Help protect the environment with a law degree
Become a defender of the environment with this dual degree. You’ll cover all the academic courses required for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia, and build practical skills through active learning experiences right from your first year. You’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of human impacts on the environment, with a strong focus on tropical and subtropical environments. Law Honours is available, usually without extending the time required to complete your degree.
- 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.
Become a defender of the environment with this dual degree. You’ll cover all the academic courses required for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia, and build practical skills through active learning experiences right from your first year. You’ll also gain an in-depth understanding of human impacts on the environment, with a strong focus on tropical and subtropical environments. Law Honours is available, usually without extending the time required to complete your degree.
In this program you will:
- Research answers to legal problems, prepare advice, present legal argument, observe court proceedings, and take part in simulated court presentations in USC’s Moot Court
- Develop your skills by working with legal service clients under legal supervision in law practice
- Build your skillset and knowledge by specialising in an environmental area such as coastal and marine environments, urban design and town planning, geospatial analysis and global environment security and policy.
- Travel to fieldwork locations such as Fraser Island and the Noosa Biosphere to learn about conservation and restoration of the natural environment
Career opportunities
- In-house counsel for industry, conservation or research organisation
- Government positions
- Natural resource management
- Ecosystem conservation and restoration
- Policy and legislation development
- International negotiations
- Solicitor
- Barrister
- Judge's associate
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 Business Analytics 2
LAW101 Leadership and Team Dynamics
LAW102 Managing Organisational Change
LAW103 Leadership and Team Dynamics
LAW104 Managing Organisational Change
Developing and Graduate courses (20) 240 units
14 required courses (168 units):
LAW201 Small Business and New Venture Management
LAW202 Advanced Strategic Management
LAW203 Quality Management
LAW204 ICT Project Management
LAW205 Project Management
LAW206 Management Informatics
LAW301 Managing Organisations
LAW302 Managing People
LAW303 Corporate Governance, Ethics and Corporate Social Responsibility
LAW304 Economics for Business
LAW401 Discovering Management
LAW402 Marketing Essentials
LAW403 Communication and Thought
LAW404 Exploring Business Research
PLUS select 6 elective courses (72 units) from:
Not all electives are offered every year. For a list of current Law elective courses click HERE.
LAW307 Accounting for Business
LAW310 Information Systems in Organisations
LAW311 Managing Research
LAW312 International Business Law and Ethics
LAW313 Managing Across Global Cultures
LAW315 International Trade and Finance
LAW318 Management Informatics
LAW405 Managing Organisations
LAW406 Strategic Management
LAW407 Leveraging Innovation, Design and Creativity
LAW408 Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation
LAW409 Marketing Management
LAW410 Project Management Principles
LAW411 Project Risk
LAW412 Introduction to Cybersecurity
LAW414 Introduction to Device & Network Security
LAW415 Managing Data
LAW416 Programming
LAW417 Databases
LAW418 Machine Learning
LAW419 Management Informatics
LAW420 Project Management Principles
LAW421 Evidenced Based Decision Making
The following 2 elective courses (24 units) are only available to students who have been accepted into Honours in Law:
LAW440 Data Visualisation
LAW441 Ethics in Digital Investigation and Cyber Security
School of Science and Engineering courses
Introductory courses (4) 48 units
ENS120 Cryptography, Blockchain and Security
ENS103 Research/Industry Dissertation 1
SCI102 Research/Industry Dissertation 2
SCI110 Corporate Finance
Developing and Graduate courses (11) 132 units
ENP211 Innovation and Management Decision Making
ENS204 International Trade and Finance
ENS221 Corporate Entrepreneurship and Innovation
ENS223 Research Project
ENS253 Marketing Management
ENS300 Project Integration
ENS351 Communication and Thought
GEO310 Introduction to Sociology: Society, Culture and Change
SUS201 Introduction to Indigenous Australia
PUB262 Social Work and Human Services Practice
PLUS select 1 course (12 units) from:
ENS330 Introductory Counselling Skills
ENS333 Foundations of Human Behaviour
SRP301 Ethical Practice in the Helping Professions
SUS310 Group Processes and Practice
WPL310 Social Justice, Welfare and the State
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.