Melbourne Law Masters course planning

We have designed the Melbourne Law Masters program to provide you with many elective choices tailored to your areas of interest.

To give all of our students the best start, and to maximise your chances of success in the program, we strongly recommend beginning your course with one of the following foundational subjects. These subjects are intentionally scheduled at the start of each half-year to help you structure your studies effectively. Each has been deliberately designed to build your capabilities across key legal knowledge areas, while also strengthening your research, writing and presentation skills – core competencies that will underpin your success throughout the program. They will also help you to get to know your classmates.

This page explains which of these subjects you should enrol in first, based on the course you are enrolled in, your prior educational background, and your areas of interest.

If you are unsure where your area of interest lies, please contact the Director of Studies, as listed on the Handbook course page relevant to your studies.

Master of Laws

This generalist course - Master of Laws (LLM) - is available only to graduates with a prior law degree.

Master of Laws

If you are enrolled in this generalist course, you've probably already thought about your area of interest, whether it may be subjects based on the Australian Common Law system, or comparative and international law fields of study.

If you have a law degree from a non-common law jurisdiction, we recommend you enrol in one of the subjects below:

If you wish to focus on common law subjects (including private law and public law), we recommend starting your course with Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217)
Or, if you wish to focus on subjects with an international law perspective (including international institutions). we recommend starting your course with Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) or International Law (LAWS70173)

If you have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction, then our recommendations differ:

If you wish to focus on common law subjects, Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217) is not required, since you will likely already have sufficient background.
Or, if you wish to focus on international law subjects, Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) or International Law (LAWS70173) is required. If you have already studied international law, neither of these foundational international subjects are required, since you will likely already have this background.

If you wish to focus on multiple areas of law, it's possible to study both Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217) and Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) or International Law (LAWS70173). In this case, or if in doubt, we recommend contacting the Director of Studies for help in choosing the right subject for you, as well as for help in choosing the right electives.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available.

Graduate Diploma in Laws

This generalist course - Graduate Diploma in Laws (GDipLaw) - is available only to graduates with a prior law degree.

Graduate Diploma in Laws

If you are enrolled in this generalist course, you've probably already thought about your area of interest, whether it may be subjects based on the common law, or comparative and international law fields of study.

We recommend you enrol according to the following areas of focus:

If you wish to focus on common law subjects (including private law and public law), we recommend contacting the Director of Studies for help in choosing the right subject for you, as well as for help in choosing the right electives.
Or, if you wish to focus on subjects with an international law perspective (including international institutions). we recommend starting your course with Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) or International Law (LAWS70173).

If in doubt, or if you think you already have this background from your prior study, we recommend contacting the Director of Studies for help in choosing the right subject for you, as well as for help in choosing the right electives.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available to you in the Handbook.

International law focused courses

Courses which focus on comparative, public international law, or international institutions.

We recommend you take Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) or International Law (LAWS70173).

*If you are undertaking a Master of Public and International Law or a Graduate Diploma in International Law - and you have not studied international law before - then you must take either Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) or International Law (LAWS70173). For part-time students, International Law (LAWS70173) is the alternative five-day intensive offering.

We strongly recommend that you take Principles of International Law (LAWS90295) at the start of your course of study. This subject is intentionally designed to give students a solid grounding in research and the skills required for further study in international law.
You may also choose to enrol in Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217) during your course.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available to you in the Handbook.

Common-law focused masters courses

Masters courses with a focus on the law in common-law jurisdictions (including private law and public law)

We recommend you study Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217) at the start of your course of study.

If you don't have a prior law degree from a common law jurisdiction (or if you don’t have a law degree), we recommend you take Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217). This subject is intentionally designed to give students a solid grounding in Australian common law principles and methods. If you do not yet have a background in the common law, it is essential you choose to study this subject first.
If you have a law degree from a common law jurisdiction, then Fundamentals of the Common Law (LAWS70217) is not required.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available to you in the Handbook.

Common-law focused graduate diplomas

Graduate diplomas with a focus on the law in common-law jurisdictions (including private law and public law)

We recommend you take Australian Legal Practice and Institutions (ALPLI).

If you do not have a prior law degree from a common law jurisdiction (or if you don’t have a law degree), we recommend you take Australian Legal Practice and Institutions (ALPLI) at the start of your course of study. This subject is intentionally designed to give students a solid grounding in Australian common law principles and methods. If you do not yet have a background in the common law, it is essential you choose to study this subject first.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available to you in the Handbook.

Tax courses

You are required to take Foundations of Tax Law (LAWS70323).

You are required to study Foundations of Tax Law (LAWS70323), and we strongly recommend you enrol in this at the start of your course of study.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available to you in the Handbook.

Global competition and consumer law courses

You are required to take Foundations: Competition Law & Economics (LAWS90065).

You are required to study Foundations: Competition Law & Economics (LAWS90065), and we strongly recommend you enrol in this at the start of your course of study.

The remainder of your subjects should be taken from the elective options available to you in the Handbook.