Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Further your legal research and writing skills, and make your CV stand out when you apply for highly competitive law jobs or clerkships.

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) is aimed at high-achieving students in the Bachelor of Laws who want to advance their skills.

The Bachelor of Laws (Honours) involves completing a research course and a dissertation, and may involve adding an extra semester at the end of your Bachelor of Laws. Most Bachelor of Laws (Honours) students complete the research course in Part III, and complete the dissertation in Part IV. Some students complete the dissertation course in February of the year following Part IV.

Students will be invited to join the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) if they have at least a B+ grade average in their Part II Bachelor of Laws courses.

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Quick facts

Programme code:

AK1009

Level:

Points:

540

Duration:

4.5 years full-time

Campus:

City Campus

Starts:

3 Mar 2025

Key semester dates

Fees

Domestic

$11,220 (for 120 points)
($10,028 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)

International

$40,192 (for 120 points)
($39,000 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.

Scholarships

Entry requirements
What you study
Career opportunities
Related programmes

Minimum entry requirements

Completed Bachelor of Laws Parts I and II to the academic standard for honours.

Students will be invited to join the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) programme if they have at least a B+ grade average in their Part II Bachelor of Laws courses.

English language requirements

IELTS (Academic) 6.5 overall with all bands 6.0 or higher; or equivalent

Parts I and II

Completion of the Bachelor of Laws to the required academic standard.

Parts III, IV and additional semester

Completion of the Bachelor of Laws and the following Bachelor of Laws (Honours) courses:

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.

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Skills you will develop

The outcomes for graduates of the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.

Graduate Profile

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 (Honours) 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 (Honours), 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.

Law Careers

Bachelor of Laws students will be invited to join the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) programme if they have at least a B+ grade average in their Part II Bachelor of Laws courses.

Bachelor of Laws

Great graduatesGloria RapotoLawyer, Bell GullyBachelor of Laws (Honours)Working in the District Court inspired her to study law, says Gloria Rapoto who graduated from AUT with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in mid-2024.Working in the District Court inspired her to study law, says Gloria Rapoto who graduated from AUT with a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) in mid-2024.

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Great graduatesCharlene CooperRelationship Manager, Westpac New Zealand LimitedBachelor of Laws (Honours)The variety of options and career pathways is what drew her to the law, says Charlene Cooper who works as a relationship manager at Westpac New Zealand Limited.The variety of options and career pathways is what drew her to the law, says Charlene Cooper who works as a relationship manager at Westpac New Zealand Limited.

Read full story

Great graduatesNina Pinkerton-BennettLaw Clerk, Russell McVeaghBachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Laws (Honours)Meeting likeminded people was one of the highlights of her time at university, says Nina Pinkerton-Bennett who studied law and conflict resolution at AUT.Meeting likeminded people was one of the highlights of her time at university, says Nina Pinkerton-Bennett who studied law and conflict resolution at AUT.

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Great graduatesRyan MarsichBarrister, Emily ChambersBachelor of Laws (Honours)
Master of LawsRyan Marsich says he was drawn to the Master of Laws because of his strong academic interest in the law and the opportunity to carry out further legal research.Ryan Marsich says he was drawn to the Master of Laws because of his strong academic interest in the law and the opportunity to carry out further legal research.

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Great graduatesShania AmolikSolicitor, Hudson Gavin MartinBachelor of Communication Studies
Bachelor of Laws (Honours)Shania Amolik says she loves her role at Hudson Gavin Martin, a corporate, commercial and dispute resolution law firm focused on technology, media and IP.Shania Amolik says she loves her role at Hudson Gavin Martin, a corporate, commercial and dispute resolution law firm focused on technology, media and IP.

Read full story

View all student profiles

Quick facts

Programme code:

AK1009

Level:

Points:

540

Duration:

4.5 years full-time

Campus:

City Campus

Starts:

3 Mar 2025

Key semester dates

Fees

Domestic

$11,220 (for 120 points)
($10,028 tuition fees + $1,192 student services levy)

International

$40,192 (for 120 points)
($39,000 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.

Scholarships

The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.