Program

Social Research & Policy / Law - 4771

Program Summary

Faculty: Faculty of Law

Contact: http://www.law.unsw.edu.au/

Campus: Sydney

Career: Undergraduate

Typical Duration: 5.5 Years

Typical UOC Per Semester: 24

Min UOC Per Semester: 6

Max UOC Per Semester: 27

Min UOC For Award: 264

International Entry Requirements: See International Entry Requirements

Information valid for students commencing 2013.
Students who commenced prior to 2013 should go to the Handbook's Previous Editions

Program Description

This dual degree program provides an opportunity to obtain two degrees of professional importance to the public sector, community service, business and law practice. In addition, the student has the option to work towards a research career in a variety of disciplines.

The Bachelor of Social Research and Policy (UNSW BSRP) degree combines a core program of skills in policy analysis and research methods with in-depth study in one or more social science disciplines. The degree requires one stream of study in an approved social science discipline and a minimum level of electives. You will have the opportunity to further develop your professional and workplace skills through an internship and career-orientated focus. The LLB component provides students with the fundamentals of law and the opportunity to complete a professional legal degree.

Program Objectives and Graduate Attributes

The UNSW School of Law instills in students the understandings, values, skills and qualities necessary to become highly qualified professionals with a strong sense of citizenship, community and social justice. A legal education at the UNSW Law School, therefore, develops graduates who have:
  1. a functioning and contextual knowledge of law and legal institutions;
  2. excellent intellectual skills of analysis, synthesis, critical judgment, reflection and evaluation;
  3. the capacity to engage in practical and scholarly research;
  4. effective oral and written communication skills both generally and in specific legal settings;
  5. a commitment to personal and professional self-development, ethical practice and social responsibility.
The Social Research & Policy Component aims to:
  1. To develop students’ creative thinking and their capacity to evaluate ideas and policy problems critically
  2. To provide skills in undertaking social research, including collecting and analysing data concerning issues and problems particularly in an applied policy setting
  3. To stimulate informed community and academic debate, and contribute to enlightened policy-making through excellence in professional practice
  4. To develop students' capacity to contribute to, and work within, the local, national and international community in an ethical way
  5. To provide familiarity with the theories, bodies of knowledge and methods of social research and explanations that constitute one or more fields of study in social science
  6. To provide an understanding of the interdisciplinary and trans-disciplinary nature of social science.

Program Structure

Total Unit Requirements
  • Law compulsory courses - 96 UOC
  • Law prescribed elective - 6 UOC
  • Law elective courses - 42 UOC
  • Social Research & Policy core courses - 54 UOC*
  • Prescribed Social Research & Policy electives - 12 UOC
  • Prescribed Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences elective - 6 UOC
  • Social Research & Policy major - 54 UOC
  • Total 264 UOC
* Students do not complete SLSP3000 Social Theory and Policy in the Social Research & Policy core. Instead, students double count the prescribed law elective LAWS2820 Law and Social Theory, thus freeing 6 UOC for use as a Prescribed FASS elective at 100 level.
A list of Prescribed Social Research and Policy electives can be found in the Bachelor of Social Research and Policy program 3420.
A Prescribed Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences elective is any course chosen by the student from the offerings of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.


Approved Sequence of Study
An approved sequence of study can be found here:

Plan for Social Research Policy/LLB 4771

General Education Requirements

Students enrolled in dual law degrees (with exception to Jurisprudence/Law) are not required to complete general education courses.

Honours

Honours in LLB Component
Honours may be awarded based on Weighted Average Mark (WAM) and satisfactory performance in written research.

Please see the Honours page on the Faculty of Law website for more information.

Honours in Social Research & Policy Component

High achieving students in the dual BSRP/LLB may apply for entry to Honours. Honours is an additional year of study (two years part-time) which allows a student to further explore the Social Research and Policy in greater depth. Qualified students can choose to complete Honours in either of the following areas; (a) Social Research and Policy, (b) their major stream, or (c) combined Honours in Social Research and Policy and their major stream. Honours involves seminars and the completion of a research project or thesis.

Those students who are considering Honours should submit an expression of interest at the beginning of Level 3 and complete a formal application at the end of Level 3. Both should be submitted to either the School of Social Sciences Honours Convenor or the Honours convenor of the School or stream if a stream major is being undertaken.

Entry to Honours requires a WAM of 70 or higher in the core and prescribed electives of the BSRP program, or the major stream, or both depending on the type of study chosen, and is subject to resources and the approval of the Head of the School Social Sciences. Honours is awarded in three classes (Class 1, Class 2 in two Divisions, and Class 3). If requirements for these classes are not met the Pass degree will be awarded if the student is not already a Graduate of the program.


Eligible students may commence the relevant Honours program only when they have completed the requirements for the equivalent of a single degree for that program (i.e where a Social Research & Policy student in a dual program would like to commence Honours they must have completed at least the 120 UOC Social Research & Policy core degree plus 24 units of credit for the Law degree such that a total of 144 UOC has been completed).

Academic Rules

For Academic Rules relating to the Bachelor of Social Research & Policy
For the Social Research & Policy component of this degree, please refer to Program 3420.

For Academic Rules relating to the Bachelor of Laws
For Academic Rules relating to the Bachelor of Laws component of this combined degree program, please refer to program 4701. Although 4701 program is no longer on offer, all combined law students enrolled in the LLB will need to comply with the rules stated here.

A direct link is given below:
Bachelor of Laws 4701

Fees

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  https://my.unsw.edu.au/student/fees/FeesMainPage.html

Important Information

The Academic Rules for the UNSW BSRP/LLB and the online enrolment facility provide students with a wide range of course choices. The online enrolment facility checks that students meet the enrolment requirements for individual courses but not that a course complies with Program Rules. Students are responsible for ensuring they are enrolling in accordance with the Academic Rules outlined above. Students should not assume that because they have enrolled in a course online that the course is automatically credited to their dual degree program.

Contact

Contact Faculty of Law Student Services for advice on the LLB component.

Tel: +61 (2) 9385 2264
Location: 2nd Floor, Law Building, Kensington Campus


Contact the School of Social Sciences in the Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences for advice on the BSRP component.

Tel: +61 (2) 9385 1807
Location: Room G45, Morvern Brown Building Building, Kensington Campus

Area(s) of Specialisation