Bachelor of Commerce / Law

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of New South Wales

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Commerce / Law at University of New South Wales is a prestigious five-year double degree that combines business expertise with professional legal education, preparing students for leadership roles across corporate, financial, commercial, and legal sectors. Campus: Kensington Campus, Sydney, Australia — the program is ideal for students who want to develop strong commercial awareness alongside legal reasoning, allowing them to understand how business strategy, regulation, and law operate together in global industries.

This degree suits students interested in corporate law, finance, marketing, consulting, entrepreneurship, accounting, international business, or commercial strategy. Students study core law subjects together with a chosen commerce major, gaining advanced analytical, communication, negotiation, and decision-making skills highly valued by employers across business and legal professions.

Curriculum Structure

First Year

In the first year, students build foundational knowledge in business, economics, and legal studies while developing analytical and communication skills essential for professional practice. Courses such as Foundations of Law, Business Decision Making, and Accounting and Financial Management introduce students to legal systems, commercial operations, financial analysis, and business problem-solving. Students also begin learning teamwork, research, and presentation skills through collaborative coursework.

Second Year

Second-year study deepens students’ understanding of commercial operations and legal principles through core commerce and law subjects. Depending on the chosen commerce major, students may study areas such as Marketing Fundamentals, Financial Management, or Business Analytics while law courses including Contracts, Torts, and Criminal Law strengthen legal reasoning and case analysis abilities. The year focuses on understanding how legal frameworks influence business operations and corporate decision-making.

Third Year

By third year, students engage with more advanced commerce specialisations and complex legal systems connected to governance, regulation, and commercial strategy. Commerce subjects may include Corporate Finance, International Business, or Human Resource Management, while law studies such as Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Equity and Trusts deepen understanding of legal institutions and commercial obligations. Students also undertake research, group case studies, and practical business analysis activities.

Fourth Year

Fourth year combines advanced legal education with applied business learning and strategic commercial analysis. Students study subjects such as Corporations Law, Evidence, and Private International Law while continuing higher-level commerce electives linked to finance, management, economics, accounting, or entrepreneurship. Practical coursework, case competitions, and collaborative projects help students apply commercial and legal knowledge to real-world organisational challenges.

Fifth Year

The final year allows students to tailor the degree toward their professional goals through advanced law and commerce electives. Students may explore areas such as Banking and Finance Law, Taxation Law, Competition Law, or advanced commerce strategy subjects while refining advocacy, negotiation, leadership, and professional communication skills. By graduation, students possess a highly versatile combination of commercial expertise and legal capability suited to leadership roles across multiple industries.

Focus areas

Corporate law, commercial strategy, accounting, finance, marketing, business analytics, international business, taxation law, banking and finance law, entrepreneurship, governance, economics, management, negotiation, and legal analysis.

Learning outcomes

Graduates develop advanced business knowledge, legal reasoning, communication, analytical thinking, leadership, negotiation, and strategic decision-making skills. Students learn to evaluate commercial risks, interpret legal and regulatory frameworks, analyse financial and organisational performance, and apply integrated business and legal solutions within professional environments.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The Law component is accredited by the Legal Profession Admission Board and satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia, subject to completion of Practical Legal Training (PLT). Many commerce majors also align with professional industry bodies such as CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), and financial services accreditation pathways depending on the chosen specialisation.

Reputation (employability rankings)

UNSW Business School and UNSW Law & Justice are internationally recognised for academic excellence, employer reputation, and graduate employability across business, finance, consulting, and legal sectors. UNSW is consistently ranked among Australia’s leading universities for graduate outcomes, innovation, industry engagement, and professional education connected to global commerce and corporate leadership.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the Bachelor of Commerce / Law at the University of New South Wales gain practical business and legal experience through industry projects, commercial case studies, legal clinics, consulting simulations, and collaborative learning activities. The program combines professional legal training with real-world commerce education, allowing students to develop strategic thinking, financial analysis, negotiation, communication, and problem-solving skills through exposure to modern business environments and legal practice settings.

UNSW’s experiential learning environment gives students access to advanced business resources, legal practice opportunities, industry-standard digital tools, and employer-connected learning experiences that prepare graduates for careers across corporate, financial, consulting, and legal sectors:

Business Case Studies & Consulting Projects : Commerce students participate in practical case competitions, strategic business simulations, consulting projects, and commercial analysis exercises that mirror real corporate decision-making environments. Students work in teams to solve business challenges involving finance, marketing, management, and strategy.
Industry-Standard Business Software & Analytics Tools : Students gain experience with professional digital tools used across business and finance industries, including Excel financial modelling, Tableau, business analytics platforms, accounting systems, market research databases, and quantitative analysis software depending on their commerce specialisation.
Kingsford Legal Centre : Law students gain hands-on legal experience through the Kingsford Legal Centre, where they work with real clients under professional supervision. Students assist with legal interviews, research, drafting legal documents, and community legal outreach while building advocacy and client communication skills.
Moot Courts & Commercial Law Simulations : Students strengthen legal reasoning, negotiation, advocacy, and public speaking abilities through mooting competitions, courtroom simulations, contract negotiation exercises, and commercial dispute case studies hosted by UNSW Law & Justice.
Industry Engagement & Internship Opportunities : UNSW Business School and UNSW Law & Justice maintain strong links with banks, consulting firms, accounting organisations, multinational corporations, and commercial law firms that support internships, vacation programs, networking events, and graduate recruitment opportunities.
Collaborative Group Projects : Many commerce and law courses involve interdisciplinary teamwork, business presentations, market analysis projects, and legal case collaborations that replicate workplace environments in consulting, finance, corporate strategy, and legal practice.
Research Centres & Institutes : Students benefit from exposure to UNSW research initiatives connected to finance, economics, entrepreneurship, governance, commercial law, and public policy, helping students engage with contemporary business and regulatory challenges.
Professional Legal & Financial Databases : Students access industry-standard legal research tools including LexisNexis, Westlaw, and HeinOnline alongside financial databases, economic research resources, and business intelligence platforms used across commercial and legal industries.
Career Accelerator & Employability Programs : UNSW offers employer networking sessions, mentoring programs, commercial awareness workshops, interview preparation, leadership development activities, and career readiness programs specifically designed for business and law students.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation Opportunities : Students may participate in startup incubator programs, innovation challenges, entrepreneurship initiatives, and student-led business competitions connected to UNSW’s innovation ecosystem and industry partnerships.
Libraries & Collaborative Learning Spaces : Students have access to specialised business and law libraries, collaborative study environments, technology-enabled classrooms, digital learning hubs, and professional research collections supporting both commercial and legal education.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Commerce / Law at the University of New South Wales are highly sought after for their combination of commercial expertise, legal knowledge, strategic thinking, and professional communication skills. The degree prepares students for leadership careers across corporate law, finance, consulting, banking, entrepreneurship, accounting, and global business sectors by equipping them with both analytical business capability and advanced legal reasoning. Typical career pathways include corporate lawyer, management consultant, investment analyst, commercial adviser, banking professional, compliance manager, business strategist, and financial consultant.

UNSW strengthens graduate employability through industry partnerships, professional networking opportunities, career development programs, and practical commercial learning experiences:

Dedicated Career & Employability Services : UNSW Business School and UNSW Law & Justice provide tailored employability support including clerkship preparation, internship assistance, employer networking events, résumé workshops, interview coaching, mentoring programs, and leadership development opportunities specifically designed for commerce and law students.
Strong Industry Partnerships : Students benefit from UNSW’s strong relationships with major organisations including Deloitte, PwC, EY, KPMG, Macquarie Group, Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, Google, Accenture, and leading commercial law firms. These partnerships support internships, graduate recruitment, consulting projects, and industry engagement initiatives.
Professional Legal Qualification : The Law component satisfies the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia, subject to completion of Practical Legal Training (PLT). This provides graduates with long-term professional recognition and flexibility across legal and corporate sectors.
Commerce Accreditation Pathways : Depending on the chosen commerce major, students may also satisfy accreditation or professional recognition requirements connected to CPA Australia, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), financial services pathways, or business analytics industries.
Strong Graduate Employability Reputation : UNSW is consistently recognised among Australia’s leading universities for graduate employability and employer reputation across business, finance, economics, consulting, and law disciplines. Employers value UNSW graduates for their commercial awareness, analytical capability, and leadership potential.
Median Graduate Salary : Based on Australian graduate outcomes data across commerce, finance, and law-related disciplines, graduates commonly achieve median full-time salaries ranging between approximately AUD $80,000–$100,000 depending on sector, commerce specialisation, and professional role.
Corporate & Global Career Opportunities : The combination of commerce and law creates opportunities in multinational corporations, investment banks, consulting firms, legal practices, regulatory agencies, technology companies, and international business organisations across Australia and globally.
Practical Graduation Outcomes : Graduates leave the program with advanced business analysis capability, legal research skills, negotiation expertise, financial literacy, communication strengths, and strategic decision-making abilities developed through industry projects, legal clinics, business simulations, and collaborative coursework.
Entrepreneurship & Leadership Preparation : Students gain exposure to innovation programs, startup initiatives, strategic management learning, and commercial problem-solving activities that prepare graduates for entrepreneurial ventures and executive leadership pathways.
Long-Term Career Flexibility : The interdisciplinary structure of the degree allows graduates to transition across legal practice, corporate strategy, financial management, consulting, governance, entrepreneurship, and executive leadership roles throughout their careers.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this double degree, graduates may continue into postgraduate qualifications such as a Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Commerce, Master of Finance, Master of Business Administration (MBA), Master of International Business, or specialised postgraduate studies in taxation law, banking and finance law, corporate governance, business analytics, or commercial strategy. High-achieving graduates may also pursue research-focused programs including Honours or PhD studies in Law, Finance, Economics, Management, Accounting, or Business Strategy, leading to careers in academia, advanced consulting, corporate leadership, or policy advisory roles.