Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws

The course resolutions detailed in this page apply to all courses included in the table below under section 1 (course codes).

These resolutions must be read in conjunction with applicable University By-laws, Rules and policies including (but not limited to) the University of Sydney (Coursework) Rule 2014 (the 'Coursework Rule'), the Coursework Policy 2021 (the 'Coursework Policy'), the Learning and Teaching Policy 2019, the Resolutions of the Faculty, University of Sydney (Student Academic Appeals) Rule 2021, the Academic Integrity Policy 2022 and the Academic Integrity Procedures 2022. Current versions of all policies are available from the Policy Register: http://www.sydney.edu.au/policies

These resolutions must also be read in conjunction with the course resolutions for the singular Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws.

1  Course codes

2  Attendance pattern

The attendance pattern for this course is full time only.

3  Streams

(1)  The Bachelor of Arts in this combined degree is available in the following streams:

(a)  Dalyell.

(2)  Completion of a stream is not a requirement of the Bachelor of Arts. The requirements for the completion of each stream are as specified in Table A for the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies or, in the case of the Dalyell stream, in Table D of the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees and Part 6 of these resolutions. Candidates wishing to transfer between streams or exit from a stream should contact the Student Centre. Candidates who qualify for the Dalyell stream may complete that stream while also completing another stream.

(3)  With the permission of the Faculty of Arts Social Sciences and the University of Sydney Law School, candidates for the combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degree may undertake the Media and Communications stream in the Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies, as listed in the degree resolutions, by fulfilling requirements for the first 144 credit points of the stream in the Bachelor of Arts and then suspending their enrolment in the combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws degree and enrolling in the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) to complete the requirements of the stream before proceeding with the Bachelor of Laws.

4  Cross-faculty management

(1)  Candidates will be under the general supervision of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences until the end of the semester in which they complete requirements for the Bachelor of Arts. After completion of requirements for the Bachelor of Arts, students will be under the supervision of the University of Sydney Law School.

(2)  The Deans of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the University of Sydney Law School shall jointly exercise authority in any matter concerned with the combined course not otherwise dealt with in these resolutions.

5  Admission to candidature

(1)  Admission to this course is on the basis of a secondary school leaving qualification such as the NSW Higher School Certificate (including national and international equivalents), tertiary study or an approved preparation program. English language requirements must be met where these are not demonstrated by sufficient qualifications taught in English. Special admission pathways are open for educationally disadvantaged applicants and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. Applicants are ranked by merit and offers for available places are issued according to the ranking. Details of admission policies are found in the Coursework Policy.

(2)  Admission to the Dalyell Stream requires achievement of a minimum tertiary admission rank (ATAR) set by joint agreement of the Deans and Heads of School and Deans of University schools of all the faculties and University schools administering degrees offering the Dalyell Stream, or equivalent.

6  Requirements for award

(1)  The units of study that may be taken for this combined degree are set out in:

(a)  Table A for the Bachelor of Arts;

(b)  the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table;

(c)  Table S of the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees;

(d)  Table O of the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees; and

(e)  For students enrolled in the Dalyell stream, Table D of the Shared Pool for Undergraduate Degrees.

In these resolutions, except where otherwise specified, Table A, the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table, Table S, Table O, and Table D mean Table A, the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table, Table S, Table O, and Table D as specified here.

(2)  To qualify for the award of the pass combined degrees, a candidate must complete 240 credit points, comprising:

(a)  a major (48 credit points) from Table A as set out in Section 7 below;

(b)  for students not enrolled in the Dalyell stream, 6 credit points of units from the Open Learning Environment as set out in Table O;

(c)  For students enrolled in the Dalyell stream;

(i)  a minimum of 12 credit points of units of study as specified in Table D.

(d)  Students previously but no longer enrolled in the Dalyell stream who have completed at least 6 credit points of Dalyell units of study are not required to complete any units of study in the Open Learning Environment;

(e)  Minimum of 36 credit points of elective units from Table A, Table S, Table O or, for students enrolled in the Dalyell stream, Table D;

(f)  if enrolled in a stream, complete the requirements for the stream as specified in Table A or Table D; and

(g)  144 credit points of Law units of study as specified in the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table, of which 48 credit points are Combined Law compulsory units of study for Years 1, 2 and 3 of the combined degree and are credited towards the requirements for both the Bachelor of Arts and the Bachelor of Laws.

(3)  Requirements for the Bachelor of Arts:

To qualify for the award of the Bachelor of Arts, a candidate must complete 144 credit points, comprising:

(a)  96 credit points specified in 6 (2) (a) - (g) above; and

(b)  48 credit points of Combined Law compulsory subjects from years 1, 2 and 3 from the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table which shall take the place of the compulsory minor specified in the resolutions for the Bachelor of Arts.

(4)  Requirements for the Bachelor of Laws:

To qualify for the award of the Bachelor of Laws, a candidate must complete 144 credit points taken from the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table, comprising:

(a)  102 credit points of compulsory units of study as specified in the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table; and

(b)  42 credit points from the Elective Unit of Study Table (undergraduate) for the University of Sydney Law School, of which a maximum of 36 credit points are taken from Part 1, Elective Units of Study or as specified in 6 (5) (c) below, and a minimum of 6 credit points are taken from Part 2, Jurisprudence Selective Units of Study.

(c)  Students may apply to take up to a maximum of 24 credit points of advanced learning Master's units of study as elective units of study

(i)  Enrolment in Master's units of study will be subject to availability and any unit pre-requisites or assumed knowledge, which may include relevant industry experience or prior specialist study.

(ii)  Enrolment in Master’s units is only permitted after a candidate has completed 96 credit points towards the Bachelor of Laws.

(iii)  Students may only enrol in Master’s units listed in the Bachelor of Laws Elective units of study Table.

7  Majors and Programs

(1)  Completion of a major from Table A is a requirement for this combined degree.

(2)  With the permission of the Faculty, candidates have the option of completing the Media and Communications program with an embedded major from Table A and to complete the program, of enrolling concurrently in the Bachelor of Advanced studies (Media and Communications) to complete requirements where necessary.

(3)  Requirements for majors are as specified in the Learning and Teaching Policy and in the degree resolutions and Table A for the Bachelor of Arts.

8  Progression rules

(1)  Candidates in a combined law program must successfully complete LAWS1025 Foundations of Law before enrolling in any other Bachelor of Laws units of study.

(2)  Candidates are required to complete Bachelor of Laws units in the order listed in the University of Sydney Law School Undergraduate Table.

(3)  Except with permission of the Law Associate Dean, candidates must complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Arts before proceeding to Year Four of the combined degree with Bachelor of Laws.

(4)  Progression within a major or program:

(a)  Except with the permission of the relevant delegate, candidates must pass all 1000-level units of study within a major (except a language major) or program, before proceeding to 2000-level units within that major, program or minor, or else undertake those 1000-level units concurrently with the 2000-level units. Except with the permission of the relevant delegate, candidates must pass all 2000-level units of study within a major (except a language major) or program, before proceeding to 3000-level units, or else undertake those 2000-level units concurrently with the 3000-level units.

(b)  Candidates in a language major commence a major at a level commensurate with their previous ability as determined by the Faculty and must complete lower level units before completing the next higher level or else undertake those lower level units concurrently with the next higher level.

(5)  Progression within the Dalyell stream:

Candidates in the Dalyell stream may proceed in the Bachelor of Arts according to the resolutions of the Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts/Bachelor of Advanced Studies and Table D.

9  Requirements for award with Honours

(1)  Honours is available to meritorious candidates in the Bachelor of Laws and in an area of study in the Bachelor of Arts by enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours), or, the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) and taking an honours program.

(2)  Candidates undertaking an honours component within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences must complete the requirements for the honours course full-time over two consecutive semesters. If the Faculty is satisfied that a student is unable to attempt the honours component on a full time basis and if the Associate Dean so recommends, permission may be granted to undertake honours part-time. For candidates undertaking an honours component with the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, admission, requirements and award of honours are according to these resolutions and the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

(3)  Candidates who qualify to undertake honours in the Bachelor of Arts, or in the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) may elect to enrol in the honours component:

(a)  by suspending candidature from the Bachelor of Laws degree for one year, with the permission of the University of Sydney Law School; and enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) and taking an honours program; or

(b)  by enrolling in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) and undertaking an appended honours component after completion of both degrees in the combined program.

(4)  Admission in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) is by permission of the relevant honours coordinator or head of department after the completion of 144 credit points and the requirements as laid out above for the Bachelor of Arts, including at least one major or program and 6 credit points from Table O. Admission requires a major of study of equivalent depth with a WAM of at least 70 in the area of the proposed honours component. Applicants for admission to an appended honours component must also meet any requirements for honours set by the relevant department, school or faculty as set out in the relevant resolutions.

(5)  To qualify for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours), a candidate must complete a minimum of 36 credit points of honours units at 4000 level as specified by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences for the relevant honours area, including:

(a)  any compulsory units specified by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences for the honours component as specified in Table A for the Bachelor of Arts;

(b)  an honours research project of 12 – 36 credit points as specified in Table A for the Bachelor of Arts; and

(c)  honours coursework to the value of 12 – 36 credit points as specified in Table A for the Bachelor of Arts.

(6)  For candidates completing the Bachelor of Arts in a combined degree with the Bachelor of Laws and also completing an embedded honours component in the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours), the requirement in the Bachelor of Advanced Studies for completion of a second major shall be met by the 48 credit points of Law units specified in 6 (3) (b) above.

(7)  The grade of honours awarded on the basis of an embedded component in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) will be determined by an honours mark calculated from work in the appended honours program as specified in the Coursework Policy.

(8)  Honours in the Bachelor of Laws is available to meritorious students who complete an alternative set of units of study in the final year of the combined degree program. Admission, requirements and calculation of the honours grade are as set out in the resolutions for the Bachelor of Laws.

10  Award of the degrees

(1)  The Bachelor of Laws is awarded in the grades of either Pass or Honours.

(2)  The Bachelor of Arts is awarded in the grades of either Pass or Honours.

(3)  Candidates who successfully complete the Bachelor of Arts as specified in clause 6 (3) and also complete  appended honours in Bachelor of Arts (Honours) as specified in clause 9 (4) or clause 9 (5) shall be awarded the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) with the appropriate honours.

(4)  Candidates for the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) who do not meet the requirements for honours but who meet the requirement for the pass degree, may be awarded the relevant degrees for which they fulfil requirements at pass level.

(5)  The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours)  is awarded in classes ranging from First Class to Third Class in accordance with the Coursework Policy and the resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

(6)  Honours in the Bachelor of Laws may be awarded in First Class or Second Class in accordance with the Resolutions of the Bachelor of Laws.

(7)  For candidates qualifying for the Dalyell stream, the words “Dalyell scholar” will be inserted below the degree name on the testamur.

11  Cross-institutional study

Cross-institutional study is available in this course subject to the terms set out in the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences during the first 144 credit points of the program and subsequently subject to the terms set out in the Resolutions of the University of Sydney Law School.

12  International exchange

The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the University of Sydney Law School encourage candidates in this course to participate in international exchange programs subject to the terms set out in the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences during the first 144 credit points of the combined degree and subsequently subject to the terms set out in the Resolutions of the University of Sydney Law School.

13  Course transfer

(1)  A candidate may withdraw from the combined degree program and elect to transfer to the Bachelor of Arts by written application to the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, and complete the requirements in accordance with the resolutions governing that degree at the time of transfer. Candidature in the Bachelor of Laws will cease in these circumstances.

(2) A candidate may apply to transfer from a different combined law degree program to the Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws combined degree. The candidate must then complete the Law requirements in accordance with the resolutions governing the degree at the time they commenced Combined Law.

(3)  With the permission of the Faculty of Arts and the University of Sydney Law School, suitably qualified candidates may, after completing requirements for the Bachelor of Arts as specified in 6 (3), defer progression to the Bachelor of Laws and undertake appended honours in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or an embedded honours component in the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) (Honours) and then continue to the Bachelor of Laws.

(4)  A candidate who has suspended enrolment in the combined degree to enrol in the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) to complete requirements honours or a stream may abandon the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) or the Bachelor of Advanced Studies (Media and Communications) and return to the combined Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws.

14  Credit for previous study

Credit transfer is subject to the relevant provisions of the Coursework Policy and the Resolutions of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and the University of Sydney Law School.

15  Transitional provisions

(1)  These resolutions apply to students who commenced their candidature after 1 January 2025.

(2)  Students who commenced their candidature prior to 1 January 2025 must complete the requirements for the Bachelor of Laws component of their course under the course resolutions which applied at the time their candidature commenced.