How to study Arts Law at Melbourne

Studying law at Melbourne looks a little different to most Australian universities. So, don’t be alarmed when you can’t find law on our undergraduate course list – you can still become a lawyer at Melbourne.

In fact, our Arts Law pathway is one of the most flexible programs offered in Australia. How does it work?

Step 1: apply for the Bachelor of Arts

The first step toward completing Arts Law at Melbourne is the Bachelor of Arts. Your undergraduate degree, the Bachelor of Arts will provide you with a crucial foundation in creative and critical thinking through writing, research and analysis. A skill set that will hone your problem-solving abilities and provide the groundwork for your legal thinking.

As a Bachelor of Arts student, you’ll have the opportunity to choose from more than 30 majors and minors. The study area you select as a major is your focus throughout your undergraduate degree. Our majors include Media and Communications, Sociology, Psychology, Philosophy and more.

You may also like to explore the Law and Justice minor which offers a foundational understanding of the rule of law and how law can be applied in a range of social, historical and political contexts. This minor is not compulsory for entry into the Melbourne JD.

At Melbourne, our undergraduate degrees provide you with the chance to expand your personal and professional skills through our breadth study program. Breadth allows you to take single subject or multiple subjects (we call this a breadth track) in an area of study beyond your chosen undergraduate discipline.

There are breadth study tracks or subjects in everything from education to wine making or law. Our law breadth tracks include Consumer Law, Sport and the Law and AI (artificial intelligence), Ethics and the Law.

Step 2: apply for the Melbourne JD (Juris Doctor)

Once you’ve completed your undergraduate degree, you’ll take on the Melbourne JD. A professional graduate program, which equips you with the skills to become a practicing lawyer and take a leading role in contemporary legal practice, the business world, government or community organisations.

Throughout the program, you’ll develop core legal and professional skills inside and outside the classroom with the opportunity to gain practical experience in real-world settings. Our students benefit from internships at organisations such as Victorian Legal Aid -Family Law, Oxfam Legal and the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

As a law student at Melbourne, you’ll also work with real clients to solve real legal problems through Melbourne Law School's Clinic program.

Beyond your studies, there are various extra-curricular activities, competitions and events run by Melbourne Law School to further your professional development.

Melbourne Law School is consistently ranked #1 in Australia, our Arts Law graduates are in-demand and successful in securing employment across a diverse range of legal and non-legal professions.

Pro tip: lock in your Bachelor of Arts and Melbourne JD from day one

At Melbourne, we offer high achieving students the opportunity to secure their undergraduate and graduate study with us from the day they graduate secondary school with our graduate degree packages.

Our Arts Law graduate degree package allows you to apply for both the Bachelor of Arts and the Melbourne JD.

Please note, this is a separate application to the Bachelor of Arts. Students who apply via the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC) must use the unique VTAC code for our Arts Law package.

Learn more about our graduate degree packages