Whether it's working for a multi-national or starting your own business, this double degree in law and commerce will give you a powerful kick-start to the future.
You will gain a solid foundation in the Australian legal system and the research, analytical and communication skills of the legal profession. Combine this with a broad foundation in accounting, finance, economics, management and marketing, and a major of your choice and you will have a thorough legal and commercial understanding of business and trade.
NOTE: For learning outcomes and other relevant information of this double degree, refer to the single degree entries:
The requirements below detail what you must study in order to complete this double degree course and receive the awards.
The course progression mapcourse progression map (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2019handbooks/maps/map-l3005.pdf) provides guidance on unit enrolment for each semester of study.
Units are 6 points unless otherwise specified. You must complete 252 points:
1. 156 points must be completed in Parts A, B, C and D as described below in Bachelor of Laws (Honours) component.
Refer to L3001 Bachelor of Laws (Honours) single degree entry for the details of important admission to practice information.
2. 96 points must be completed in Parts A and B as described below in Bachelor of Commerce component, of which:
- at least 24 points must be completed at level 3
Law component
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) is a specialist course that develops through themes: legal methodology and legal practice; public law; and private law. The specialised knowledge and advanced skills are imparted in later year elective units, including a final year project involving intensive research and writing.
Part A. Legal methodology and legal practice (24 points)
This theme includes the nature of law, and particularly statute law enacted by parliaments and common law developed by courts. It also includes the key concepts, principles and methods of research and reasoning that enable lawyers to identify and interpret law and apply it to relevant facts in order to provide legal advice. It covers the law of procedure and evidence that governs judicial proceedings, alternative methods of resolving legal disputes and the code of ethics that regulates the professional conduct of legal practitioners.
You must complete:
Part B. Public law (30 points)
Public law includes constitutional law, administrative law and criminal law. It concerns the powers and procedures of the legislative, executive and judicial organs of government and how they are regulated and controlled by 'the rule of law'. It also concerns the legal relationship between government and individuals, including the protection of individual rights.
You must complete:
Part C. Private law (48 points)
Private law deals with legal relationships between legal persons, including corporations as well as individuals. It includes the study of property rights, contractual rights and obligations, wrongs (called 'torts') such as trespass and the negligent infliction of injury, and the law of equity and trusts.
You must complete:
Part D. Extending expertise: specialist law electives (54 points)
In later years of the course, you will be able to choose from a broad range of elective law units. High achieving students may also include one or two master's units in their final year of study. Elective law units enable you to develop specialised knowledge and advanced skills in areas of law that suit your own interests, skills and career goals. In addition to public and private law, these include international law, commercial law and human rights law. You will have opportunities to study overseas, and to undertake work-based learning, for example, in our legal clinical program and in local and international internships.
You must complete undergraduate law electives (54 points) as follows:
a. at least one of the following commercial law units (6 points):
- LAW4162 Family property and financial disputes
- LAW4179 International commercial arbitration
- LAW4198 Australian commercial law
- LAW4341 Copyright and designs
- LAW4342 Patents, trade marks and unfair competition
- LAW4668Not offered in 2019 International investment law
- LAW4671 Private investment law
- LAW4701Not offered in 2019 Commercial transactions
- LAW4702 Competition and consumer law
- LAW4703Not offered in 2019 Introduction to intellectual property
- LAW4704 Taxation law
b. at least one of the following law research units (6 or 12 points):
- LAW4801 Research project
- LAW4802 Research practicum
- LAW4803 Clinical placement
- LAW4805 Mooting and advocacy competition
- LAW4806 Jessup moot competition
- LAW4807 Vis arbitration moot
- LAW4327 Honours thesis (12 points)
- LAW4328 Professional practice (12 points)
- LAW4330 Family law assistance program: Professional practice (12 points)
- LAW4811 In-house clinical placement
- any master's level elective (usually 12 points) which is approved for undergraduate enrolment, and has as part of its assessment regime a research assignment with a word limit of 3750 words or more
c. additional law electives to bring the total for Part D to 54 points:
- including other units from the lists of commercial law and law research units above
- high achieving students may be eligible to complete a maximum of two master's level electives in the final semester, which can be counted towards a Master of Laws degree if they wish to progress to graduate studies.
Law units begin with the prefix LAW and suitable units can be identified using the browse units tool in the current edition of the Handbook. The level of the unit is indicated by the first number in the unit code; undergraduate law units are those that commence with the numbers 1-4.
Commerce component
Bachelor of Commerce is a comprehensive course, and in the double degree course you complete commerce specified study and a commerce listed major.
Part A. Commerce specified study (48 points)
This will provide you with a broad foundation for your study of commerce and expose you to several commerce disciplines. This will contribute breadth to your knowledge of commerce and address the graduate course outcomes. It will also give you the opportunity to learn more about each discipline before finalising your choice of major.
You must complete:
a. The following 5 units (30 points):
- ACC1100 Introduction to financial accounting or ACC1200 Accounting for managers
- ECC1000 Principles of microeconomics
- ETC1000 Business and economic statistics
- MGC1010 Introduction to management
- MKC1200 Principles of marketing
b. Two elective units* (12 points) from the Faculty of Business and Economics on the Clayton campus.
c. One capstone, project, international or internship experience unit (minimum 6 points) chosen from the units listed below.
If you are completing a major in accounting do not complete this section. The following units meet this course requirement: ACC3100/ACF3100 Advanced financial accounting and ACC3200/ACF3200 Management accounting.
Capstone unit
- BEX3150 Sustainability practice and organisations
- BEX3500 Current issues in commerce
Corporate project
International experience
- ACX3500 International study program in accounting
- BEX3622 Issues in global business
- BEX3722 Engaging with international business - Australia
- BEX3723 Engaging with international business - North America
- BEX3724 Engaging with international business - Asia
- BEX3725 Engaging with international business - Europe
- BEX3728Not offered in 2019 Engaging with international business (12 points)
- BFX3871 International study program in banking and finance
- BSA3004 Innovation and entrepreneurship in Silicon Valley
- MKX3521 Global study programs in marketing
Internships
Part B. Commerce listed major (48 points)
This will provide you with a focused program of study that will develop your expertise in one discipline area. You will develop, apply and communicate an advanced level of understanding of the concepts and theoretical frameworks that constitute the knowledge base of your major area of study.
Complete at least one commerce listed major. A major requires eight units with no more than two units (12 points) at level 1 and at least three units (18 points) at level 3.
Depending on the chosen major, you may have already studied one of the units as part of your commerce specified study. If so, you must complete an additional commerce unit offered on your campus of enrolment to bring the combined commerce study to at least 96 points from the Faculty of Business and Economics.
If you intend to undertake an honours year, you should ensure you complete the specific units required for honours in your chosen major area of study.
Minors and majors
Refer also to the table of minors and majorsminors and majors (http://www.monash.edu.au/pubs/2019handbooks/undergrad/bus-minor-major-extended-major-specialisation.html) which also details if an area of study is available as a minor or major.
You may be eligible to exit the double degree program and graduate with either a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) or a Bachelor of Commerce after four or three years respectively, depending on the units studied.
If you wish to graduate with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) prior to the completion of the double degree you must have completed at least 204 points of studies, including all of the requirements in Part A, B, C and D for the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) degree.
If you wish to graduate with a Bachelor of Commerce prior to the completion of the double degree you must have completed at least 144 points of studies, including all of the requirements in Part A and B for the Bachelor of Commerce degree.
Honours
You may be eligible to apply for a one-year honours course once you have successfully completed this double degree, or have completed all of the requirements for one of the single degrees including a total of 144 points. The following honours course applies:
- B3701 Bachelor of Commerce (Honours)
You are usually eligible to apply for honours if you achieve a distinction grade average (70 percent) or above in 24 points of studies in relevant discipline units at level 3. In addition, some majors require particular unit to be taken for admission to honours. The details are provided with the requirements for each major to which this applies.
