Course structure

Students must complete 50 credit points from the prescribed list of subjects, including Foundations of Tax Law.

Ideally, international students should aim to complete the required Foundations of Tax Law subject early in their degree, and to ensure you can get to know your fellow international and Australian tax students.

Foundations of Tax Law

All students are required to undertake Foundations of Tax Law. This subject provides a necessary grounding in Australian common law and statutory law of taxation, enabling a comparison with students’ home country tax systems. It provides the foundation for successful study in the other tax subjects studied in the course.

Recommended international tax subjects

All international students are also recommended to undertake the subject International Tax: Principles and Structure, offered as a semester-length subject in Semester 2.

Subject timing and format

The Melbourne Law Masters program has been designed around the busy schedules of working professionals. Subjects are offered from February to December each year. Most subjects are taught intensively over five days, with some subjects taught for two hours each week during the semester.

Subjects delivered online will have a combination of pre-recorded lecture content, live sessions and discussion boards among other resources. On-campus subjects involve interactive, seminar-style classes in the Law Building in Melbourne.

Duration

Full-time students enrol in 50 credit points per semester (or half-year period) and have an expected course duration of six months. Part-time* students enrol in 25 credit points per semester (or half-year period) and have an expected course duration of one year. Semesters without enrolments require a student to apply for a leave of absence.

*Part-time enrolment is for domestic students only. Part-time students may reduce their study load to 12.5 credit points per half-year period and thus have a maximum course duration of two years.

For detailed course and subject information, see the Handbook: Graduate Diploma in International Tax.