Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts

4 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

Curtin University Perth

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts at Curtin University combines professional legal education with the flexibility of humanities and social sciences, allowing students to build expertise across law, culture, communication, politics, history, and society. Campus location: Curtin Perth campus, Bentley, Perth, Western Australia, Australia. This double degree is ideal for students who want a broader career pathway that blends legal knowledge with strong communication, analytical, and social awareness skills relevant to both legal and non-legal professions.

Curriculum structure

First Year

In the first year, students develop core academic and legal foundations while beginning their chosen Arts specialisation. Through units such as Legal Foundations, Contract Law, and Arts subjects including Introduction to Communication, History, or Politics and International Relations, students learn legal reasoning, critical thinking, academic writing, and social analysis skills.

Second Year

The second year introduces students to more advanced legal principles alongside deeper exploration of humanities and social science disciplines. Units such as Criminal Law, Torts, and Constitutional Law strengthen understanding of the Australian legal system, while Arts electives encourage students to analyse contemporary social, cultural, and political issues from multiple perspectives.

Third Year

During the third year, students continue developing practical legal capabilities while expanding their interdisciplinary knowledge through specialised Arts study. Subjects including Property Law, Administrative Law, and Evidence help students refine legal research and advocacy skills, while Arts majors support expertise in areas such as international relations, media, sociology, or cultural studies.

Fourth Year

In the final stage of the program, students focus on professional legal preparation, advanced legal topics, and career-oriented learning experiences. Units such as Civil Procedure, Corporations Law, and Ethics and Professional Responsibility prepare students for legal practice, while advanced Arts studies strengthen communication, leadership, policy analysis, and research capabilities applicable across diverse industries.

Focus areas

Commercial law, criminal law, public policy, communication and media, politics and international relations, cultural studies, sociology, advocacy, legal research, ethics, social justice, human rights, interdisciplinary analysis.

Learning outcomes

Graduates develop strong legal reasoning, advocacy, communication, research, and analytical skills while gaining interdisciplinary knowledge across humanities and social sciences. Students learn to interpret legislation, analyse social and political issues, construct persuasive legal arguments, and apply ethical decision-making within legal and professional contexts.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The Bachelor of Laws component satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Western Australia. Graduates who complete Practical Legal Training (PLT) after the degree may become eligible for admission as legal practitioners in Australia.

Reputation (employability rankings)

Curtin University is recognised for its industry-focused education and strong graduate employability outcomes, with Curtin Law School positioned within Perth’s legal precinct and supported by close industry engagement. The combination of legal training and Arts expertise provides graduates with versatile career pathways across law, government, policy, media, public relations, advocacy, and international sectors.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Curtin University’s Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts gives students a highly interdisciplinary learning experience that combines practical legal training with broader social, cultural, political, and communication perspectives from the arts disciplines. Students build professional skills through legal advocacy exercises, collaborative humanities projects, policy analysis, legal research, and industry-connected learning opportunities that prepare them for careers across law, government, media, policy, international relations, and community sectors. The program is supported by Curtin Law School’s modern legal facilities and Curtin’s extensive arts and humanities learning environments at the Perth campus.

Throughout the degree, students gain practical exposure to both legal and arts-based professional settings through the following experiential learning opportunities and facilities:

John Curtin Law Clinic: Students work on real legal matters under professional supervision, helping develop practical legal interviewing, client communication, legal drafting, and problem-solving skills while contributing to community legal services.
Jeanette Hacket Moot Court: A specialised courtroom simulation facility where students participate in mooting competitions, legal advocacy exercises, negotiation activities, and courtroom-style presentations that replicate real legal proceedings.
Legal internships and industry placements: Students may undertake placements with law firms, government agencies, courts, community legal centres, policy organisations, and public sector institutions to gain practical industry experience before graduation.
Collaborative arts and law projects: The interdisciplinary structure of the degree encourages group-based learning activities involving legal analysis, cultural studies, communication research, public policy discussions, and social issue investigations.
Digital legal research platforms and academic databases: Students learn to use professional legal research systems, online legislation databases, academic journal platforms, and digital humanities resources widely used within legal and arts-related professions.
Curtin University Library and specialist collections: Students have access to extensive law, humanities, politics, sociology, and communication resources including legal journals, archives, multimedia collections, research databases, collaborative study spaces, and academic support services.
Industry-led seminars and guest lectures: Practicing lawyers, policy experts, writers, researchers, media professionals, and public sector leaders regularly contribute to workshops and professional learning events across both disciplines.
Research-focused learning environments: Students engage in independent and group research projects involving legal policy, ethics, social justice, communication, and cultural analysis, strengthening critical thinking and analytical skills.
Perth legal precinct access: Curtin Law School’s location near Perth’s legal institutions allows students to engage with the legal profession through networking events, court observations, and industry engagement opportunities.
Communication and presentation skill development: Through debates, presentations, policy discussions, legal argument exercises, and written assessments, students build advanced professional communication and advocacy abilities valued across multiple industries.

Progression & Future Opportunities

The Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts at Curtin University gives graduates a unique combination of legal expertise and broad humanities knowledge, preparing them for careers that require strong communication, analytical thinking, cultural understanding, and policy awareness. By combining legal training with arts specialisations, students graduate with versatile professional skills that are highly valued across legal, government, media, international relations, and corporate sectors. Typical career outcomes include Lawyer, Policy Advisor, Human Rights Officer, Legal Consultant, Corporate Communications Specialist, and Government Relations Officer.

Curtin University enhances graduate employability through practical industry engagement, professional development services, and interdisciplinary learning opportunities, including:

Curtin Careers and Employability services: Students receive dedicated career support through employability workshops, interview preparation, resume development, graduate recruitment events, employer networking sessions, and personalised career planning assistance.
Interdisciplinary professional skill development: The combination of law and arts strengthens graduate capabilities in legal reasoning, public communication, negotiation, research, writing, critical analysis, and cross-cultural understanding, creating broader career flexibility.
Industry engagement and legal networking opportunities: Curtin Law School’s location within Perth’s legal precinct allows students to connect with practicing lawyers, judges, policy professionals, and legal organisations through seminars, guest lectures, and professional events.
Legal internships and practical learning experiences: Students may participate in legal internships, mooting competitions, legal clinics, and community engagement activities that provide direct exposure to professional legal environments.
Arts-based career pathways and partnerships: Depending on their chosen Arts major, students can develop expertise relevant to public policy, international studies, communication, social sciences, history, or cultural studies, expanding opportunities across multiple industries.
Long-term accreditation value: The law component of the degree satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Western Australia when followed by Practical Legal Training (PLT), while the arts qualification broadens employability beyond traditional legal careers.
Graduate employment outcomes: Graduates pursue careers in legal practice, diplomacy, government agencies, advocacy organisations, public policy institutions, media and communications, international business, and community organisations.
Salary and career progression opportunities: Graduates entering legal and professional sectors in Australia commonly begin with salaries ranging from approximately AUD $65,000–$90,000 per year, with strong long-term progression opportunities across legal, corporate, and public-sector leadership roles.
Global and transferable career skills: The combined degree develops adaptable professional competencies that support careers in both domestic and international environments, particularly in areas involving law, governance, communication, and social policy.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing the Bachelor of Laws, Bachelor of Arts, graduates may continue toward professional legal admission through Practical Legal Training programs such as the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice. Students may also pursue postgraduate qualifications including a Master of Laws (LLM), specialised humanities or public policy master’s degrees, international relations programs, communication and media studies, or research-based higher degrees such as honours and doctoral programs. The interdisciplinary structure of the degree provides strong preparation for advanced study in both legal and arts-related academic fields.