Faculty of Law

Current Students

Subject Overloading

Guidelines for Bachelor Students

1. Students should normally enrol in a maximum of 45 Credit Points (CP) per semester. LLB students may enrol in 50 CP in their first semester providing Legal Skills is among the subjects taken.

2. A student may be permitted to enrol in more than 45 CP if the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) he/she has completed a minimum of one semester at the University;
(b) the cumulative percentage average for the law subjects taken by him/her to date is at least 60%; and
(c) the student has demonstrated otherwise an above average academic record. Matters such as a record of failures and deferred examinations are relevant in this consideration.

3. A student who elects to enrol in more than 45 CP a semester must comply with all the assessment requirements of the enrolled courses.

4. The requirements set out in (2) may be dispensed with in the event that the student is in his/her final or penultimate semesters prior to graduation.

5. Students are to be strongly discouraged from taking more than 50 CP in a semester. However, he/she may be allowed to do so if the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) he/she has completed a minimum of 2 semesters at the University;
(b) the cumulative percentage for the law subjects taken by him/her to date is at least 70%; and
(c) the student has demonstrated otherwise an above average academic record. Matters such as a record of failures and deferred examinations are relevant in this consideration.

6. No dispensation from any assessment component or special consideration should be given to such a student in the subjects selected solely on the ground that he/she is taking more than 45 CP.

7. The requirements set out in (5) may be dispensed with in the event the student is in his/her final or penultimate semester prior to graduation.

8. Where a student, at the commencement of his/her penultimate semester, has 11 or more subjects remaining, he/she will only be permitted to enrol in more than 4 subjects if he/she meets the academic standards set out in paragraphs 2(b) or 5(b).

9. If a student elects to take 50 or 60 CP in a particular semester and his/her cumulative percentage falls below 60% or 70% respectively, that student will only be allowed to enrol in 40 CP the following semester. The only exception to this is where the student is in his/her final or penultimate semester before graduating and he/she falls within the criteria set out in (5) and (8).

10. Permission to enrol in more than 45 CP in entirely at the discretion of the Head - Academic Programs and Student Support. This policy does not grant an entitlement to students to enrol in more than 45 CP merely by satisfying the specified criteria.

Guidelines for Juris Doctor Students

1.The JD program is designed to permit students with a prior degree to obtain a degree that permits professional admission in Australia after the completion of six semesters of study. This policy is required to deal with the adverse impression that may be created by students completing a law degree in less than six semesters. This could have a deleterious impact on the perception of the JD by admitting authorities (including accreditation bodies overseas) and prospective employers.

 2. Overloading (ie completing more than the standard 4 subject load) will now only be approved within an understanding that the total JD course will occupy 6 semesters of study at this university (subject to any prior credits from other institutions). This will mean that overloading will only be permitted when the student submits a course plan demonstrating that reduced enrolments in other semesters will ensure that the degree is completed in no less than 6 semesters. The cumulative percentage average for law subjects specified under the subject overloading policy for students enrolled in the LLB program will also apply to JD students seeking permission to overload.
Policy Number: LAW007
Policy Name: Guidelines on Subject Overloading
Contact Person: IT & Administration Manager
Date of Approval: 1998
Date Last Amended: 14 April 2007
Date of Next Review: Sept 2008