GraduateLaw
Master of Laws by Research
Murdoch University, Perth, WA, Australia
About this program
The Master of Laws by Research is an advanced research degree in a specific area of legal study not covered at undergraduate level. Students develop critical analysis, research, writing, and oral presentation skills, and take part in scholarly discourse with academic staff and fellow students. Candidates must identify an academic supervisor, who determines a program of study, and complete a research thesis of up to 60,000 words; that program of study may include additional university units judged relevant to the research topic. Students who have not completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) with Research Honours must also complete 12 credit points, made up of Legal Research Methods for Honours and Advanced Supervised Honours Research, plus 6 credit points of electives at AQF level 8 (500 or 600 level). As a research degree, it does not by itself lead to admission to legal practice, which in Australia is a separate and difficult migration path requiring assessed academic subjects, Practical Legal Training, and admission by a state Supreme Court; graduates of this degree typically move into policy, research, compliance, or further academic study rather than legal practice. This course is delivered by Murdoch University in Western Australia.
Fees & duration
English test scores
Verified murdoch.edu.au ↗
Course structure
- There is no unit-based curriculum. Candidates complete a supervised
- independent research project in their chosen field
- with milestones including a research proposal
- a progress review
- and submission of a thesis for examination
Career & PR pathway
Which careers in Law lead to skilled migration depends on the occupation, not the degree title. See the skilled occupation lists guide for which occupations are on each list, and the points calculator to check where you stand.
Admissions
"To be eligible for admission as a candidate in the 36 point Master of Laws by Research, an applicant must have: * a Bachelor Degree in Law (AQF level 7), or equivalent; or * a Bachelor Degree in a cognate discipline and satisfy the Graduate Research Manager with evidence of significant scholarly or professional attainments which would indicate a capacity to undertake the requirements of the degree. To be eligible to enter the Masters with recognition of prior learning for the coursework component and be required to complete the thesis only, applicants must have: • a Bachelor Degree with Research Honours (AQF level 8) • a Degree at AQF 8 or above in a cognate discipline and satisfy the Graduate Research Manager with evidence of significant scholarly or professional attainments, which would indicate a capacity to undertake the requirements of the degree."
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