Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Business
with a major in Accounting – Blended learning – on-campus and digital learning
Selected major: Accounting
In this Accounting major you’ll learn how to deliver insights that drive business outcomes while appreciating how the pursuit of profit and purpose are the foundations of future, sustainable businesses.
Gain an appreciation of what theories and methods develop your practical skills and use accounting technologies to evaluate, analyse and communicate financial information.
The major will prepare you for career opportunities in business advisory, company accounting, management accounting, financial management, financial information systems, tax and auditing.
Graduates with an Accounting major may be eligible to apply for membership of CPA Australia (CPAA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
To be eligible for the CPA program you must also complete unit LAW20019 Law of Commerce.
Students seeking membership with overseas professional accounting bodies may need to complete additional units.
If you are interested in accounting, you may also wish to consider Swinburne’s Bachelor of Accounting, or Bachelor of Accounting and Business Information Technology (Professional).
The Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business offers you a course focused on commercial law with emphasis on intellectual property law.
As the only double degree in Victoria with this specialisation, you'll learn about trademarks, patents and designs, copyright, the prohibition of misleading or deceptive conduct and competition law.
You'll learn to think like an entrepreneur and develop the skills and knowledge essential to business management and operations.
The combination of degrees equips you with the skills to work in commercial and general legal practice, within management, and as entrepreneurs.
Work Integrated Learning is a guaranteed part of all our bachelor degrees. In this double degree, you'll complete law-related professional experience placements at organisations in Australia or overseas. You'll also be introduced to the practical aspects of legal practice through moot court scenarios and advocacy exercises. And in the Industry Consulting Project (BUS30009), you’ll team up with other students to work on a real project briefed to you by an industry partner.
Start dates
Hawthorn campus
- Semester 1 - 26 February 2024
- Semester 2 - 29 July 2024
VTAC codes
- 3400210401 (CSP)
- 3400210403 (IFP)
The practice of law
Visiting Indonesia and helping shape the university’s strategy for engaging in the region was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Jack. It gave the Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business student valuable practical experience and challenged him to think outside the box.
I chose Swinburne because I wanted to be part of a tight-knit community. It was important to me to know that I would have the ability to form close relationships with other students and get direct support from academics – something that I felt would be difficult in a bigger university.
Madeline
Bachelor of Laws/Bachelor of Business
Course details
- Course structure, work integrated learning, career opportunities and professional recognition.
Students who undertake a professional placement in law do so in lieu of the Professional Experience in Law units. This option may change the course duration and the number of elective units required to complete the degree.
As a Swinburne law student you can choose to take part in a dual award program with Leo Cussen Centre for Law. This makes it possible to study your LLB at Swinburne while also completing Practical Legal Training (the Swinburne program) at Leo Cussen. Please note that this dual award is not available to those on international student visas.
Course structure
Successful completion of the Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Business requires students to complete units of study to the value of 500 credit points. All units of study are valued at 12.5 credit points unless otherwise stated.
View course rules and special requirements
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to Australian Law & Statutory Interpretation | LAW10010 | 12.5 |
| Contract Law - # Priestley unit | LAW10011 | 12.5 |
| Commercial Law | LAW10013 | 12.5 |
| Torts 1 - # Priestley unit | LAW10014 | 12.5 |
| Criminal Law & Procedure - # Priestley unit | LAW10015 | 12.5 |
| Torts 2 - # Priestley unit | LAW10025 | 12.5 |
| Legal Writing | LAW10026 | 12.5 |
| Evidence - # Priestley unit | LAW20009 | 12.5 |
| Administrative Law - # Priestley unit | LAW20010 | 12.5 |
| Trade Marks & Related Rights * | LAW20011 | 12.5 |
| Federal and State Constitutional Law - # Priestley unit | LAW20012 | 12.5 |
| Property Law - # Priestley unit | LAW20013 | 12.5 |
| Land Law - # Priestley unit | LAW20014 | 12.5 |
| Legal Technology and Innovation | LAW20040 | 12.5 |
| Copyright * | LAW20043 | 12.5 |
| Patents & Designs * | LAW30011 | 12.5 |
| Equity & Trusts * - # Priestley unit | LAW30012 | 12.5 |
| Company Law * - # Priestley unit | LAW30013 | 12.5 |
| Legal Practice & Professional Conduct * - # Priestley unit | LAW30015 | 12.5 |
| Civil Procedure and Alternative Dispute Resolution - # Priestley unit | LAW30029 | 12.5 |
*Outcome unit – completion demonstrates the attainment of course learning outcomes
+
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Information for Decision Making | ACC10007 | 12.5 |
| Innovative Business Practice | BUS10012 | 12.5 |
| Economics for Business Decision Making | ECO10005 | 12.5 |
| Business Digitalisation | INF10024 | 12.5 |
| Contemporary Management Principles | MGT10009 | 12.5 |
| Marketing and the Consumer Experience | MKT10009 | 12.5 |
| Sustainable Business Practice | BUS30031 | 12.5 |
| Industry Consulting Project | BUS30032 | 12.5 |
+
Selected major: Accounting
In this Accounting major you’ll learn how to deliver insights that drive business outcomes while appreciating how the pursuit of profit and purpose are the foundations of future, sustainable businesses.
Gain an appreciation of what theories and methods develop your practical skills and use accounting technologies to evaluate, analyse and communicate financial information.
The major will prepare you for career opportunities in business advisory, company accounting, management accounting, financial management, financial information systems, tax and auditing.
Graduates with an Accounting major may be eligible to apply for membership of CPA Australia (CPAA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
To be eligible for the CPA program you must also complete unit LAW20019 Law of Commerce.
Students seeking membership with overseas professional accounting bodies may need to complete additional units.
If you are interested in accounting, you may also wish to consider Swinburne’s Bachelor of Accounting, or Bachelor of Accounting and Business Information Technology (Professional).
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Financial Information Systems | ACC10008 | 12.5 |
| Financial Statistics | FIN10002 | 12.5 |
| Management Accounting for Planning and Control | ACC20007 | 12.5 |
| Company Accounting | ACC20013 | 12.5 |
| Financial Management * | FIN20014 | 12.5 |
| Taxation * | ACC30005 | 12.5 |
| Accounting Theory * | ACC30008 | 12.5 |
| Auditing * | ACC30010 | 12.5 |
*Outcome unit – completion demonstrates the attainment of course learning outcomes
+
Placement
3 units (0 credit points)
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Experience in Law 1 | LAW10016 | 0 |
| Professional Experience in Law 2 | LAW20018 | 0 |
| Professional Experience in Law 3 | LAW30016 | 0 |
+
Other studies
4 units (50 credit points)
Choose from a combination of the following course components to complete 50 credit points of other study. Students may also select elective units (12.5 credit points each).
Work Integrated Learning
Swinburne's Work Integrated Learning program provides additional opportunities for you to gain valuable skills and real industry experience in the form of placements, internships or study tours - all while earning credit towards your degree.
Choose a Work Integrated Learning option:
You'll get paid to work in an area related to your field of study for 12 months, where you'll combine hands-on learning with academic submissions, workplace reflection and feedback from your host organisation. Most students undertake their placements in the third year of their degree, so you’ll want to map out your electives as soon as you can and register for a placement at least 6 months before your preferred start date.
The Professional Placement co-major has four 25 credit point units.
Professional Placement in Business
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Work Experience in Industry A | WEI20001 | 25 |
| Integrated Professional Placement A | BUS20010 | 25 |
| Work Experience in Industry B | WEI20002 | 25 |
| Integrated Professional Placement B | BUS20011 | 25 |
Professional Placement in Law
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Integrated Professional Placement A – Law | LAW20021 | 25 |
| Integrated Professional Placement B – Law | LAW20022 | 25 |
| Work Experience in Industry A | WEI20001 | 25 |
| Work Experience in Industry B | WEI20002 | 25 |
You'll get paid to work in an area related to your field of study for 6 months, where you'll combine hands-on learning with academic submissions, workplace reflection and feedback from your host organisation. Most students undertake their placements in the third year of their degree, so you’ll want to map out your electives as soon as you can and register for a placement at least 6 months before your preferred start date.
The Professional Placement minor has two 25 credit point units.
Professional Placement in Business
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Work Experience in Industry A | WEI20001 | 25 |
| Integrated Professional Placement A - Business | BUS20010 | 25 |
Professional Placement in Law
| Units | Unit codes | Credit points |
|---|---|---|
| Work Experience in Industry A | WEI20001 | 25 |
| Integrated Professional Placement A – Law | LAW20021 | 25 |
A Professional Internship is all about gaining valuable real-world skills in your area of study all while earning credit points towards your degree. Plus, it looks great on your CV as it shows you’ve had real industry experience before you’ve even graduated!
You might choose to complete your internship part-time over a semester or in a more intensive block during Summer or Winter terms.
Travel overseas, discover other cultures, enrich your professional experience and enhance your CV all while gaining credit towards your course.
- Full-time study: 100 credit points/eight standard units of study per year
- Part-time study: 50 credit points/four standard units of study per year
- One credit point is equivalent to one hour of study per week per semester (including contact hours and private study)
- See the course planner for an example degree structure
Course learning outcomes
The Bachelor of Laws provides an accredited qualification in law and educates students to meet the challenges of a profession and society that are increasingly diverse, complex and technologically sophisticated. It provides a rigorous and intellectually challenging legal education that develops and enhances legal knowledge and a broad range of skills necessary for legal practice; promoting respect for the Rule of Law and adherence to ethical conduct and professional responsibility.
When combined with the Bachelor of Business, graduates will have developed the core knowledge and skills essential to business management and operations in the 21st Century. Graduates are entrepreneurial thinkers with the theoretical and practical knowledge required to operate effectively in diverse settings such as not-for-profits, government, small businesses and corporate organisations.
The amalgamation of these two comprehensive degrees produces graduates that are highly capable candidates for a broad range of career opportunities, expanding beyond law and business.
Upon successfully completing the Bachelor of Laws, students will be able to:
- describe and demonstrate the application of the fundamental areas of Australian law and the Australian legal system and of the principles and doctrines that underpin them
- describe and demonstrate the application of ethical and professional responsibility in the practice of the law and a commitment to the pursuit of justice
- analyse and evaluate the interdisciplinary contexts in which legal issues arise and the disciplines and policy considerations that influence the content and operation of the law
- describe and compare the international legal order and the law and legal systems of Australia’s major trading partners
- critically evaluate events or factual situations, identify the legal issues to which they give rise and develop and articulate appropriate and creative responses
- undertake and critically evaluate research from a variety of sources to make judgements to solve complex legal problems with intellectual independence
- demonstrate effective and persuasive communication capabilities with legal and non-legal audiences
- communicate proficiently in professional practice to a variety of audiences, function as an effective member or leader of a diverse team and critically reflect on individual performance and professional development.
Upon successfully completing the Bachelor of Business students, will be able to:
- define and integrate theoretical principles applicable to a business discipline and apply those principles in a range of practices
- systematically review and critically evaluate research from a variety of sources in order to make informed judgements on options for innovatively solving a range of problems that arise in business contexts
- formulate creative solutions that are fit for purpose and demonstrate cognisance of the impact of business decisions on the environment, economy and society
- coherently articulate a line of reasoning demonstrating cultural sensitivity and apply a framework to analyse and offer solutions to ethical dilemmas
- communicate a range of business arguments by evaluating and implementing alternative communication strategies as appropriate to the audience
- build on and continuously develop the intellectual independence to be critical and reflective learners, cognisant of new technologies
- work collaboratively in diverse groups.
Career opportunities
Graduates will be entrepreneurial thinkers with 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.
Furthermore, graduates may wish to seek employment in a wide range of fields such as accounting, business analysis, entrepreneurship, finance, human resources, international business, management, marketing, public relations or tourism.
Professional recognition
The Bachelor of Laws satisfies the academic requirements for admission to practice as a lawyer in the Victorian and Australian Federal legal systems as set by the Victorian Legal Admissions Board. Please be advised that non-academic requirements must also be satisfied for admission to practice and that no law degree allows graduates to practise straight away.
Graduates with an Accounting Major may be eligible to apply for membership of CPA Australia (CPAA), Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ), the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) or the Institute of Public Accountants (IPA).
The Finance major, in the Bachelor of Business and related double degrees, is recognised under the CFA Institute Affiliated University. The course covers at least 70% of Level 1 of the CFA program Candidate Body of Knowledge (CBOK) placing emphasis on the CFA Institute Codes of Ethics and Standards of Practice. This recognition signals to students, employers and the marketplace that that Swinburne’s curriculum is closely tied to professional practice and is well suited to preparing you for employment in the finance and investment industry, and for sitting the CFA examination. Students of the Finance major may be eligible for CFA Program Student Scholarships.
Fees
Find out more about fees.
AACSB Accreditation
Swinburne business degrees are accredited by the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) International. The alumni of AACSB accredited business schools are among the world’s most influential leaders, innovators, and entrepreneurs impacting business, government, and non-profit sectors. Only five per cent of business schools worldwide are AACSB accredited.
Scholarships
At Swinburne scholarships are about providing opportunity, promoting equity and recognising excellence and achievement. Scholarships are available for both commencing and current students.
How to enter this course
- Entry requirements, credit transfer and recognition of prior learning.
How to apply
Applications for Semester 1 for courses listed on the VTAC Guide are generally made through VTAC. Under certain circumstances, some students (e.g. Non-Year 12) may apply directly to Swinburne. Find out more about how to apply.
Applications for all other intakes should be made directly to Swinburne.
View the Course Admission Information, which includes the ATAR and Student profiles for this course. Swinburne’s general admissions information is also available here.