Course overview
- Description
This specialist degree is designed for Law graduates to familiarise themselves with recent developments in law, learn more about areas of law of interest, enhance intellectual and research skills and pursue opportunities to undertake concentrated research in topics of interest.
- Course title
- Master of Laws (coursework)
- Award abbreviation
- LLM
- Course code
- 20500
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework only
- Status
- Current / 2026
- Administered by
- UWA Law School
- CRICOS code
- 003308M
Course details
- Intake periods
- Throughout the year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Credit points required
- 48
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1 year
- Time limit
- 4 years
- Delivery mode
- Internal
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Director of Higher Degrees (Coursework)
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Enquiries and course advice
- Course advice
- Arts and Law Student Office
- 6488 2091
- askUWA
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
No study plans found for this course. Check your chosen major, see study plans or contact your student advising office for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2026 – may be available in 2027 or 2028
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Take unit(s) to the value of 48 points:
LAWS4227 Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions is a core unit in this program for all students who have not completed a law degree or have not completed a law degree based on the common law.
Group A
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | LAWS4227 | Foundations of Law and Legal Institutions |
| Six intensive days |
| NS | LAWS5100 | Sustainability Law and Policy in Resource Development | None | |
| S2 | LAWS5105 | Remedies |
| 4 hours per week |
| N/A | LAWS5111 | Corporate Environmental and Social Governance |
| Students must attend full day sessions. Refer to timetable for more details. |
| NS | LAWS5114 | International Environmental Law: Addressing the triple planetary crisis | There will be an introductory 1-hour online seminar, pre-recorded online modules to be completed, and 5 full days on campus. The unit will be available on 1 December and start in mid-December, actual teaching dates are 12-16 Jan. | |
| N/A | LAWS5117 | Advanced Evidence and Proof | ||
| S2 | LAWS5118 | Family Law | 3 hours per week | |
| NS | LAWS5132 | Income Taxation Law | Students must attend all day sessions on Wednesdays in April and May. Refer to the timetable for more details. | |
| S1 | LAWS5144 | Mining and Energy Law | Lectures: 12 x 2 hour lectures Tutorials: 5 x 2 hour tutorials | |
| S2 | LAWS5150 | Intellectual Property Law | 3 hours per week | |
| S1 | LAWS5152 | Media Law | ||
| S1, S2 | LAWS5160 | Law Review Part 1 (0 points) |
| Approximately 12 hours of meetings per semester; flexible and will fluctuate according to production schedule and other unit-related activities |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5161 | Law Review Part 2 |
| Approximately 12 hours of meetings per semester; flexible and will fluctuate according to production schedule and other unit-related activities |
| S1 | LAWS5165 | Public International Law |
| 3 hours per week |
| S1 | LAWS5167 | Comparative Legal Method |
| 3 hours per week |
| N/A | LAWS5176 | Australian Financial Transactions Law and Regulation | 3 hours per week | |
| S2 | LAWS5181 | Health Law and Policy |
| 3 hours per week |
| S1 | LAWS5183 | Environmental Law | 3 hours per week | |
| N/A | LAWS5209 | Advanced Public Law |
| 3 hours per week |
| N/A | LAWS5218 | Corporate Insolvency |
| |
| NS | LAWS5219 | International Criminal Law |
| Students must attend session across September and October. Refer to the timetable for more information. |
| S2 | LAWS5220 | International Humanitarian Law | None | |
| NS | LAWS5223 | Theories for Contemporary Criminal Justice |
| Students must attend all sessions on 29 July, 05 Aug, 12 Aug, 19 Aug, 26 Aug 2026. Attendance is compulsory. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
| NS | LAWS5226 | International Human Rights Law | None | |
| NS | LAWS5232 | Double Tax Agreements and International Tax Law | None | Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
| NS | LAWS5233 | Base Erosion, Profit Shifting and Transfer Pricing | None | Attendance at all sessions is compulsory. |
| NS | LAWS5234 | Taxation of Trusts | None | Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
| NS | LAWS5235 | Taxation Law of a Foreign State | None | Students must attend every day of the intensive period. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
| NS | LAWS5237 | Advanced Australian International Taxation | None | This is an intensive unit and attendance is compulsory. |
| N/A | LAWS5238 | Goods and Services Taxation | None | |
| NS | LAWS5239 | Resource Taxation | None | Students must attend every day of the intensive period 19-20, 26-27 March |
| N/A | LAWS5240 | Special Topics in Tax | None | |
| S1 | LAWS5251 | International Sales Law |
| 3 hours per week |
| NS | LAWS5254 | International Trade and Investment Law |
| Up to 35 hours. |
| S1 | LAWS5255 | Selected Topics in International Law |
| 3 hours per week |
| NS | LAWS5260 | Intersections of Law, Policy and Governance | ||
| NS | LAWS5261 | Planning Law | None | This unit will be taught intensively from 27-31 January 2026. Attendance at all sessions is compulsory. |
| NS | LAWS5296 | Technology Law and Governance | This unit will run from Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September. Students must attend every day of the intensive period. | |
| N/A | LAWS5305 | Mediation: Practice and Skills | None | |
| N/A | LAWS5358 | Innovations in Lawyering |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
| N/A | LAWS5360 | Employment Law |
| 3hrs per week with additional seminars. |
| N/A | LAWS5398 | Construction Law |
| |
| S2 | LAWS5503 | Conflict of Laws |
| |
| NS | LAWS5517 | Mining Law |
| There will be a 1-hour preliminary session and three full-day on-campus sessions. Please see timetable for more details. |
| NS | LAWS5521 | Climate Change Law |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period. Refer to the timetable for further information. |
| NS | LAWS5528 | Unjust Enrichment and Restitution |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
| NS | LAWS5532 | Energy Agreements: Oil and Gas, Alternative Energy and Sustainability |
| The dates for the intensive workshop are 17, 19, 24, 26 August 2026. |
| N/A | LAWS5540 | Environmental Protection Law | None | |
| NS | LAWS5576 | International Commercial Arbitration |
| Students must attend every day of the intensive period. Refer to the timetable website for further information. |
| S2 | LAWS5577 | Governing the Commons: Oceans, ice and outer space |
| Students must attend full day sessions on Wednesdays. Refer to timetable for more details. |
| NS | LAWS5590 | Water Resources Law |
| Students must attend full day sessions in April. Refer to timetable for more information. |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5694 | Research Paper I |
| This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5695 | Research Paper II (12 points) | This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. | |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5696 | Research Paper III Part 1 |
| This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| S1, S2 | LAWS5697 | Research Paper III Part 2 |
| This research unit involves unstructured contact with a supervisor throughout the semester. |
| N/A | LAWS5813 | Legal Issues for Not-for-Profit Entities |
| This unit runs intensively on 19-20 and 26-27 February. Students must attend every day of the intensive period. |
| NS, S1, S2 | SVLG5001 | McCusker Centre for Citizenship Internship |
| Internship experience: approximately 100 hours; McCusker Centre attendance: approximately 8 hours |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3.(1) To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
(2) Applicants presenting with the IELTS Academic require an overall score of at least 7.0 and no band less than 6.5.
(3) Applicants presenting with the TOEFL iBT require an overall score of at least 100, a minimum score of 28 in the Speaking section, and no other sub-score less than 26.
(4) Applicants presenting with the TOEFL Paper Based score require an overall score of at least 580 and a minimum score of 5.0 in the Essay Rating / Test of Written English (TWE).
(5) Applicants presenting with the Pearson Test of English (PTE) (Academic) require an overall score of at least 70 and no sub-score less than 70.
(6) Applicants presenting with the UWA Centre for English Language Teaching (CELT) Bridging Course require a minimum grade of Grade B (75%) in the final CELT examination, with no band less than 70%.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have1(a) a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Laws, as recognised by UWA
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) The following courses form part of an articulated sequence:
(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Laws course before completing it, but after fulfilling the requirements of a lesser award in the above sequence, may apply for the relevant award.
(3) Credit for units completed in the Graduate Diploma will only be given if the course is not conferred.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 48 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on
(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).
N/A
Additional rules
Credit
14.
Credit will not be granted for units that were taken in another degree that was conferred.