Duration
Full-time: 4 years
Part-time: Varies
Next start date
2023 Semester One – 27 February
2024 Semester One – 26 February
Available locations
City
Points
540
Programme type
Undergraduate
Conjoint options available

Programme overview

Students who have gained a B+ average or higher in their Law courses in Parts I and II of the LLB programme will be invited to transfer to the LLB(Hons) programme to complete Parts III and IV. This will usually be at the end of the second year of study – or for conjoint students, at the end of the third year of study, subject to meeting requirements.

Students complete the Honours portion of the programme simultaneously with their LLB, which is different to Honours offerings in other University Programmes.

The LLB(Hons) programme requires students to enrol in one additional semester, on top of their LLB programme, to complete a double-semester seminar course and a dissertation.

Throughout the programme, students will need to maintain at least a B+ average.

High-achieving students who have gained a B+ average or higher across all of their Law courses in Parts I and II of the Bachelor of Laws (LLB) programme will be invited to transfer to the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB(Hons) programme to complete Parts III and IV. This will usually be at the end of the second year of study — or for conjoint students, at the end of the third year of study subject to meeting requirements.

The LLB(Hons) programme requires students to enrol in one additional semester, on top of their LLB programme, to complete a double-semester seminar course and a dissertation.

Throughout the programme, students will need to maintain at least a B+ average.

Programme structure

The LLB(Hons) is made up of 540 points and involves a student completing the LLB programme and an additional 20-point honours seminar course (usually as part of their Part III year) and a 40-point dissertation in the semester immediately following their Part IV year.

It will take a minimum of nine semesters to complete all of the requirements for the LLB(Hons) degree, unless a student is completing a conjoint degree. In that case it will take a minimum of 11 semesters. The number of semesters required can be reduced by one if the dissertation is completed through Summer School immediately following their Part IV year.

Please note: Entry requirements may change each year.

Find out more about individual courses on our course information page. 

Indicative Honours programme entry timeline

  • Deadline for Part III/IV Honours programme applications: Mid-December
  • Honours Selection Committee meet to determine entry requirements: Mid-January
  • Honours programme invitations sent to eligible students: By end of January
  • Deadline for invited students to return their Honours Seminar Preference Form and apply for Programme Change on SSO: Early-mid-February
  • Honours Selection Committee meet to allocate students to Seminar Courses: Early-mid-February
  • Students receive email indicating what Seminar Course they have been allocated to: Mid-February
  • Deadline for students to enrol into allocated Honours Seminar: 1-2 weeks prior to Semester One commencing 

Delayed application
If students do not get into Honours by invitation after the completion of their Part II courses but their overall performance improves in later years, they can apply for Honours via the Student Hubs in early December of any year after successful completion of Part II.

The application will be approved if the student’s Grade Point Average over all of their LLB courses is above the Honours entry standard and there are places available.

Most students need to take one or two General Education courses.

Students should also be aware of the University’s Academic English Language Requirement.

For all official programme information, including regulations about entry, enrolment, fees, examinations, and requirements for degrees, diplomas and certificates, see the University Calendar.

2022 entry requirements

My highest qualification is from:

Programme requirements

Students who have gained a B+ average or higher in their Law courses in Parts I and II of the LLB programme will be invited to transfer to the LLB(Hons) programme to complete Parts III and IV. This will usually be at the end of the second year of study – or for conjoint students, at the end of the third year of study subject to meeting requirements.

Transferees from other New Zealand universities who have completed LLB Part II or equivalent may be admitted to the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) (LLB(Hons)) programme. They should first seek advice from our Student Hubs.

Other pathways to study

You could be eligible for another programme, or check out these alternative pathways:

Programme requirements

There is no direct entry to the LLB(Hons) programme for students who have completed their prior study overseas. Entry is by invitation for existing high-achieving LLB Part II students.

International students wishing to study the LLB(Hons) should first successfully complete Parts I and II of the LLB programme to the required level at Auckland Law School.

Other pathways to study

You could be eligible for another programme, or check out these alternative pathways:

For all official programme information, including regulations about entry, enrolment, fees, examinations, and requirements for degrees, diplomas and certificates, see the University Calendar.

How much does a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) cost per year?

2022 fees

Domestic students
NZ$5,299.20*
International students
NZ$40,948*

Fees are set in advance of each calendar year and will be updated on this website. Fees are inclusive of 15% GST, but do not include the Student Services Fee, course books, travel and health insurance, or living costs. Amounts shown are indicative only. In addition to the tuition fees, there is a Student Services Fee of $8.16 per point, estimated at $979.20 for full-time study (120 points). Fees will be confirmed upon completion of enrolment into courses.

*Please note: amounts shown are indicative and estimates only.

See course fees for each faculty

Find out about financial support information

Scholarships and awards

Find out about the scholarships you may be eligible for.

Student loans and allowances

Are you a New Zealand citizen or resident? You could be eligible for a student loan or allowance.

Cost of living

Get an idea of how much accommodation and general living in Auckland will cost.

For all official programme information, including regulations about entry, enrolment, fees, examinations, and requirements for degrees, diplomas and certificates, see the University Calendar.

Key dates

Application closing dates
Entry is by invitation for existing high-achieving Bachelor of Laws Part II students. Transferees from other New Zealand universities who have completed LLB Part II or equivalent should apply for transfer by 1 December 2021.

Start dates
Please note you can only start Honours in Semester One.
 

Please note: We will consider late applications if places are still available. International students should start the application process as early as possible to allow sufficient time to apply for a visa.

Application closing dates

Summer School 2022
1 December 2021
Semester One 2022
8 December 2021

Start dates

Here are the start dates for the programme.

Other important dates

See important dates for the academic year, including orientation, enrolment, study breaks, exams, and graduation.

How to apply

Applying for an undergraduate programme? Check out our step-by-step guide.

For all official programme information, including regulations about entry, enrolment, fees, examinations, and requirements for degrees, diplomas and certificates, see the University Calendar.

Where could this programme take you?

A Law degree will arm you with many transferable skills, including knowledge of the law and its implications, a sense of justice and public responsibility, analytical, research and communication skills, and an ability to work under pressure. A degree from the University of Auckland Law School is well-respected. In any given year, about half our graduates take up positions in New Zealand law firms, while the other half begin their careers in other professional organisations. These include accounting and consulting; business and industry; national and local government; teaching, research and journalism; and international, environmental and other non-governmental areas. Our graduates can be found practising law in New Zealand and worldwide – many of our former students work for leading law firms in London, New York, Sydney, Hong Kong, Singapore, and other major cities. Some of our top students go on to study our LLM, MTaxS and PhD degrees. Auckland Law School offers the most extensive postgraduate programme in the country. Our students regularly win scholarships and prizes to continue their studies overseas. Some of our recent graduates are now pursuing higher degrees at Oxford, Cambridge, Harvard, Yale, Columbia, and other top overseas universities.

Jobs related to this programme

  • Academia – lecturing, research
  • Government – policy work, resource management, parliamentary drafting
  • Judiciary
  • Law reform
  • Mediation
  • Private companies – in-house legal counsel, tax, property, management consultant, regulation, compliance, human resources
  • Private practice – barrister, solicitor
  • Public service – prosecution, defence

Further study options

See all study options

Meet Bradley Arona-Waqanivavalagi

An Honours graduate working at Meredith Connell.

Read More

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