Bachelor of Fine Arts / Law

5 Years On Campus Bachelors Program

University of New South Wales

Program Overview

The Bachelor of Fine Arts / Law at University of New South Wales is a distinctive five-year double degree that combines creative artistic practice with professional legal education, allowing students to develop both creative expression and advanced legal expertise. Campus: Kensington Campus, Sydney, Australia — the program is ideal for students interested in the intersection of art, media, culture, entertainment, intellectual property, and law while gaining access to UNSW’s internationally recognised arts and law facilities.

This degree suits students who want to pursue careers across creative industries, entertainment, media, arts management, cultural policy, or legal practice while maintaining strong creative and critical thinking skills. Students study studio-based fine arts practice alongside core legal subjects, developing expertise in visual arts, contemporary culture, legal reasoning, advocacy, and creative industry regulation.

Curriculum Structure

First Year

In the first year, students establish foundational knowledge in both fine arts and legal studies while developing creative experimentation and analytical thinking skills. Fine arts subjects such as Studio Practice, Drawing, and Contemporary Art Histories introduce students to artistic processes and visual culture, while Foundations of Law helps students build legal reasoning, case analysis, and research abilities. Students begin combining creative exploration with critical legal and social perspectives.

Second Year

Second-year study deepens students’ technical artistic development while introducing core legal principles that shape professional practice. Students continue studio-based learning through courses in areas such as Painting, Photomedia, or Object Design while studying law subjects including Contracts, Torts, and Criminal Law. The year encourages students to analyse how law influences artistic production, intellectual property, and creative industries.

Third Year

By third year, students undertake more specialised creative projects and advanced legal coursework connected to governance, rights, and regulation. Law subjects such as Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, and Equity and Trusts strengthen students’ understanding of legal systems, while fine arts studies explore contemporary artistic practice, exhibition development, and conceptual art-making. Students also participate in collaborative critiques, research projects, and presentation-based assessments.

Fourth Year

Fourth year combines advanced legal education with interdisciplinary artistic and cultural exploration. Students study subjects such as Corporations Law, Evidence, and Private International Law while developing sophisticated studio projects and engaging with themes including cultural policy, curatorial practice, and media theory. Practical and research-driven coursework allows students to connect legal frameworks with contemporary creative industries and public cultural institutions.

Fifth Year

In the final year, students tailor their studies through advanced law and fine arts electives aligned with their creative and professional interests. Students may explore areas such as Intellectual Property Law, Media Law, or Human Rights Law alongside major studio projects, exhibitions, or independent creative research. By graduation, students possess a rare combination of artistic capability, legal expertise, creative problem-solving, and professional communication skills suited to careers across both legal and creative sectors.

Focus areas

Visual arts practice, contemporary art, media and culture, intellectual property law, entertainment law, cultural policy, legal advocacy, studio practice, creative industries, curatorial studies, media regulation, art theory, contracts, human rights law, and communication.

Learning outcomes

Graduates develop advanced creative thinking, legal reasoning, artistic practice, research capability, advocacy, communication, and interdisciplinary problem-solving skills. Students learn to critically analyse legal and cultural systems, produce professional creative work, interpret legislation and policy, and apply legal knowledge within artistic and creative industry environments.

Professional alignment (accreditation)

The Law component of the degree 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). The Fine Arts component provides professional preparation for careers across visual arts, media, arts management, creative industries, and cultural organisations.

Reputation (employability rankings)

UNSW Law & Justice is internationally recognised for academic excellence and strong employer reputation, while UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture is known for innovation, industry-connected creative education, and interdisciplinary learning. UNSW is consistently recognised for graduate employability and strong industry engagement across both law and creative disciplines.

Experiential Learning (Research, Projects, Internships etc.)

Students in the Bachelor of Fine Arts / Law at the University of New South Wales develop practical creative and professional legal skills through studio-based learning, exhibition projects, legal clinics, collaborative artistic practice, and interdisciplinary research experiences. The program combines hands-on artistic production with real-world legal education, allowing students to work across contemporary creative environments while building expertise in advocacy, intellectual property, communication, and critical analysis.

UNSW’s experiential learning environment gives students access to professional creative studios, digital production facilities, legal practice opportunities, and research-led learning spaces that prepare graduates for careers across both creative and legal industries:

Studio-Based Fine Arts Practice : Students work in dedicated studio environments where they develop practical skills in drawing, painting, sculpture, photomedia, installation, and contemporary visual arts practice through project-based learning and creative experimentation.
Exhibition & Curatorial Experience : Fine Arts students participate in exhibitions, critiques, installation projects, and public showcases that simulate professional gallery and creative industry environments. Students learn exhibition development, curatorial practice, portfolio presentation, and professional artistic communication.
Digital Media & Creative Technologies : Students gain access to digital production facilities and creative software used across contemporary arts industries, including Adobe Creative Cloud applications, digital imaging tools, video editing platforms, photography equipment, and multimedia production technologies.
Creative Workshops & Fabrication Spaces : UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture provides specialist workshops and maker spaces featuring printmaking facilities, photography studios, fabrication workshops, digital labs, and equipment for object design and creative production.
Kingsford Legal Centre : Law students gain practical 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 & Legal Advocacy Training : Students participate in mooting competitions, legal simulations, and advocacy workshops that strengthen oral communication, legal reasoning, negotiation, and courtroom presentation abilities.
Collaborative Creative Projects : Many Fine Arts subjects involve group-based creative projects, peer critiques, interdisciplinary collaboration, and public presentations that mirror professional arts and media industry practice.
Research Institutes & Cultural Engagement : Students engage with UNSW research centres and cultural initiatives connected to contemporary art, visual culture, media, design innovation, and social impact, helping students connect creative practice with broader cultural and legal discussions.
Professional Legal Databases & Libraries : Students access industry-standard legal databases including LexisNexis, Westlaw, and HeinOnline alongside specialised arts and design collections, multimedia archives, and research libraries supporting both legal and creative studies.
Industry Networking & Internship Opportunities : Students may participate in internships, gallery collaborations, legal placements, creative industry partnerships, and networking opportunities connected to law firms, cultural institutions, media organisations, and arts initiatives.
Creative Portfolio Development : Throughout the degree, students build professional portfolios showcasing artistic projects, exhibitions, legal research, and interdisciplinary work that support future employment and postgraduate opportunities across creative and legal sectors.

Progression & Future Opportunities

Graduates of the Bachelor of Fine Arts / Law at the University of New South Wales graduate with a unique combination of creative expertise, legal knowledge, communication skills, and cultural understanding that is highly valuable across both artistic and professional industries. The degree prepares students for careers that combine creativity, advocacy, media, and legal analysis, allowing graduates to work across legal practice, creative industries, cultural organisations, entertainment, policy, and media sectors. Typical career pathways include entertainment lawyer, intellectual property lawyer, arts manager, media consultant, cultural policy adviser, curator, legal adviser, and creative industries professional.

UNSW enhances graduate outcomes through industry engagement, professional learning opportunities, creative networking, and dedicated employability support services:

Dedicated Career Development Services : UNSW Law & Justice and UNSW Arts, Design & Architecture provide career mentoring, portfolio development support, networking events, résumé workshops, interview preparation, clerkship guidance, and employability programs tailored to both legal and creative industries.
Creative Industry & Legal Networks : Students benefit from connections with galleries, cultural institutions, media organisations, creative agencies, arts festivals, law firms, and intellectual property professionals through industry events, internships, exhibitions, and collaborative projects.
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 gives graduates long-term flexibility to work across legal practice, media law, entertainment law, and creative sector consulting.
Employment & Graduate Outcomes : UNSW is consistently recognised as one of Australia’s leading universities for graduate employability, with strong employer reputation across law, arts, media, and cultural industries. Graduates benefit from interdisciplinary training that allows them to adapt across multiple professional environments.
Median Graduate Salary : Graduate outcomes data for Law and Creative Arts graduates in Australia indicate median full-time salaries commonly ranging between approximately AUD $70,000–$85,000 depending on industry sector, legal pathway, and creative specialisation.
Industry Partnerships & Engagement : UNSW collaborates with cultural organisations, creative industry professionals, legal clinics, media networks, and arts institutions that support internships, public exhibitions, community engagement, and professional placements connected to both law and creative practice.
Portfolio & Professional Practice Preparation : Students graduate with professional creative portfolios, exhibition experience, legal research capability, advocacy skills, and interdisciplinary project work that strengthen employability across artistic, legal, and media sectors.
Global Career Opportunities : The combination of fine arts and law creates opportunities in international cultural organisations, entertainment industries, intellectual property consulting, public policy, publishing, media regulation, and global creative enterprises.
Research & Innovation Exposure : Students engage with research and innovation initiatives connected to contemporary art, visual culture, media, technology, social justice, and cultural policy, helping graduates remain adaptable within rapidly evolving creative industries.
Long-Term Career Flexibility : Graduates are equipped to move across diverse sectors throughout their careers, including legal practice, arts management, media production, intellectual property consulting, public relations, government policy, cultural advocacy, and creative entrepreneurship.

Further Academic Progression:
After completing this double degree, graduates may continue into postgraduate qualifications such as a Master of Laws (LLM), Master of Fine Arts (MFA), Master of Curating and Cultural Leadership, Master of Media, Master of Arts Administration, or specialised postgraduate studies in intellectual property law, entertainment law, cultural policy, media regulation, or creative industries management. High-achieving graduates may also pursue research-focused programs including Honours or PhD studies in Law, Visual Arts, Media Studies, Cultural Studies, or Creative Practice, leading to careers in academia, advanced legal research, arts leadership, or cultural policy development.