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Juris Doctor (DJUR) - JD

 External
Semester intake:Semester 1 (February)
Semester 2 (July)
Fees:Domestic full fee paying place
International full fee paying place
Standard duration:3 years full-time, up to 6 years part-time 
Program articulation:

To: Master of Laws (Research)

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Contact us

Future Australian and New Zealand students  Future International students  Current students 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 269 500
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 5315
Email: study@usq.edu.au  

Phone: +61 7 4631 5543
Email: international@usq.edu.au 

Freecall (within Australia): 1800 007 252
Phone (from outside Australia): +61 7 4631 2285
Email usq.support@usq.edu.au 

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Professional accreditation

The Juris Doctor has been accredited by the , and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Queensland as an approved academic qualification under the Supreme Court (Admission) Rules 2004 (Qld). This will partially satisfy the requirements to practise as a solicitor or barrister in Queensland, or as a lawyer elsewhere in Australia. Intending solicitors and barristers must also complete an approved practical legal training course in order to become admitted to practise law. USQ does not offer practical legal training, but advice on practical legal training programs can be obtained through .

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Program aims

The Juris Doctor is a graduate entry program (for non-law graduates) that provides students with the opportunity for a comprehensive study of law, not only to prepare for practice as a solicitor or barrister in Queensland but also to examine the legal process and its social, political and economic context.

The program aims to equip students with an academic qualification for professional practice.

While this is a focused program preparing students for professional practice with particular skills in applied legal research, it also builds the special capabilities that a legal education can offer, such as complex problem-solving and policy analysis.

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Program objectives

Upon completion of the Juris Doctor students will be able to:

  • demonstrate an advanced and integrated understanding of a coherent body of knowledge that includes the fundamental areas of law, the Australian legal system, and underlying principles and concepts (including international and comparative contexts), the broader contexts within which legal issues arise, the principles and values of justice and of ethical practice in lawyersā€™ roles, and contemporary developments in law and its professional practice

  • demonstrate an advanced and integrated understanding of approaches to ethical decisionā€making, an ability to recognise and reflect upon, and a developing ability to respond to, ethical issues likely to arise in professional contexts

  • demonstrate an ability to recognise and reflect upon the professional responsibilities of lawyers in promoting justice and in service to the community; and a developing ability to exercise professional judgment

  • identify and articulate complex legal issues; and apply legal reasoning and research to generate appropriate jurisprudential and practical responses to legal issues

  • engage in critical analysis and make reasoned and appropriate choices amongst alternatives

  • demonstrate sophisticated cognitive and creative skills in approaching legal issues and generating appropriate responses

  • demonstrate the intellectual and practical skills needed to justify and interpret theoretical propositions, legal methodologies, conclusions and professional decisions, as well as to identify, research, evaluate and synthesise relevant factual, legal and policy issues

  • communicate in ways that are effective, appropriate and persuasive for legal and non-legal audiences; and collaborate effectively

  • work with a high level of autonomy, accountability and professionalism; reflect on and assess their own capabilities and performance; and make use of feedback, as appropriate, to support personal and professional development.


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Australian Qualifications Framework

The Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) is a single national, comprehensive system of qualifications offered by higher education institutions (including universities), vocational education and training institutions and secondary schools. Each AQF qualification has a set of descriptors which define the type and complexity of knowledge, skills and application of knowledge and skills that a graduate who has been awarded that qualification has attained, and the typical volume of learning associated with that qualification type.

This program is at AQF Qualification Level 09. Graduates at this level will have specialised knowledge and skills for research, and/or professional practice and/or further learning.

The full set of levels criteria and qualification type descriptors can be found by visiting .

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Admission requirements

To be eligible for admission, applicants must satisfy the following requirements:

  • Completion of an Australian university three-year Bachelor degree in an area other than law, or equivalent.

  • English Language Proficiency requirements for Category 3.


All students are required to satisfy the applicable .

If students do not meet the English language requirements they may apply to study a ¾«¶«“«Ć½app-approved . On successful completion of the English language program, students may be admitted to an award program.

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Program fees

Domestic full fee paying place

Domestic full fee paying places are funded entirely through the full fees paid by the student. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the

Domestic full fee paying students may be eligible to defer their fees through a Government loan called provided they meet the residency and citizenship requirements.

Australian citizens, Permanent Humanitarian Visa holders, Permanent Resident visa holders and New Zealand citizens who will be resident outside Australia for the duration of their program pay full tuition fees and are not eligible for .

International full fee paying place

International students pay full fees. Full fees vary depending on the courses that are taken and whether they are studied on-campus, via distance education/online. Students are able to calculate the fees for a particular course via the .

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Program structure

The graduate entry program is 24 units in total. It has two prime components: a core (21 units) and law approved courses (3 units).

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Required time limits

Students have a maximum of 9 years to complete this program.

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Core courses

.

Course  Semester of offer
Distance/Online 
Semester of offer
Toowoomba campus 
   
  1, 2   
  1, 2   
   
  2, 3   
   
   
   
  1, 3   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  1, 3   
   
   
*  1, 2   
  1, 2 

Footnotes
*Students should have completed 16 core Law courses before enrolling in . It is also highly recommended that this course be the last course to complete in the program.

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Electives/Approved courses

Choose three of the following law approved courses. Some courses are offered biennially.

Course  Semester of offer
Distance/Online 
Semester of offer
Toowoomba campus 
Semester of offer
Springfield campus 
   
   
     
  1, 2, 3 
     
     
LAW3405 Human Rights and Anti-Discrimination Law   
     
   
     
     
     
   
     
   
   
LAW3467 Health Law   
LAW3468 Regional and Rural Legal Practice        
   
LAW3470 Principles of Public Law   
 
     
 
     
     
   
     
~^  2, 3     
   
     
   
     
LAW8705 Cross-border Litigation   
     
   
LAW8711 Law of Capital Markets    
LAW8712 Comparative Constitutional Law#   
     
     
LAW8715 European Union Law   
LAW8716 Government Accountability     
LAW8717 International Environmental Law     
     
*     

Footnotes
~ is not available to international students regardless of location or mode of study as it is an elective course. Australian regulations do not allow an elective work-based training course that is not a mandatory program requirement to be offered to international students.
^A student must have completed 16 units before enrolling in .
#This course will be offered in odd-numbered years.
* will be offered from 2018.

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IT requirements

For information technology requirements please refer to the .

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Other program requirements

Students must maintain good standing in this program. Please refer to the .

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Credit

Maximum credit

Credit from USQ courses credited to the Juris Doctor may be granted for a maximum of 50% of the program, that is, 12 courses.

Maximum credit for completed undergraduate courses

Credit from USQ courses creditable to the Juris Doctor may be granted for successful completion of undergraduate courses on condition that:

  1. any other requirements for the granting of credit in these guidelines are met

  2. if the student had been previously enrolled in a combined program with law at USQ or another university, and law courses were credited to the other award, credit is only granted so that, on completion of the Juris Doctor at USQ, the student will have successfully completed the equivalent of at least 6 years of full-time study

  3. subject to paragraph 2, the maximum proportion of undergraduate courses that are taken or credited towards the Juris Doctor is 50% of the program, that is, the equivalent of 12 courses.


Admission courses

Credit may be granted from a core course that deals with an area of knowledge that is set out in the Admission Guidelines for Approving Academic Qualifications issued under Rule 9AA of the Supreme Court (Admission) Rules 2004 (Qld) if:

  1. the course that was successfully completed at another university deals in substance with the topics that are set out in that area of knowledge

  2. the course was undertaken in a program that is an approved academic qualification for the purposes of admission as a lawyer in any Australian state or territory.


Credit from a course in the Juris Doctor will only be granted if:

  1. the workload for the course that was successfully completed at another university is at least 70% of the workload required for the course from which a credit is being granted

  2. at least 70% of the content of the course that was successfully completed at the other university is similar to the content of the course from which a credit is being granted.


Credit may be permitted for a limited number of courses, equivalent in content and level, successfully completed recently with a recognised institution, in accordance with USQ policy.

Recommended enrolment patterns

In this section:

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Recommended enrolment patterns

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.

The flexibility of this program, particularly for the distance learning students means there will be a range of enrolment patterns, and many distance learning students will have a unique enrolment pattern. Students requiring assistance should contact the Faculty of Business, Education, Law and Arts.

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Recommended enrolment pattern - standard semester 1 intake

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.


CourseYear of program and semester
in which course is normally studied
Enrolment requirements
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem
11Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in Program DJUR or Early Career Plan (16650) of Program PCBS
11Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: or Students must be enrolled in the following program: DJUR
11Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
11Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501 Enrolment is not permitted in if LAW5114 or LAW5502 has been previously completed.
12Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
12Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
12Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5603)
12Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5603)
21Pre-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
21Pre-requisite: Students enrolled prior to 2016 - ( and ) or LAW5501; All other students - ( and ) or (LAW5601 and LAW5602 and LAW5603).
21Pre-requisite: {( and ) or LAW5501} and and
Law approved course 121
22Pre-requisite: or (LAW5701 and LAW5712)
22Pre-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
22Pre-requisite: ( and ) or (LAW5705 and LAW5703)
22Pre-requisite: LAW5114, LAW5502 or
31Pre-requisite: or LAW5705
31Pre-requisite: Students enrolled prior to 2016 - or (LAW5605 and LAW5606); All other students - or LAW5705.
31Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following programs: DPHD, DJUR, LLBH, LLMR or LLMC
Law approved course 231
32Pre-requisite: or (LAW5605 and LAW5606)
32Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5602)
*32Pre-requisite: (only for students commencing 2014 onwards)
Law approved course 332

Footnotes
*Students should have completed 16 core Law courses before enrolling in . It is also highly recommended that this course be the last course to complete in the program.

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Recommended enrolment pattern - standard semester 2 intake

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.


CourseYear of program and semester
in which course is normally studied
Enrolment requirements
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem
12Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in Program DJUR or Early Career Plan (16650) of Program PCBS
12Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: or Students must be enrolled in the following program: DJUR
12Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
12Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
21Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
21Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501 Enrolment is not permitted in if LAW5114 or LAW5502 has been previously completed.
21Pre-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
Law approved course 121
22Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5603)
22Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5603)
22Pre-requisite: or (LAW5701 and LAW5712)
22Pre-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
31Pre-requisite: {( and ) or LAW5501} and and
31Pre-requisite: Students enrolled prior to 2016 - ( and ) or LAW5501; All other students - ( and ) or (LAW5601 and LAW5602 and LAW5603).
31Pre-requisite: or LAW5705
31Pre-requisite: Students enrolled prior to 2016 - or (LAW5605 and LAW5606); All other students - or LAW5705.
32Pre-requisite: ( and ) or (LAW5705 and LAW5703)
32Pre-requisite: LAW5114, LAW5502 or
32Pre-requisite: or (LAW5605 and LAW5606)
32Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5602)
41Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following programs: DPHD, DJUR, LLBH, LLMR or LLMC
*41Pre-requisite: (only for students commencing 2014 onwards)
Law approved course 241
Law approved course 341

Footnotes
*Students should have completed 16 core Law courses before enrolling in . It is also highly recommended that this course be the last course to complete in the program.

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Recommended enrolment pattern - 3 courses per semester

Students are able to enrol in any offered mode of a course (on-campus, external or online), regardless of the program mode of study they enrolled in.


CourseYear of program and semester
in which course is normally studied
Enrolment requirements
On-campus
(ONC)
External
(EXT)
Online
(ONL)
YearSemYearSemYearSem
11Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in Program DJUR or Early Career Plan (16650) of Program PCBS
11Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: or Students must be enrolled in the following program: DJUR
11Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
12Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
12Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5603)
12Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5603)
21Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501 Enrolment is not permitted in if LAW5114 or LAW5502 has been previously completed.
21Pre-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
21Pre-requisite: Students enrolled prior to 2016 - ( and ) or LAW5501; All other students - ( and ) or (LAW5601 and LAW5602 and LAW5603).
22Pre-requisite or Co-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
22Pre-requisite: or (LAW5701 and LAW5712)
22Pre-requisite: ( and ) or LAW5501
31Pre-requisite: {( and ) or LAW5501} and and
Law approved course 131
31Pre-requisite: or LAW5705
32Pre-requisite: ( and ) or (LAW5705 and LAW5703)
32Pre-requisite: LAW5114, LAW5502 or
Law approved course 232
41Pre-requisite: Students enrolled prior to 2016 - or (LAW5605 and LAW5606); All other students - or LAW5705.
41Pre-requisite: Students must be enrolled in one of the following programs: DPHD, DJUR, LLBH, LLMR or LLMC
Law approved course 341
42Pre-requisite: or (LAW5605 and LAW5606)
42Pre-requisite: or (LAW5601 and LAW5602)
*42Pre-requisite: (only for students commencing 2014 onwards)

Footnotes
*Students should have completed 16 core Law courses before enrolling in . It is also highly recommended that this course be the last course to complete in the program.