Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)/Bachelor of Laws
UNSW
CRICOS provider number: 00098G TEQSA provider ID: PRV12055
Courses included
This course has been cancelled
About
The Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)/ Law double degree is designed for students who are passionate about social justice and see the law as a driver for social change.
We pride ourselves on our commitment to social justice and throughout your studies you will experience this first-hand through engagement with our centres and clinics. In your second year, you’ll work with clients and lawyers at Kingsford Legal Centre (KLC), a fully functioning community legal centre that operates out of the UNSW Law & Justice building.
The Social Work (Honours) degree includes studies in social work practice, social and behavioural sciences, and contextual studies. The degree includes courses that build research skills, including research design and methodology, and you'll complete a piece of independent or directed research as part of the Honours requirement.
Studying law at UNSW can open the door to countless opportunities, both inside and outside the legal profession, from commercial practice to working in human rights advocacy to community development.
This professional degree meets the academic requirements for accreditation with the Legal Professional Admission Board and Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW).
ATAR Profile: Some UNSW offers were issued based on the UNSW Gateway Admission Pathway with a lower ATAR entry requirement. Refer to the Admissions Information for a complete ATAR profile by degree.
Areas of study
For Bachelor of Laws: Administrative law; business associations; contracts; court process, evidence and proof; crime and the criminal process; criminal laws; equity and trusts; federal constitutional law; introduction to law and justice; lawyers, ethics and justice; principles of private law, principles of public law; land law; law in the global context; resolving civil disputes; torts; seven electives and one prescribed theory elective.
For Social Work (Honours): Contextual studies, social and behavioural sciences, social work practice.
Career opportunities
Graduate career-ready with UNSW Law & Justice’s in-house careers service, dedicated to our students and alumni. The service includes a jobs board and a range of resources, presentations and workshops to maximise your employability.
Legal practice as a solicitor or barrister or in-house legal counsel in a range of national and international organisations, regulatory bodies, government departments, community organisations, welfare agencies and advocacy groups.
Professional recognition
The Bachelor of Laws satisfies the academic requirements for admission as a legal practitioner in NSW. In order to seek admission to the legal profession in Australia, all Law graduates must also complete an accredited Practical Legal Training (PLT) course, such as the UNSW Graduate Diploma in Legal Professional Practice which provides a combination of coursework and work experience.
The Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) is accredited by the Australian Association of Social Workers (AASW). It is an entry qualification into the social work profession and meets the Australian Social Work Education and Accreditation Standards.
Practical experience
Bachelor of Laws: Practical experience at UNSW Law & Justice Kingsford Legal Centre as part of the core course Lawyers, Ethics and Justice plus a wide range of internships and clinical legal education electives including unique opportunities at the other faculty’s centres (i.e Institute for Climate Risk & Response, China International Business & Economic Law Centre and the Australian Human Rights Institute).
For Social Work (Honours)- Two field placements (980 hours).
Fees and charges
Refer to UNSW current fee information.
Essential requirements for admission
Law Admission Test (LAT): In addition to submitting a UAC application, applicants who are planning to apply for admission to UNSW Bachelor of Laws commencing in 2026, must submit an application to sit the LAT* with the Australian Council for Educational Research.
Registrations open Monday 12 May 2025, standard registrations close Monday 11 August 2025 and late registrations close Monday 8 September 2025 (a late fee will apply). The test date is scheduled for Tuesday 30 September 2025. Details and registration can be found on the ACER Law Admission Test website.
Selection will be on the basis of academic merit (eg ATAR or equivalent) and performance in the LAT (UNSW Law & Justice reserves the right to make a small number of offers to very high achieving applicants who do not sit the LAT).
* Indigenous students undertaking the Pre-Law Program at UNSW or students applying via UNSW Gateway are not required to sit the LAT. International Students are not eligible to sit the LAT.
Check the special requirements and policies for this course.
Admission criteria
Applicants with recent secondary education
Assumed knowledge: For Bachelor of Laws: None. Social Work (Honours) degree: English Advanced.
Applicants with higher education study
Applications will be considered from those who have completed tertiary study (see UNSW general admission criteria). Applicants are assessed on the basis of 50% of their ATAR (or equivalent) and 50% of their tertiary grade point average. In recent years, successful transfer applicants have had an ATAR in the high 90s and a grade point average at distinction level.
Transfer credit: Applicants who have undertaken previous Law studies may be eligible for credit transfer on the basis of equivalent courses completed elsewhere. Students will only be eligible for a maximum of 48 units of credit in Law, which is equivalent to one full-time year. For further information, contact UNSW Future Students.
Other applicants
Refer to UNSW general admission criteria.
Student profile
Visit the UNSW website.
Further information
View all details of this course on the UNSW website.
The academic content of all programs is subject to routine review.
ATAR profile
ATAR-based offers only (semester 1, 2024)
* The Lowest ATAR to which an offer was made, for 422403 Bachelor of Social Work (Honours)/Bachelor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, is based on a UNSW Gateway Early Conditional Offer.
Use all ATAR profile data as a guide only; it provides a broad overview of the ATARs and selection ranks of previous Year 12 students admitted into that course. ATARs and selection ranks required for entry in 2025 may be different. If you are unsure about including a course among your preferences, contact the relevant institution.
- This ATAR profile table is in line with Commonwealth Government transparency requirements. It is based on offers to recent school leavers (ie completed Year 12 in the last 2 years) who were selected solely or partly on their ATAR. Note that some institutions further differentiate this information on their websites.
- The ATAR values exclude any adjustment factors.
- The selection ranks include the ATAR and any adjustment factors.
Abbreviations
– = data is not available.<5 = less than 5 ATAR-based offers were made.
N/A = no offers were made on the basis of ATAR.
NC = new course
NP = Not provided by institution
NR = No reportable profile
NS = No Semester 1 offers
NN = Unavailable (other)
NO = Entry on other criteria
Student profile
Course updates
Courses are added and cancelled throughout the admissions year and course details are subject to change. Check the UAC course search regularly.
Double degree options
Double degree options are available in a number of UNSW courses.
Honours at UNSW
Studying honours offers a chance to develop your research and professional skills guided by staff who are passionate about research and the development of new researchers. Honours is an integral component of many UNSW courses or may be offered as an additional year of study to meritorious students.