Juris Doctor

On successful completion you will be able to:

• Understand and apply a broad and complex body of legal knowledge necessary for the practice of law in Australia.
• Critically analyse the broader context to which law and legal principles have application including interdisciplinary, international and comparative perspectives.
• Ethical application of professional practice and exercise incisive judgement in the practice of law and the application of legal knowledge in other professions.
• Recognise and resolve specific legal problems and formulate and articulate law and policy reform through sophisticated legal research skills and high level critical thinking and judgement.
• Communicate clearly and effectively at a professional level, in both oral and written forms to specialist and non-specialist audiences.

The Juris Doctor will prepare you for a range of careers in Australia and globally, as well as satisfy the educational requirements to become a legal practitioner. It continues Macquarie’s tradition of providing interdisciplinary and contextual perspectives on the study of law.

Recommended study pattern

The following subjects are essential:

• Foundations of Law
• Criminal Justice and Public Policy
• Theories of Law and Justice
• Applied Legal Ethics
• Property Law
• Equity and Trusts
• Company Law
• Civil and Criminal Procedure
• Evidence
• International Law
• Research Methodologies in Law
• Law of Obligations III - Remedies
• The Law of Obligations I - Contracts
• Law of Obligations II - Torts
• Constitutional Law
• Administrative Law
• Professional and Community Engagement
• Dispute Resolution Processes and Law

You must complete six elective subjects from the following list:

• Law Moots and Competitions
• Competition Law
• Health Law
• Family Law
• Commercial Law
• Intellectual Property Law
• Taxation Law
• Anti-Discrimination Law
• Succession
• Refugees and Migration Law
• Corporate Governance Law
• Climate Change Law
• Trade and Environment Law
• Environmental Law and Sustainable Development
• Energy and Natural Resources Law
• Environmental Planning Law
• Indigenous Peoples and the Law
• Law and Technology
• International Human Rights Law
• Trade Law
• Law of the Sea
• Human Rights and Moral Dilemmas
• Media Law and Culture
• International Commercial Law

The order in which you study subjects may depend upon when you commence your degree and the pace of your study. Some subjects are only available at certain times of the year.

Award requirements

This postgraduate coursework degree requires completion of 24 subjects.

Open Universities Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. You will not pay any fees for using our services.

Indicative total fee $48,900

The amount shown here is indicative for an Australian citizen studying full-time, which is typically 8 subjects per year.

Fees may vary depending on:

• the subjects you choose
• credit from previous work experience
• your eligibility for government funding loans or subsidies such as HECS-HELP or a Commonwealth supported place.

To learn more, go to Fees or contact a student advisor.

This research-intensive university in north-western Sydney offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. With over 44,000 current students, Macquarie has a strong reputation for welcoming international students and embracing flexible and convenient study options, including its partnership with Open Universities Australia.

Learn more about Macquarie University.

Explore Macquarie courses.

QS Ranking 2024:

10

Times Higher Education Ranking 2024:

10

To apply for the Juris Doctor students should have completed:

• AQF level 7 bachelor's qualification or recognised equivalent with a WAM of 65; or
• AQF level 8 bachelor honours or graduate diploma qualification or recognised equivalent with a WAM of 65; or
• AQF level 9 Master by coursework or above qualification or recognised equivalent with a WAM of 65; or
• Graduate Certificate of Laws completed at Macquarie University.

Where a student holds more than one degree, Macquarie bases assessment on the degree with the best WAM.

All applicants to coursework programs at Macquarie University are required to provide evidence of proficiency in English. The required standard of English for this degree is:

• Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall with minimum 6.0 in each band, or equivalent from TOEFL, Pearson, Cambridge or OET.

With recognition of prior learning (RPL), you could get credit for your prior study and experience, reducing the duration of your studies. Credit is awarded for formal and informal or non-formal learning.

The Professional and Community Engagement subject provides JD students with an opportunity to apply their legal knowledge and skills in practical placements within partnerships between Macquarie University and the legal profession and community. Students will develop vital employability skills and have opportunities to participate in a variety of workplace experiences including law firms, legal centres, community-based legal organisations and services, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations. In these placements, students will be able to engage with the real world application of legal skills and principles developed in earlier subjects either through internships, clerkships and voluntary or paid legally related employment. In line with the university's Professional and Community Engagement initiatives, the subject aims to provide students with a broad social perspective, critical thinking skills and the technical competence that employers value. Students will be advised of clinic, workplace or project opportunities on a regular basis.