Exchange Information for Law Students

Where Can Law Students Go on Exchange?

The University of Western Australia has exchange agreements with many overseas universities. 

For the list of partner universities offering law exchanges please consult the University of Western Australia International Centre. 

Who is Eligible for an Exchange in Law?

The Law School strongly recommends that law students do not go on exchange before completing Legal Process (LAWS1130), Criminal Law I and II (LAWS1105 and LAWS1106), Contract I and II (LAWS1101 and LAWS1102), Torts I and II (LAWS1107 and LAWS1108) and Property I and II (LAWS2204 and LAWS2205).  Students who have not completed these foundational core units may not have sufficiently developed their generic legal skills or substantive understanding of core legal concepts to successfully complete upper year option units while on exchange. 

In order to be approved for a law exchange, students are normally expected to have a weighted average of at least 65% in their law units, with no fail grades on their record.

Students who do not meet the minimum academic requirements or who wish to go on exchange before completing the recommended units should make an appointment through Law Reception to see the Associate Dean for pre-approval prior to commencing the application process.

Exchange in Combined Degree?

Students in a combined degree program who go on exchange in their combined degree should consult the relevant faculty for approval and course advise.  The Law Faculty will approve students going on exchange during their combined degree although students should ensure that they plan their course pathway for the remainder of their combined degree which accommodates the period on exchange. 

For How Long Can a Law Student Go On Exchange?

Most students go on a law exchange for one semester (24 UWA points) although it is possible to go on exchange for a full year (48 UWA points).  Students may receive a maximum of 48 points of credit towards their UWA Law degree from exchange.

Students going on exchange, particularly for a full- year, are responsible for assessing the impact of completing 48 points of their law degree in another jurisdiction on employment opportunities and eligibility for the Law Honours Programme.

What Units can Students Study on a Law Exchange?

Units studied on law exchange cannot be used to satisfy the core unit requirements of the UWA Law degree.  All core units must be completed at UWA Law School. 

Only units offered as part of an exchange partner’s LLB or equivalent program can be credited towards the UWA Law degree.  The only exception to this is that students enrolled in the four year undergraduate Law degree are permitted to credit one non-law unit (6 points) towards their Law degree and with permission these points can be earned on exchange.  This particular exception does not apply to combined degree or graduate law students.

A student on law exchange may only enrol in units which have been approved by the Associate Dean for credit to the UWA Law degree.  Unit approval is given during the exchange application process.  In the event that a student wishes to enrol in units other than those approved during the application process, approval must be sought prior to the commencement of the exchange semester(s).

Students may study units with a different (eg.  Space Law or EU Law) or similar (eg. Environmental Law or Public International Law) substantive focus to units offered at UWA Law School.  When a unit has a similar focus but the legal framework is different, students may choose to study the unit on exchange and also at the UWA Law School and receive credit for both units.  However, if a unit deals with similar common law or statutory content, students will not receive credit for studying the unit on exchange as well as at UWA Law School and this will be noted in the unit approval process. 

Do Exchange Units Satisfy Group B Requirements?

Some exchange units will be taken as satisfying the UWA Law degree Group B requirements.  If the unit is so classified, the Associate Dean be indicate this during the unit approval process.

How Many Units Must a Student Study on a Law Exchange?

Students must enrol in a full-time load at the exchange university.  A full time load is the equivalent of 24 UWA credit points.  Students who require less than 24 UWA points to graduate should consult the International Centre for approval to enrol in less than a full-time load on exchange

The International Centre will advise students of the full-load requirements at the various universities with which the university has exchange agreements.  Students should note that a full-load at an exchange university will not necessarily be four units. Students should also be aware that the full-load requirements for some exchange partners have changed recently.  This means that the load undertaken by previous exchange students at a particular university will not necessarily be an accurate guide of the current load requirements for that university.

How Many UWA Points can a Student Earn on a Law Exchange?

Students completing a full-time load at the exchange university are credited with 24 UWA points per semester of study.  Students may receive a maximum of 48 points credits towards their UWA Law degree on exchange.

Students are not permitted to overload while on exchange.

Planning a Course Pathway to Allow for an Exchange in Law

Students must think carefully about how going on exchange will affect their course pathway, noting that the recommended course pathways (http://www.lawstudents.law.uwa.edu.au/undergrad/pathways) contain core units in every semester.  To accommodate a period on exchange, the order in which core units are taken can be rearranged, provided students conform to course rules and meet all necessary pre and co requisites (as specified in the Faculty of Law Undergraduate handbook).  In re-arranging core units, students are reminded that Parts I and II of both Procedure and Commercial Practice must be completed in the same academic year and so it is not possible to go on exchange during the academic year in which these units are undertaken. 

Students planning an exchange should plan a course pathway for the remainder of their studies including the exchange period (some examples of course pathways which accommodate exchange are available here.  Students who would like assistance planning their course pathway, or who wish to have their plan reviewed, can make an appointment to see the Law Faculty Administrative Officer.

HOWEVER students are advised that the Law School is currently undergoing a course review which may result in the restructure of the Law degree, including the composition and timetabling of core units.  While transitional arrangements would be put in place for a limited time, students planning an exchange should be aware that the current course review may affect their planned course pathways.

How does Exchange Affect the Law Honours Programme?

The grades received on exchange are not counted for the purposes of invitations into the Honours programme or for the purposes of calculating Honours classifications or degrees with distinction.  Prospective Honours students should consult the Honours brochure for advice on the implication of going on exchange (available at: http://www.lawstudents.law.uwa.edu.au/honours) and direct any questions to the Chair of the Honours Committee (currently Mr. George Syrota (gsyrota@law.uwa.edu.au). 
Prospective Honours students thinking about going on exchange for a full year should note the requirements set out on pages 3 & 4 of the Honours Brochure, in particular that they must have obtained a minimum of 1000 points of Eligible Coursework Units in order to graduate with Honours.

Prospective honours students should also be aware that the Honours programme requires enrolment in Supervised Research 2 which is a 12 point unit normally completed concurrently over semester 1 and 2 of the final full year of studies.  Accordingly, prospective honours students should keep this in mind in planning their course pathway for exchange.

How are Exchange Units Recorded on a Student’s UWA Academic Record?

Units taken on exchange are recorded on your UWA academic record as ungraded passes or ungraded fails.  A formal note will appear at the bottom of the academic record detailing the units studied and the grade and/or percentage marks received.

Who Can Answer Other Exchange Queries?

General questions about applying for and going on exchange should be directed to theInternational Centre.  The International Centre can provide students with a variety of information including available exchange partners, full-load requirements at exchange partners, feed-back from UWA law students who have previously gone on exchange and information about costs and scholarships. 

Information about the exchange application process and the selection process should also be directed to the International Centre, as the International Centre handles applications and selection.  Students can make an appointment to speak to a Student Exchange Advisor by contacting the International Centre.