Non-partner programs

Independent Study Abroad allows Melbourne Law School students to participate in short-term study programs at overseas law schools of accredited institutions (excluding Exchange partners) for subject credit.

General Information

These programs are independently sourced by the student, rather than by Melbourne Law School. Students will be required to pay the fees for their program directly to the host institution.

Students must satisfy the minimum credit transfer at their chosen institution, equivalent to 12.5 points of University of Melbourne credit. Students may contact the Study Overseas team by submitting an enquiry at Stop 1 for this information, as this will vary between institutions.

At the conclusion of the program, the student will be credited a maximum 12.5 points, equivalent to one elective subject in their Melbourne Law School program of study (Melbourne JD or Melbourne Law Masters). The result(s) gained at the host institution will not be recorded on the student's University of Melbourne transcript and will not affect the student's Weighted Average Mark (WAM). Students are advised to retain a copy of their overseas transcripts to demonstrate the obtained result(s) to employers etc.

Students interested in other (or shorter) opportunities may refer to other global learning opportunities for JD or Melbourne Law Masters (MLM) students.

Eligibility

  • Melbourne JD students must complete at least two semesters of study in the Melbourne JD prior to departing for any Independent Study Abroad, and
  • Melbourne Law Masters students must complete at least 37.5 points (3 subjects) of study in the MLM program prior to departing for any Independent Study Abroad.

All applicants must:

  • Have (and maintain) a 65% WAM or above.
  • Source their short-term program independently, and are required to pay the fees for their program directly to the host institution.
    • Students are advised not to apply/pay for the program or make travel arrangements until subject approval from Melbourne Law School to participate in the overseas program is granted.

Application Process

  1. Apply for Melbourne Law School approval for credit

    For programs to be approved for credit, students must build and seek approval for their Overseas Study Plan well in advance of the commencement of the program.

    Students must satisfy the minimum credit transfer at their chosen institution, equivalent to 12.5 points of University of Melbourne credit. Students may contact the Study Overseas team by submitting an enquiry at Stop 1 for this information, as this will vary between institutions.

    When creating and submitting the Overseas Study Plan (using the Overseas Study Planner tool below), applicants must consider the following guidelines:

    Each subject must

    • have sufficient substantive legal content,
    • not be similar to subjects the student has already completed (or are due to complete prior to departure abroad) at Melbourne Law School as part of their Melbourne Law Masters (both compulsory and elective subjects),
    • be taught at a graduate level law school of an accredited institution, and
    • have assessment that is in line with the MLS assessment policy, which must be graded, and assessed by examination and/or essay. Students must provide details for each assessment, including word limits, duration of exams and breakdown of the marks where possible (e.g. a two-hour, closed book exam worth 60%, or a 10,000-word research paper worth 80%)

    Students must provide all this relevant information for each subject in the Overseas Study Plan. If the information required for approval is not available publicly, it is the student's responsibility to contact the host institution and request relevant information. Failure to provide all relevant information (per subject) in the Overseas Study Plan will result in the proposed subject(s) not being approved for MLS credit.

    Complete Overseas Study Planner

    Instructions (PDF, 2.64MB)

  2. Apply to the host institution

    Once applicants have received subject approval from Melbourne Law School, they are permitted to apply for their chosen overseas program at the host institution. Students will be required to pay the fees for this program directly to the host institution.

    Students are advised not to apply/pay for the program or make travel arrangements until subject approval from Melbourne Law School to participate in the overseas program is granted.

    If subject approval is not granted, students will not be able to receive credit towards their Melbourne Law School program of study (Melbourne JD or Melbourne Law Masters).

  3. Contact Stop 1

    Successful applicants must provide a copy of their approved Overseas Study Plan (from Melbourne Law School) and the acceptance letter for the approved overseas program from the host institution to Stop 1 (directing their enquiry to the Enrolments team).

    The Enrolments team at Stop 1 will enrol the student in a generic study abroad subject which will appear on their student record and count towards their enrolment at the University of Melbourne.


Funding

Students may be eligible for the Melbourne Mobility Award. Please note that students can only receive this grant once per University of Melbourne degree.

Students may also be eligible for other funding opportunities.

Students who require a letter for Centrelink to confirm their participation in the overseas program must contact the Study Overseas team at Stop 1 no less than three weeks before departure. Failure to do so may result in loss of payments such as Austudy, Youth Allowance and Disability Support Pension.

Insurance

Participating students may be eligible for free University of Melbourne travel insurance.

Awarding Credit Upon Completion

Upon completion of the overseas program, students must ensure their overseas transcript is sent to the Study Overseas team at Stop 1, so credit from the program can be applied as Advanced Standing to the student's Melbourne Law School program. The generic study abroad subject will then be removed as a placeholder from the student's record.

The result(s) gained at the host institution will not be recorded on the student's University of Melbourne transcript and will not affect the student's Weighted Average Mark (WAM). Students are advised to retain a copy of their overseas transcripts to demonstrate the obtained result(s).

Graduation and Final Rankings

Melbourne Law School students who undertake international opportunities in the final semester of their course will often have to delay their graduation. Melbourne Law School advises students not to make any plans to attend a graduation ceremony until they have received a formal invitation to graduate.

Final rankings can only be calculated after all transcripts have been received and the student has graduated from their Melbourne Law School program.

Please note, however, Advanced Standing received from undertaking an overseas program is not included in final rankings.

Admission to Practice

Students seeking Admission to Practice in Victoria are required by the Board of Examiners to provide a Student Conduct Report (SCR) from each university in which they have been enrolled, including those based overseas, for each completed course.

Students should firstly approach their host institution's program contact to request the SCR. If the host institution is unsure of the wording to use in the SCR, students may provide them with a template (DOC).

  • In the event an SCR request has been made and rejected (for whatever reason) students will need to provide evidence of the original request and the host institution's response.
  • In the event an SCR request has been made to which no response has been received, students will need to provide evidence of the original request and a follow-up request.

Enquiries

For enquiries regarding international opportunities at Melbourne Law School, please contact the Academic Programs Coordinator at law-global@unimelb.edu.au. Please provide 2-3 dates and times when requesting an appointment.