Honours

Bachelor of Laws with Honours

Completion of a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Honours requires students to develop skills in legal research methodologies. These are highly relevant to many career options, including academia, research, policy and government advisory positions. An Honours degree also enhances the range of research skills that can be applied across conventional legal practice.

Please note the information on this page applies to students currently enrolled in the 4-year LLB only (course code 3007083). All other students, including those currently enrolled in the 3-year LLB (3007001), should refer to the 2024 Bachelor of Laws with Honours course page.

Admission Criteria

All students enrolled in 4-year LLB (3007083) may be eligible to graduate with an LLB with Honours. However, to enter the Honours program you must meet certain requirements during your LLB studies.

These include:

  • You must be approaching the end of your LLB degree (i.e. completed at least 16 units of study)
  • A GPA of 5.3 or above
  • Discussion, negotiation and agreement upon a research project with an Academic Supervisor
  • Completion of two units of study in this sequence:
    LAWS4002 Legal Research: Context, Perspective and Method (Session 1)
    LAWS4001 Independent Legal Research (Session 2)
  • Achieving higher than a midpoint credit level Weighted Grade Point Average in your LLB units of study.

How to calculate your Weighted Grade Point Average

An award of Honours is based on a student's Weighted Grade Point Average (WGPA), which is calculated from your results in LAWS4002 Legal Research: Context, Method and Perspective and LAWS4001 Independent Legal Research. It also includes your 18 highest 12-credit point law units (or equivalent) that form part of the LLB degree, and units completed cross-institutionally.

To calculate your WGPA, make a note of your grades in LAWS4002 and LAWS4001 and then select your highest 18 grades from the other LLB units you have completed. Allocate the following points to each grade you have achieved as relevant:

  • High Distinction: 7 points
  • Distinction: 6 points
  • Credit: 5 points
  • Pass: 4 points
  • Fail: 0 points

Add your points and then divide by 20. This will calculate your WGPA and determine the level of Honours to which you may be eligible. Under the WGPA system, the midpoint of the credit range is 5.5, a Distinction is 6, and the midpoint of the Distinction range is 6.5.

The Honours categories require the following levels of achievement:

  • First Class Honours: midpoint of the Distinction range or better (i.e. 6.5 to 7)
  • Second Class Honours - Division I: Distinction to, but not including, the midpoint (i.e. 6 to 6.499)
  • Second Class Honours - Division II: midpoint of the credit range to, but not including, Distinction (i.e. 5.5 to 5.999)

How to Apply

To be eligible for Honours, you must:

  • Confirm you are approaching the end of your degree. Generally, students will not be considered for entry until they have completed at least 16 units of study.
  • Confirm you have a GPA of 5.3 or above at the time you wish to enter the Honours program.
  • Contact a prospective Academic Supervisor to discuss a potential research project. Once you have agreed on a project, contact the Law Honours Program Director to confirm your enrolment.
  • Enrol in the prescribed units by submitting a 'unit approval request' via MyEnrolment.

If you require more information about the Honours program, please contact Dr Rohan Price, Honours Coordinator, at rohan.price@scu.edu.au

Contact the Faculty of Business, Law and Arts

Executive Dean of Faculty Associate Dean (Education) Associate Dean
(International & Engagement)		 Associate Dean
(Research)
Professor Mike Ewing Ms Helen Walsh Professor Darshana Sedera Associate Professor
Pascal Scherrer
T: +61 7 5589 3054
E: michael.ewing@scu.edu.au		 T:  +61 2 6620 3848
E: helen.walsh@scu.edu.au		 T:  +61 7 5589 3036
E: darshana.sedera@scu.edu.au		 T:  +61 2 6620 3024
E: pascal.scherrer@scu.edu.au