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QUT (Queensland University of Technology)

  • 17% international / 83% domestic

Bachelor of Fine Arts (Creative Writing)/Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

  • Bachelor (Honours)

Combine writing skills and law for roles such as an in-house lawyer, solicitor in private practice, policy adviser, intellectual property lawyer, or crime writer.

Key details

Degree Type
Bachelor (Honours)
Duration
5.5 years full-time
Course Code
409472, 083024E
Study Mode
In person
Intake Months
Feb, Jul
ATAR
87

About this course

Highlights
  • Work creatively on writing novels, poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, memoir, and genre fiction. You'll work towards a year-long major piece of creative writing in a form and genre of your choice.
  • Learn about central ideas from literary theory and ways to think and write critically about texts.
  • Learn from highly experienced and published authors, scholars, and experts in creative writing.
  • Gain a strong foundation in contemporary law knowledge, understanding and experience.
  • Benefit from meaningful connections with high profile industry employers and classes with leading and internationally renowned law experts.
  • Develop specialised creative skills while meeting the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia.
  • Complete 2 degrees in 5.5 years full-time.
Highlights
  • Work creatively on writing novels, poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, memoir, and genre fiction. You'll work towards a year-long major piece of creative writing in a form and genre of your choice.
  • Learn about central ideas from literary theory and ways to think and write critically about texts.
  • Learn from highly experienced and published authors, scholars, and experts in creative writing.
  • Gain a strong foundation in contemporary law knowledge, understanding and experience.
  • Benefit from meaningful connections with high profile industry employers and classes with leading and internationally renowned law experts.
  • Develop specialised creative skills while meeting the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia.
  • Complete 2 degrees in 5.5 years full-time.

Entry requirements

Study locations

Kelvin Grove

Gardens Point

What you will learn

Both creative writing and law require high-calibre sophisticated communication. This double degree will strongly develop your writing skills which can be applied through your law studies and in future careers.

Areas of study include all the major areas of law and creative writing. In the creative writing component of the course you will work intensively on your writing in a number of forms including novels short stories creative non-fiction memoir genre writing and poetry. You will develop comprehensive editing skills as well as self-editing skills. You will learn about and engage with local writing contexts as well as enter contemporary debates around ideas that illuminate and challenge what people write and how they write it. You will learn to think and write critically about texts. You will learn how to engage readers through emotional story telling. You will progress towards a major piece of creative writing in a form and genre of your choice at the end of your degree.

In the law component there is a practical focus which when combined with creative writing study will equip you for a broad range of careers including legal practice.

Career pathways

Careers and outcomes

Your law degree will provide additional career opportunities and legal skills you can apply in your creative industries career. Alternatively your writing skills will complement your legal studies should you choose to pursue a career as a lawyer. Your degrees in law and creative writing will prove invaluable in legal careers within publishing intellectual property or policy development or in writing careers focusing on legal issues such as crime writing or case reporting.

Graduates can work as writers and editors in legal community and freelance capacities.
Professional recognition

This course is approved by the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board. If you want to become a lawyer at the end of your degree you will need to complete further practical legal training (PLT) before you can apply for admission to practice. We offer PLT in the form of the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice provides the knowledge skills understanding and values required to become a competent entry-level legal practitioner. The course is available in full-time internal mode and part-time online mode. The course complies with the Law Admissions Consultative Council's Competency Standards for entry-level lawyers and is approved by the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board.

Possible careers
  • Academic
  • Art writer
  • Barrister
  • Copywriter
  • Creative writer
  • Crown law officer
  • Government officer
  • In-house lawyer
  • Information officer
  • Lawyer
  • Organisational communication specialist
  • Policy analyst

Course structure

Your course

In order to complete this course you must complete a total of 528 credit points made up of 192 credit points from the Bachelor of Fine Arts and 336 credit points from the Bachelor of Laws (Honours). You will study creative writing and law units in your first four years and then concentrate on law studies for the remainder of this course.

Fine arts component

You will complete two common units (24 credit points) and a fine arts major (168 credit points) in creative writing.

Law component

You will complete 336 credit points of core units and a mixture of law electives made up of

  • 19 Core units (240 credit points)
  • 1 introductory law elective* (12 credit points)
  • 5 general law electives** (60 credit points)
  • 2 advanced law electives (24 credit points)

*Students commencing from 2019 may select a general law elective in place of the introductory law elective

**Students commencing from 2019 have the option to complete the Law Technology and Innovation minor or 4 non-law electives (48 credit points) or a university wide minor in place of 4 general law electives (48 credit points). Successful completion of a minor will be recognised on the academic record and/or the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement.

Law technology and innovation minor units

  • Law and Data Analysis (LLB250)
  • Law and Design Thinking (LLB251)
  • Regulating Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (LLB341)
  • Regulating the Internet (LLB345)

Honours-level units

96 credit points of the following honours units will be used to determine the honours levels of the LLB (Hons):

  • Legal Research (LLH201)
  • Administrative Law (LLH206)
  • Ethics and the Legal Profession (LLH302)
  • Corporate Law (LLH305)
  • Legal Research Capstone (LLH401) (24 credit points
  • two 12-credit point Advanced Law Electives
Study overseas

Study overseas while earning credit towards your QUT degree with one of our worldwide exchange partners.

Overseas study can be for one or two semesters (or during the semester break) and the units you take can be in either degree area depending on how they match with your QUT course.

Your course

In order to complete this course you must complete a total of 528 credit points made up of 192 credit points from the Bachelor of Fine Arts and 336 credit points from the Bachelor of Laws (Honours). You will study creative writing and law units in your first four years and then concentrate on law studies for the remainder of this course.

Fine arts component

You will complete two common units (24 credit points) and a fine arts major (168 credit points) in creative writing.

Law component

You will complete 336 credit points of core units and a mixture of law electives made up of

  • 19 Core units (240 credit points)
  • 1 introductory law elective* (12 credit points)
  • 5 general law electives** (60 credit points)
  • 2 advanced law electives (24 credit points)

*Students commencing from 2019 may select a general law elective in place of the introductory law elective

**Students commencing from 2019 have the option to complete the Law Technology and Innovation minor or 4 non-law electives (48 credit points) or a university wide minor in place of 4 general law electives (48 credit points). Successful completion of a minor will be recognised on the academic record and/or the Australian Higher Education Graduation Statement.

Honours-level units

96 credit points of the following honours units will be used to determine the honours levels of the LLB (Hons):

  • Legal Research (LLH201)
  • Administrative Law (LLH206)
  • Ethics and the Legal Profession (LLH302)
  • Corporate Law (LLH305)
  • Legal Research Capstone (LLH401) (24 credit points
  • two 12-credit point Advanced Law Electives
Study overseas

Study overseas while earning credit towards your QUT degree with one of our worldwide exchange partners.

Overseas study can be for one or two semesters (or during the semester break) and the units you take can be in either degree area depending on how they match with your QUT course.