Address environmental issues with an understanding of the law
If you have an interest in law and a passion for the environment, this dual program is for you. Upon graduation you'll be prepared for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia and have the practical skills and tools required for immediate entry into an environmental management career.
- Only a full-time option is available to international students on a Student visa. Online programs are not available to Student visa holders.
- * Estimated tuition fees are based on 2025 rates. Refer to international fees for more information.
- Not all majors/minors and elective options are available at every campus. You should refer to the What Can I Study tab, and the proposed study sequence for your chosen campus and intake for further information.
- ^ It is recommended that students planning to study part-time apply for the Bachelor of Laws rather than a double degree.
- ^ It is recommended that students planning to study part-time apply for the Bachelor of Laws rather than a double degree.
If you have an interest in law and a passion for the environment, this dual program is for you. Upon graduation you'll be prepared for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia and have the practical skills and tools required for immediate entry into an environmental management career.
Through the law component of this program, you'll engage in active learning experiences and gain practical skills right from your first year. You will observe volunteer lawyers conducting client interviews at the Suncoast Community Legal Service. You will research answers to legal problems, prepare advice, present legal argument, observe court proceedings and take part in simulated court presentations in our new Moot Court venue.
Environmental management field work activities will see you travelling to locations such as Fraser Island and the Noosa Biosphere. Learn to minimise human impacts on the environment, manage resources sustainably, and conserve and restore habitats, biodiversity and ecosystem services. With a strong focus on tropical and subtropical environments and peri-urban areas, making it highly relevant to our region as well as your job prospects. In addition, you can specialise with a range of minors such as coastal and marine environments, climate change adaptation, planning studies, environmental health, geospatial analysis and environmental geography.
Law Honours is available, usually without extending the time required to complete your degree.
Career opportunities
Careers in the field of environmental management are diverse and include opportunities at local, state, national and international levels, in industry, government, conservation, and research organisations. These include environmental assessment and protection (air, water, land), natural resource management, ecosystem conservation and restoration, sustainable procurement and corporate stewardship, communications and public awareness, environmental education, policy and legislation development, international negotiations, and research and development of environmental technologies.
Law graduates have opportunities as solicitor, barrister, government legal officer, judge's associate, law academic, corporate counsel, business and public sector administration and policy development.
Membership
The Law degree is an approved academic qualification for admission to the legal profession. After graduating you must undertake a further period of practical legal training before being admitted as a legal practitioner.
On graduation you can apply to become Associate Member of the Environment Institute of Australia and New Zealand (EIANZ) while you acquire relevant work experience. You can apply for Full Membership in EIANZ after you acquired two years of professional experience in one or more functional areas of environmental practice.
Program structure
USC Law School courses
Introductory courses (5) 60 units
COR109 Teaching Science: Curriculum A
LAW101 The Psychology of Learning
LAW102 Secondary Literacy and Numeracy Across the Curriculum
LAW103 Secondary Assessment and Reporting
LAW104 Using Data for Learning
Developing and Graduate courses (20) 240 units
14 required courses (168 units):
LAW201 Secondary Professional Learning 4: The Professional Empowered and Engaged
LAW202 Questioning History: Explorations in the Thinking and Practice of History
LAW203 What Makes Australia? History of Australian Popular Culture: The Twentieth Century and Beyond
LAW204 Global Citizens: A History of Humanity
LAW205 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
LAW206 Heritage: Australian and Global Contexts
LAW301 The uses and abuses of history
LAW302 Explorations in Environmental History
LAW303 Nationalism and Identity in the 20th Century: Themes and Tensions
LAW304 Research Project in History
LAW401 Historical Geographies
LAW402 What Makes Australia? History of Australian Popular Culture: The Twentieth Century and Beyond
LAW403 Global Citizens: A History of Humanity
LAW404 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
PLUS select 6 elective courses (72 units) from:
LAW307 Heritage: Australian and Global Contexts
LAW310 The uses and abuses of history
LAW311 Explorations in Environmental History
LAW312 Nationalism and Identity in the 20th Century: Themes and Tensions
LAW313 Research Project in History
LAW315 Historical Geographies
LAW318 Game Art: Introduction to 2D & 3D
LAW405 Game Art: Characters & Vehicles
LAW406 Game Art: Virtual Environments
LAW407 Design Portfolio
LAW408 An Introduction to Geographic Information Science and Technology
LAW409 Earth Observation: Remote Sensing and Surveying
LAW410 Applied Geospatial Analysis
LAW411 Geo-visualisation
LAW412 Introduction to Weather and Climate
LAW414 Introduction to Sustainable Energy Systems
LAW415 Climate Change Adaptation
LAW416 Climate Change Mitigation
LAW417 Agricultural and Forest Ecology
LAW418 Introduction to Creative Entrepreneurship
LAW419 Communication and Thought
LAW420 Visual Storytelling
The following 2 elective courses (24 units) are only available to students who have been accepted into honours in Law:
LAW440 Playcentric Game Design
LAW441 Game Art: Introduction to 2D & 3D
Please note: Semester offerings for Law elective courses are subject to change and are dependent on student demand. For more information on elective availability please contact your Program Coordinator.
School of Science and Engineering courses
Introductory courses (4) 48 units
ENS120 Introduction to Games Scripting
ENS103 Serious Digital Game Design
SCI102 Interactive Narrative: Fundamentals
SCI110 Creativity, Design and Communication Project
Developing and Graduate courses (11) 132 units
ENP211 Game-Based Learning
ENS223 Video Game Analysis
ENS221 Serious Game Project A
ENS222 Serious Game Project B
ENS253 Introduction to Marketing
ENS300 Introduction to Creative Entrepreneurship
ENS351 Contemporary Communication Theory and Trends
GEO310 Issues in Social Media
SUS201 Public Relations: Contemporary Perspectives
SUS202 Introduction to Creative Advertising
PLUS select 1 course (12 units) from:
SRP301 Communication and Thought
WPL310 Social Media: Content Curation and Creation
Note: Program structures are subject to change. Not all USC courses are available on every USC campus.
Total units: 480
Recommended study sequences
Program requirements and notes
Program requirements
In order to graduate you must:
- Successfully complete 480 units as outlined in the Program Structure
- Complete no more than 15 introductory level (100 coded) courses (180 units) in total, including the core course
Program notes
- Completing this program within the specified (full-time) duration is based on studying 48 unit points per semester (normally 4 courses) and following the recommended study sequence
- The unit value of all courses is 12 units unless otherwise specified
- It is each students responsibility to enrol correctly according to your course requisites, program rules and requirements and be aware of the academic calendar dates
- Courses within this program are assessed using a variety of assessment methods which may include essays, seminar presentations, reports, in-class tests and examinations
- Semester offerings for Law elective courses are subject to change and are dependent on student demand. For more information on elective availability please contact your Program Coordinator
- Honours in Law available for high performing students
- As part of your USC program, you may apply to Study Overseas to undertake courses with an overseas higher education provider
- Only a full-time study option is available to international students on a Student Visa
- Refer to the Managing your progression page for help in understanding your program structure, reviewing your progress and planning remaining courses.