Overview 2024
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For years prior to 2015, please view the Course and Unit Handbook Archive
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It is suitable both for those who plan pursue a role that could benefit from some legal knowledge, as well as those who already have this as part of their career.
In addition to introductory law units that cover the foundations of law and legal reasoning, you can choose units to target one or more specialist areas relevant to your work (depending on your experience).
There are also avenues for inquiry into areas including international law, human rights and environmental law, to give you a broader understanding of the role of law.
Assessment tasks through the course will enhance your ability to prepare written advice and develop arguments in response to legal problems. This will see you graduating with an understanding of ethical practice with essential skills across legal reasoning, research and effective communication.
Learning Outcomes
Course structure
The Diploma of Legal Practice requires the completion of 100 credit points comprising:
- 50 credit points of Core units; and
- 50 credit points of Core Option units.
If you are looking to enrol in the Bachelor of Laws after completing the Diploma, you should complete LAW106 Torts as a Core Option unit to ensure a smooth transition into the Bachelor's degree. Another Law-coded or cognate elective unit may be substituted with the permission of the Course Coordinator.
The Diploma of Legal Studies is available to be studied fully online or face-to-face.
Core
Public international law permeates most areas of Australian law and it is therefore essential for law graduates to have a solid grounding in the sources and methodology of international law. This unit develops students' understanding of the sources of international…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This unit introduces you to the key elements of domestic Australian and indigenous legal systems, and considers how they compare with other legal systems around the world. You will gain an introduction into how law is made in Australia by…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Strong legal reasoning skills are critical to student learning and performance while at law school and eventually to the quality of your legal practice. More broadly, many employers beyond the legal profession consider the ability to solve problems by identifying…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for LAW108 Legal Reasoning and Technological Change
Become better prepared to understand concepts of ethics, social responsibility and the law and how these shape individual and collective behaviour in modern society. Sustainable inspirational leadership can only evolve from a legitimate, ethical and socially responsible base. Equally, reputations…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
View all details for LAW181 Ethics, Social Responsibility and the Law
Core Option
In this unit you will focus on sociological approaches to crime and the criminal justice system with the objective of understanding research and debates about: (i) the criminal justice system (police, courts, corrections); (ii) patterns of crime (measuring crime victims…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
This is a foundational unit in Criminology. You will focus on criminological approaches to understanding crime and criminalisation. The unit will introduce various categories of crime (e.g. property crime and violent crime) and debates about what counts as crime and…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 1 | ||||
| Online | Semester 1 | ||||
HIR101 provides students with an overview of the theory and practice of international relations. The unit is divided into two modules. In module one, you will learn about theoretical approaches to the study of IR including introductions to realist, liberal,…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for HIR101 Introduction to International Relations
This unit introduces an important area of private law, and examines the historical development and operation of specific Torts including trespass to person, nuisance, negligence, defamation and relevant intersecting laws. It also considers the relationship between various areas of Tort…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Launceston | Semester 2 | ||||
| Cradle Coast | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
A unit suitable for both law and non-law students, this unit introduces students to Indigenous people’s experience with the legal system in Australia and selected other jurisdictions (United States, Canada and New Zealand), and the interactions between non-Indigenous and Indigenous…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 2 | ||||
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
Law and Social Change considers the role that law and lawyers have played in shaping or influencing some of the major ideas, political events and personalities within society and how these factors have, in turn, influenced law and lawyering. It…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hobart | Semester 1 | ||||
The ‘blue economy’ of oceans related industries is set for significant expansion in the first half of twenty first century. Australia has one of the largest areas of ocean estate in the world. Tasmania is also are a global centre…
Credit Points: 12.5
| Location | Study period | Attendance options | Available to | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Online | Semester 2 | ||||
View all details for LAW191 Law of the Oceans and the Antarctic
This unit explores some of Australia’s most challenging environmental controversies, and the legal and policy context in which they arise. It uses a range of topical issues and case studies to introduce students to the framework for national and international…
Credit Points: 12.5
This unit is currently unavailable.
View all details for LAW195 Current Issues in Environmental Law and Policy
Entry requirements
For Domestic students
Domestic Applicants who have recently completed secondary education
This course uses ATAR and equivalent ranks as part of the admission process.
Applicants are ranked by ATAR and offers made based on the number of places available. Applicants who have recently completed senior secondary studies but have not received an ATAR may still be eligible for admission.
Domestic Applicants with higher education study
- Partially completed an undergraduate course at Diploma level or higher (or equivalent). Applicants must have completed at least one unit of study (equivalent to 12.5 UTAS credit points). If an applicant has failed any units the application may be subject to further review before an offer is made; or
- Completed the UTAS University Preparation Program (or an equivalent qualification offered by an Australian University).
Domestic applicants with VET / TAFE study
To be eligible for an offer, applicants must have completed a Certificate IV (or equivalent) in any discipline.
Domestic Applications on the basis of work or life experience
If you have not successfully completed senior secondary, tertiary or TAFE/VET study, but have relevant work and life experience you can complete a personal competency statement. You may be eligible for an offer if you have work and life experiences that demonstrate a capacity to succeed in this course.
Special consideration
If your ability to access or participate in education has been affected by circumstances beyond your control, you can apply for special consideration as part of your application. We will consider a range of factors for special consideration, including economic hardship, a serious medical condition or disability.
We can only approve applications for special consideration where we are confident that you have the necessary skills and knowledge to succeed in your studies. If your application is not approved, the UTAS admissions team will work with you to find the best alternative pathway to your chosen course. Special consideration is not available for international applicants.
For International students
This degree requires an IELTS (Academic) of 6.0 (no individual band less than 5.5)
For students who do not meet the English Language Requirement through citizenship or prior studies in English in an approved country, evidence of an approved English language test completed within the last 2 years must be provided. See the English Language Requirements page for more information.
General Entry RequirementsAdmission to undergraduate courses at the University of Tasmania requires the completion of qualifications equivalent to a 12th year of education in Australia.
Please review the equivalent undergraduate entry requirements to see the minimum requirement relevant to your country. The ATAR information for this course is located in the “For Domestic Students” section of the entry requirements on this page.
You can also meet the General Entry Requirement for this course with the following qualifications or prior studies:
- Completion of an equivalent AQF Certificate IV or above
- Complete or incomplete (minimum 25 credit points) of previous tertiary study at Bachelor level or higher
This course does not have any course specific requirements.
Articulation
The Diploma in Legal Studies articulates into L3C Bachelor of Laws with full credit.
Those students who plan to progress to the Bachelor of Laws are strongly advised to complete LAW106 Torts as a Core Option to allow completion of the Bachelor of Laws within the shortest completion time of 2.5 years if studying full-time.
Detailed Admissions Information
Detailed admissions information and advice for all undergraduate courses, including comprehensive, course-level student profiles, is available from UTAS Admissions.
Fees & scholarships
Domestic students
Cost shouldn’t get in the way of you studying.
If you’re a domestic student, you may be eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place in this course. This means your fees will be subsidised by the Australian Government. You’ll only need to pay the student contribution amount for each unit you study within the course.
You may also be able to defer payment of the student contribution amount by accessing a HECS-HELP loan from the Government. If eligible, you’ll only have to pay your tuition fees once you start earning above a specific amount.
Further information is available at Scholarships, fees and costs.
Student contributionStudent contribution amounts are charged for each unit of study. This means that how much you’ll pay will depend on which units you choose. Find out more about student contribution amounts.
Further informationDetailed fee information for domestic students is available at Scholarships, fees and costs, including additional information in relation to the compulsory Student Services and Amenities Fee (SSAF).
International students
2024 Total Course Fee (international students): $33,950 AUD*.
Course cost based on a rate of $33,950 AUD per standard, full-time year of study (100 credit points).
* Please note that this is an indicative fee only.
International students
International students are charged the Student Services and Amenities Fee but this fee is incorporated in the annual rate. International students do not have to make any additional SSAF payments.
Scholarships
For information on general scholarships available at the University of Tasmania, please visit the scholarships website.
How can we help?
Do you have any questions about choosing a course or applying? Get in touch.
- Domestic
- 13 8827 (13 UTAS)
- International
- +61 3 6226 6200
- Course.Info@utas.edu.au
- Online
- Online enquiries