Bachelor of Laws
AUT's law degree opens the door to a wide range of rewarding careers. AUT law graduates have established successful careers in a range of law firms, immigration consultancies and commercial establishments.
Our interactive lectures and regular case-study workshops develop your ability to interpret, critically analyse, reason and deliver practical solutions to legal problems. You become an articulate communicator, and confident in your understanding of legal principles and their relevance to business and community. You also develop your critical thinking and problem-solving skills, your ability to act ethically, and your sense of community and professional responsibility.
Talk to us about your study options
Thinking about studying at AUT? Book a time with us to discuss your study options.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
If you have New Zealand qualifications
If you have qualifications from another country
See entry requirements for students from other countries. Select your country from the dropdown menu.
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) of 6.0 overall with all bands 5.5 or higher; or equivalent
Useful New Zealand school subjects
- Subjects that develop a very good standard of reading, oral and written English including (but not limited to) Art History, Classical Studies, Drama, English, Geography, Health Education, History, Media Studies, Social Studies, Te Reo Māori or Te Reo Rangatira
Don’t meet the entry requirements?
Consider starting with our Diploma in Business.
Diploma in Business
Who can apply for direct entry into Part II
The AUT Law School considers applications for direct entry to Part II of the LLB degree. Applicants will normally have:
- Successfully completed Part I of the law degree at another New Zealand law school; and
- Obtained a minimum of a B grade average in their first‑year law courses
Cross-credits you may receive
If you’re offered direct entry to Part II from another New Zealand law school, you normally receive cross-credits for the following AUT courses:
- Legal System – 15 points
- Legal Reasoning and Writing – 30 points
- Plus 60 points of non-law courses in the first year of the AUT law degree
You may still need to complete the Personal Property course which is a 15-point Part I requirement. In the AUT law degree, this course constitutes part of the property law requirement for the New Zealand Council of Legal Education. If you’re a direct entry student, you need to complete this course, in addition to the other requirements of the LLB, if you have not satisfied that requirement through a similar course at your previous tertiary education institution.
Contact us to find out more
Email law@aut.ac.nz
With the Bachelor of Laws you develop an understanding of law and the legal system, and gain the skills for a future as a lawyer or a career in various related fields.
If you’re already studying at AUT and have any questions about the courses you should enrol in, email law@aut.ac.nz
Part I courses
In your first year you study two compulsory law courses. This makes up half of your first-year study (60 points).
The other 60 points (usually four 15-points courses) must be taken from another AUT degree, which gives you the opportunity to broaden your study and enables you to enrol in one of the double degrees. View recommended non-law courses
Full-year courses
- LAWS509 Legal Reasoning and Writing (30 points)
- LAWS510 Tikanga Māori and the Settler State Legal System of Aotearoa New Zealand (30 points)
Semester 1 courses
- Choose two non-law courses
Semester 2 courses
- Choose two non-law courses
If you complete your Part I courses and obtain at least a B grade average in the compulsory law courses, then you will be offered a place in Part II of the programme. Other students may also be eligible for Part II study.
Part II courses
Full-year courses
- LAWS621 Public Law (30 points)
- LAWS622 Law of Contract (30 points)
- LAWS623 Law of Torts (30 points)
- LAWS6XX Criminal Law (30 points)*
Students who have obtained a ‘B’ average in their first-year law courses at another New Zealand university can apply for direct entry into Part II of the programme.
Part III courses
Full-year course
- LAWS7XX He Raranga: Tikanga Māori Me Ngā Ture o Aotearoa (30 points)*
- LAWS7XX Law of Property (30 points)*
Semester 1 courses
- LAWS7XX Wills, Trusts and Succession (15 points)*
- Plus choose one law elective
Semester 2 courses
- Plus choose two law electives
Part IV courses
Semester 1 courses
- LAWS706 Legal Ethics (15 points)
- Plus choose three law electives
Semester 2 courses
- Choose four law electives
*Proposed new course. More details will be available once this course has been fully approved.
Study planner for this programme
Download our study planner to see all the courses offered in 2025 (including law electives) and what your studies could look like in the Bachelor of Laws.
Use the information below if you started your studies between 2021 and 2024. If you started the Bachelor of Laws before 2021, email law@aut.ac.nz for study planning advice.
Part I courses
In your first year you study two compulsory law courses. This makes up half of your first-year study (60 points).
The other 60 points (usually four 15-points courses) must be taken from another AUT degree, which gives you the opportunity to broaden your study and enables you to enrol in one of the double degrees. View recommended non-law courses
Full-year course
Semester 1 courses
- LAWS501 Legal System (15 points)
- Plus two non-law courses
Semester 2 courses
- LAWS504 Personal Property (15 points)
- Plus two non-law courses
If you complete your Part I courses and obtain at least a B grade average in the compulsory law courses, then you will be offered a place in Part II of the programme. Other students may also be eligible for Part II study.
Part II courses
Full-year courses
- LAWS621 Public Law (30 points)
- LAWS622 Law of Contract (30 points)
- LAWS623 Law of Torts (30 points)
Semester 1 course
- LAWS605 Trusts (15 points)
Semester 2 course
- LAWS604 Real Property (15 points)
Students who have obtained a ‘B’ average in their first-year law courses at another New Zealand university can apply for direct entry into Part II of the programme.
Part III courses
Full-year course
- LAWS798 Criminal Law (30 points)
Semester 1 courses
- LAWS703 Advanced Private Law (15 points)
- LAWS797 Company Law (15 points)
- Plus choose one law elective
Semester 2 courses
- LAWS704 Public International Law (15 points)
- Plus choose two law electives
Part IV courses
Semester 1 courses
- LAWS706 Legal Ethics (15 points)
- Plus choose three law electives
Semester 2 courses
- Choose four law electives
Study planner for this programme
Download our study planner to see all the courses offered in 2025 (including law electives) and what your studies could look like in the Bachelor of Laws.
Ready to enrol in your courses?
Find out how you can enrol in the courses and classes for your programme, whether you’ve just joined AUT as a new student or you’re already studying with us. If you’re looking for more info on a specific course use our course search.
Skills you will develop in the Bachelor of Laws
The outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Laws are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
AUT law graduates have established successful careers in a range of law firms, immigration consultancies and commercial establishments including Kensington Swan, Bell Gully, Buddle Findlay, Chapman Tripp, Meredith Connell, Langdon and Co Lawyers, Enterprise Law, Simpson Dowsett Mackie, Davies Law, Te Nahu Lovell & Co, Simpson Grierson, Kayes Fletcher Walker, Russell McVeagh and Wynyard Wood.
As a lawyer you might practise in a wide range of legal areas including corporate law, commercial and intellectual property, family law, environmental law, criminal law, taxation and general practice.
Law graduates also move into roles as:
- In-house lawyers in large New Zealand and multinational businesses and organisations
- Patent attorneys
- Policy advisors to central and local government
- Senior management roles in business
- Taxation practitioners in accountancy practices
Becoming a barrister and solicitor
Graduates of AUT’s Bachelor of Laws are eligible to gain admission as barristers and solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand on completion of their Professional Legal Studies course.
If you want to become a barrister and solicitor, you need to be admitted to the bar before you can call yourself a lawyer and practise law in New Zealand.
After successfully completing your Bachelor of Laws, you need to:
- Complete the Professional Legal Studies Course
- Obtain a certificate of completion from the New Zealand Council of Legal Education (NZCLE); and
- Obtain a certificate of character from the Law Society; and
- Be admitted to the roll of barristers and solicitors of the High Court of New Zealand; and
- Hold a current practising certificate issued by the Law Society.
There are currently two providers of the Professional Legal Studies Course:
Find out more about industry trends, job descriptions and what employers may be looking for.
Broaden your options by studying double degrees
Double degrees double your knowledge and opportunities but don't necessarily take double the time to complete. If you study double degrees, you apply for and enrol separately in each of the two degrees. If you’re considering doing this, please seek course advice to discuss your plans. You may be able to cross-credit relevant courses from one degree to the other, although the number of cross-credits will vary depending on the degree combinations. Double degrees may be completed either one after the other or concurrently.
Study the Bachelor of Laws and:
Other double degree combinations may also be available. Contact your faculty to discuss your options.
Postgraduate study
Certificate and diploma study options
South Campus
($7,726 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
($37,300 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
- Fees-free study may be available for domestic students
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.