Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Psychology

The Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Psychology at Murdoch University is designed to give you hands-on experience in both legal practice and psychological science from the very beginning of your degree. Instead of only studying theory, you’ll actively build practical skills through real case analysis, psychological research methods, and client-focused learning. You’ll also develop strong critical thinking and communication abilities by working across legal scenarios and human behaviour studies, preparing you for real-world professional environments where law and psychology often intersect, such as criminal justice, family law, and mental health advocacy.

Murdoch emphasises applied learning through industry-aligned teaching, clinical experience, and research-informed practice, supported by specialist facilities and academic support systems:

• SCALES Community Legal Centre (Legal Clinic): Gain real legal experience by working on community legal matters under supervision, including client interviews, legal research, and case preparation.
• Psychology Research Laboratories: Access dedicated psychology labs for conducting experiments, behavioural studies, cognitive testing, and data analysis using evidence-based research methods.
• Mooting & Advocacy Training: Participate in simulated court environments to develop courtroom advocacy, legal argumentation, and public speaking skills.
• Behavioural Science Training Tools: Use psychology research software and statistical tools (such as SPSS and research databases) for analysing human behaviour and experimental data.
• Case-Based Learning & Group Projects: Work in collaborative teams on real-world legal and psychological case studies, strengthening teamwork, ethical reasoning, and problem-solving skills.
• Industry-Engaged Learning: Learn through curriculum informed by legal practitioners and psychology professionals, ensuring your studies reflect current professional practice in both fields.
• Counselling & Psychology Observation Opportunities: Engage with supervised observation and applied psychology learning activities focused on real human behaviour contexts.
• Murdoch University Library & Digital Legal Resources: Access extensive legal databases, psychology journals, case law repositories, and academic research tools to support assignments and research projects.
• Interdisciplinary Learning Spaces: Study in flexible learning environments designed to support collaboration between law, psychology, and social science students.

A Bachelor of Laws / Bachelor of Psychology at Murdoch University prepares graduates for careers where legal knowledge and psychological insight come together to understand human behaviour, decision-making, and justice. This combination is especially valuable in fields like law, mental health policy, corrections, advocacy, and human services. Typical career pathways include Solicitor, Legal Advisor, Psychologist (further study required for registration), and Policy or Human Services Officer: 

This degree equips you with strong analytical, communication, and research skills, while also giving you insight into how people think, behave, and respond within legal systems:

• Career Support Services: Murdoch’s Careers and Employability team provides access to the myMurdoch Career Portal, employer networking events, job boards, one-on-one career coaching, CV development, interview preparation, and internship opportunities to support graduate employment outcomes. 
• Industry Experience & Practical Learning: Students gain real-world exposure through SCALES Community Legal Centre, where they can engage in legal practice experiences, and through psychology-related research and applied learning opportunities that build practical understanding of human behaviour. 
• Professional Accreditation Value: The Bachelor of Laws is accredited by the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA), enabling graduates to progress toward legal practice. The psychology component provides a strong foundation for further study toward professional registration as a psychologist.
• Graduation Outcomes & Skill Development: Graduates leave with advanced legal reasoning, ethical decision-making, psychological analysis skills, research capability, and strong communication skills, developed through practical legal training, mooting, and psychology-focused learning and research projects. 
• Employment Opportunities: Graduates can pursue roles in legal practice, corrections, youth justice, counselling support services, community organisations, policy development, human resources, and government departments working at the intersection of law and mental health. 
• Employment Outlook & Salary Range: In Australia, graduates entering law, policy, or human services roles typically earn between AUD $65,000–$95,000 per year, while psychology-related roles require further postgraduate study but can lead to significantly higher earning potential with registration and experience.
• Long-Term Career Value: The combination of law and psychology is highly transferable, supporting careers in justice reform, forensic psychology pathways, compliance, mediation, rehabilitation services, and public sector leadership.

Further Academic Progression: After completing this program, graduates can undertake Practical Legal Training (PLT) to progress toward legal admission as a lawyer. For psychology, students can continue into an Honours year in Psychology, followed by accredited postgraduate study such as a Master of Psychology, which leads toward professional registration. Graduates may also pursue a Master of Laws (LLM), criminology, forensic psychology, social work, or public policy qualifications depending on their career direction.