Study Overseas program

General information

The Study Overseas program allows Melbourne Law School students to participate in a semester-long program of study for credit at other well-recognised law schools. Students continue to pay their University of Melbourne fees through their current arrangement while participating in the Study Overseas program, and do not pay additional tuition fees to the host institution.

The application, selection and enrolment phases, as well as the awarding of credit upon completion of the overseas program is managed by the Study Overseas team at Stop 1. Students are advised to seek appropriate course planning advice prior to applying for Study Overseas.

At the conclusion of the program, the student will receive Advanced Standing for the subject(s) completed overseas, equivalent to the appropriate number of elective subjects in the 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).

For general information on the Study Overseas program at the University of Melbourne, please visit the Study Overseas program.

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

Eligibility

Melbourne Law School students are permitted to undertake Study Overseas for only one semester. Students must undertake a full-time study load while abroad, and must satisfy the minimum credit transfer at their chosen institution, equivalent to 37.5 or 50 points (3 or 4 elective subjects) of University of Melbourne credit.

• Melbourne JD students must complete at least four semesters of study in the Melbourne JD prior to going abroad on Study Overseas, and
• Melbourne Law Masters students must complete and receive results for at least 37.5 points (3 subjects) of study in the MLM program prior to the Study Overseas application deadline.

All applicants must:

• Have (and maintain) a 65% average or above, and
• Either attend a myWorld First Step Session held in person or complete the online module before submitting their application.
  • Limited in-person sessions are available per application intake period, so students are strongly encouraged to register and attend an in-person session as soon as possible, or complete the online module as an alternative (see Upcoming Workshops and Sessions for availability).
  • Completion is a compulsory hurdle requirement. Failure to provide proof of completion will result in the student's application for Study Overseas to be withdrawn.

Study Overseas partners

Melbourne Law School has an evolving list of Study Overseas opportunities. Melbourne Law School students may refer to the preliminary list of Partners.

Application process

A step-by-step guide for the full application process can be found on the Study Overseas program.

Deadline for application

Deadlines vary depending on the preferred semester of Study Overseas undertaken. It is the student's responsibility to be aware of application dates for Study Overseas applications at the institution they wish to attend.

For specific queries regarding the application or Study Overseas program administrative processes students may contact the Study Overseas team by submitting an enquiry at Stop 1.

Financial plan

Students will be required to demonstrate they have considered how they will fund their Study Overseas. The Study Overseas team at Stop 1 will not require students to justify the amounts but will look at them and discuss them with students. More information can be found within the step-by-step guide for the full application process on the Study Overseas program page.

Overseas Study Plan

Successful applicants will be given access, by Stop 1, to the Overseas Study Planner tool and will need to complete an approved Overseas Study Plan for the institution to which they have been nominated. Failure to provide a completed and approved Overseas Study Plan will likely result in the student not receiving the full credit transfer upon completion of their overseas study.

Students must submit a sufficient number of subjects to satisfy the minimum credit transfer (see 'Credit Load' on the institution's program page), noting that not all submitted subjects will be automatically approved for credit. It is strongly recommended that students monitor approvals and submit additional subjects until the minimum credit load is met.

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

Each subject must:

• Have sufficient and substantive legal content,
• Be taught at a graduate level law school of an accredited institution,
• 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 (eg a two-hour, closed book exam worth 60%, or a 10,000-word research paper worth 80%), and
• 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 School program of study (both compulsory and elective subjects).

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.

Please note: If any of the pre-approved subject choices change upon arrival, students will need to update their Overseas Study Plan. Before enrolling in alternative subjects, students must submit these to the Overseas Study Planner for Melbourne Law School approval. Retrospective approvals may be declined and therefore credit would not be granted for those subjects.