Postgraduate - CourseMaster of Laws

In this expert graduate course, law graduates develop advanced professional skills and knowledge of developments in the law, practice and scholarship of one or more areas of law. Students can focus on a specialised area or select from a broad range of electives for professional practice. The course enhances the capacity to undertake independent research, and provides options for a pathway to doctoral studies.

Students investigate contemporary issues in law, practice and scholarship, and evaluate complex legal issues from theoretical, international and interdisciplinary perspectives.

These course outcomes are aligned with the Australian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate AttributesAustralian Qualifications Framework level 9, the Bologna Cycle 2 and Monash Graduate Attributes (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/handbooks/alignmentofoutcomes.html).

Graduates of the course will have:

• knowledge and understanding of recent developments in areas of law or professional practice
• knowledge of legal research principles and methods to plan, carry out and report on an original project
• knowledge and reasoning skills to critically evaluate theory and practice in areas of law
• research skills to investigate, analyse and synthesise complex information, problems, concepts and theories
• cognitive skills to apply theories, knowledge and skills to different legal areas or to new situations in legal practice or scholarship
• thinking skills to discuss complex and abstract legal ideas and theories
• communication and interpretive skills to justify arguments, methods, and conclusions to legal and lay audiences
• creative skills to design, evaluate, implement, analyse and theorise about developments that contribute to professional practice or scholarship
• high level personal autonomy and accountability.

Students may be eligible for credit for up to 50 per cent of the course (24 points) for previous masters level studies in law. Students who have completed an independent research project in a bachelor of law honours degree may be exempted from the masters research unit but must still complete 48 points of level 5 units.

The course comprises eight 6-point coursework units or a combination of coursework units and a minor thesis.

Students must complete one of the following options:

Option 1

• LAW5082 Masters research (6 points)
• seven units from the list of masters law electivesmasters law electives (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/aos/law/index.html) (42 points)

Option 2

• LAW5083 Minor thesis on an approved topic in law (12 points)
• six units from the list of masters law electivesmasters law electives (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/aos/law/index.html) (36 points)

Option 3

• LAW5084 Minor thesis on an approved topic in law (24 points)
• four units from the list of masters law electivesmasters law electives (http://monash.edu/pubs/handbooks/aos/law/index.html) (24 points)

Students taking the course as a pathway to doctoral studies are advised to take a minor thesis option.

Additional course requirement:

• international students and those with a law degree from a non-Australian jurisdiction must complete LAW5081 (Australian legal process and research) as one of their masters electives.

Further information is available on the faculty website regarding law units and specialisationslaw units and specialisations (http://www.law.monash.edu.au/postgraduate/units-overview.html) and the current postgraduate law timetablecurrent postgraduate law timetable (http://www.law.monash.edu.au/current-students/course-unit-information/timetables/postgraduate/index.html).

• Commercial law
• Dispute resolution
• Government law and regulatory practice
• Human rights law
• Intellectual property law
• International and comparative law
• Law
• Media and communications law
• Regulatory studies
• Workplace and employment law

Students may exit with a Graduate Diploma in Law providing all requirements for that award have been met.

Master of Laws