Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice / Juris Doctor
University of Technology Sydney (UTS)
Type of institution: University/Higher Education Institution
Level: Postgraduate
CRICOS: 00099F
UTS is the only university in Sydney to offer an integrated law and PLT program that can be completed in the equivalent of three years of full time study, including some summer study. The Juris Doctor Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice is a graduate law degree that combines both the academic and practical legal training components for admission as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of NSW. It is specifically designed for graduates of disciplines other than law. The course qualifies as an Australian Qualifications Framework level 9 master's degree. The flexible nature of the course allows students to work while they study and to tailor their workload to suit professional and personal commitments. The course offers an alternative pathway to practise as a lawyer for graduates who have successfully completed a first degree. In a globalised environment, the course is internationally recognised as a graduate-level law qualification. UTS: Law integrates flexible learning options, including day and night classes, block intensive classes, online learning and authentic assessments. Career options include, but are not limited to, lawyer within a private firm, corporation, government department or community law centre, regulatory affairs and policy adviser in the public or private sector or legal specialisation related to students' previous degree or enhanced career options within an existing professional sphere.
Structure
- The course comprises a total of 162 credit points. The study components for course completion are as follows: 108 credit points of compulsory core law subjects (15 subjects)
- 30 credit points of law options (five subjects)
- a 6-credit-point legal theory option (one subject)
- and 18 credit points of professional legal training subjects. The standard course can be completed in three years of full-time or five years of part-time study. There are two intakes a year (in Autumn and Spring sessions). A practical experience work placement is a compulsory and integral component of the course. Practical experience requires students to complete 15 weeks of full-time (or equivalent part-time) practical experience work placement. Students must complete their practical experience work placement within two-and-a-half years of enrolling in Practical Experience. International students must complete their work placement(s) by the end of the session in which they are enrolled in Practical Experience.
Subjects
- Professional Legal Practice
- Law
Standard entry requirements
- Completed a UTS recognised bachelor's degree, or an equivalent or higher qualification, or submitted other evidence of general and professional qualifications that demonstrates potential to pursue graduate studies. For this course the equivalent qualification required is a bachelor's degree in a discipline other than law or a law qualification from an overseas jurisdiction. Admission is at the discretion of the associate dean (education). The English proficiency requirement for international students or local applicants with international qualifications is: Academic IELTS: 6.5 overall with a writing score of 6.0
- Or TOEFL: paper based: 550-583 overall with TWE of 4.5, internet based: 79-93 overall with a writing score of 21
- Or AE5: Pass
- Or PTE: 58-64
- Or CAE: 176-184.
Recognition
This course is accredited by the Legal Profession Admission Board (LPAB) of the Supreme Court of NSW. The course satisfies both the academic and practical legal training requirements for admission as a lawyer to the Supreme Court of NSW.
Study pathways
Subjects undertaken within the Juris Doctor component of this course are recognised within the Master of Legal Studies and the Graduate Diploma in Legal Studies. Students enrolled in the Juris Doctor Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice may apply to internally transfer to the master's or graduate diploma. Candidates are not awarded the Juris Doctor Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice but subjects undertaken are applied towards the master's or graduate diploma. Students who successfully complete the Juris Doctor Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice at UTS and have completed Master of Laws equivalent subjects within the Juris Doctor Graduate Certificate in Professional Legal Practice, may apply for these subjects to be credited towards the Master of Laws.
Further information
To obtain a student visa to study in Australia, international students must enrol full time and on campus. Australian student visa regulations also require international students studying on student visas to complete the course within the standard full-time duration. Students can extend their courses only in exceptional circumstances.
