The Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Arts offers students a course focused on commercial law with emphasis on intellectual property law. As the only double degree in Victoria with this specialisation, students learn about trade marks, patents and designs, copyright, the prohibition of misleading or deceptive conduct and competition law. The course also provides a general understanding of contemporary social and cultural developments. Students choose from a range of Arts majors, enabling specialisation in a series of study areas depending on their field of interest. Students complete law-related professional experience placements at organisations in Australia or overseas and are introduced to the practical aspects of legal practice through moot court scenarios and advocacy exercises. The combination of degrees equips students with the skills to work in commercial and general legal practice, in government, and in arts- and humanities-based organisations.

Career opportunities Graduates will have the theoretical and practical knowledge required to operate effectively in diverse settings such as law firms and barristers’ chambers, not-for-profit organisations, government, small businesses and corporate organisations. In particular, the specialisation in intellectual property law equips graduates for careers in the new knowledge economy, giving them the skills to work in media and entertainment, design, branding and advertising, and in internet companies and firms advising information-dependent industries. Depending on their chosen major, graduates may find employment as journalists, interpreters, sociologists, publishers, writers and in the games industry, particularly in areas focusing on interactive content creation, game design, interface design and rapid prototyping.