Bachelor
RMIT offers a variety of learning and teaching approaches including lectures, seminars, studios, workshops, presentations and group discussions.
Your lectures and tutorials will take place in a number of different spaces, including traditional lecture theatres and the interactive theatres in RMIT's Swanston Academic Building.
You will complete a wide range of assessments, including essays, online tests and group presentations, and you may also submit some of your assessment online.
Academics are actively involved in teaching, research and professional practice in agencies such as the Dispute Settlement Centre (Victoria), Amnesty International Australia and the Australian Human Rights Teachers' Network.
All subjects are delivered in English. You will have access online and digital resources through the myRMIT student portal.
This degree includes a variety of learning experiences such as:
In your final year, you will have the opportunity to undertake a 50-day supervised field placement or internship. These internships have assisted past students in gaining employment within the industry.
Previous field placements have taken place in:
Integral to the success of RMIT justice degrees are their close links with the Dispute Resolution Centre, the court system, community legal centres and criminal justice agencies. These links influence and complement program design, development and delivery.
This degree is developed in consultation with an advisory committee made up of representatives from the Department of Justice, courts and tribunals, Corrections Victoria, Victoria Police, Australian Federal Police and the wider justice community. Their involvement ensures that the degree is vocationally relevant, meets the needs of graduate employers and incorporates the latest issues emerging in the sector.
RMIT University is committed to providing you with an education that strongly links formal learning with professional or vocational practice.
You have the opportunity to undertake international study tours where you can apply your knowledge to real-world projects in international contexts. Past study tours have included students participating in an international forum on migration and human trafficking in the Philippines. Students returning from study tours are able to reflect on the new perspectives they have gained and the experiences they have enjoyed.
You are encouraged to take one semester of the degree at a partner university. RMIT University has exchange partners all over the world including the US, Mexico, China, Chile and more.
By combining international exchange, professional internship and international research projects, you may be away for an entire year. Financial support is available through scholarships, RMIT travel grants and government loans.
There are opportunities to study abroad through global work, exchange and study experiences with over 165 partner universities worldwide.
This degree consists of 3 complementary areas of study, as follows:
You will acquire a comprehensive understanding of the sociology of law and an introduction to important areas such as family law, criminal law, torts and alternative dispute resolution.
Year 2You will develop a solid legal grounding in welfare law, information law, mediation and international human rights. You will study critical debates relating to how society responds to social issues including substance abuse, criminality and imprisonment.
Year 3You will develop a solid legal grounding in civil procedure, legal and justice issues of relevance to young people and engage in the practice of mediation. You will acquire the knowledge and skills to perform paralegal duties and understand policy processes in the legal and justice system.
You will also gain organisational skills and undertake work experience.
Graduates work in administration and research within a legal context or as human rights and community workers in government and non-government agencies, or progress to further studies in law, mediation and negotiation.
Employment opportunities are primarily in the paralegal field for roles as dispute resolution professionals, and in policy positions in:
Credit, recognition of prior learning, professional experience and accreditation from a professional body can reduce the duration of your study by acknowledging your earlier, relevant experience. Find out if you might be eligible.