning their studies.