University of Sydney Handbooks - 2020 Archive

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Business Law

Studying Business Law enables students to undertake an in-depth specialisation in key areas impacting business practice – including corporate law, securities market regulation, banking and finance, taxation, employment, insolvency, franchising, intellectual property, environmental law, corporate crime, trade practices and consumer law. Specialist units are designed to provide the basis of a professional capability in the area far beyond the general introduction.

Options for studying Business Law

Students not enrolled in the Bachelor of Commerce or related combined Bachelor of Commerce degrees can complete either a Business Law major or minor as a Table S (shared pool) option for their degree.

Commerce students can only complete a Business Law major or minor as a Table A option for their degree.

Pathways through the Business Law major and minor

The requirements for a major/minor in Business Law are spread out over three years of the degree (four years if students are completing a combined Bachelor of Advanced Studies degree).

(i) Business Law major

To achieve a major in Business Law, students must complete 48 credit points comprising:

  • 12 credit points of 1000-level core units of study;
  • 18 credit points of 2000-level selective units of study;
  • 6 credit points of 3000-level core units of study; and
  • 12 credit points of 3000-level selective units of study.

A sample pathway for the Business Law major (over three years of a degree) is listed below.

Please Note. This sample progression is meant as an example only. Depending on unit prerequisites, students may be able to complete these units in a different sequence to that displayed in the following table.

Year Session Units of study
First Semester 1 Core: CLAW1001 Foundations of Business Law
Semester 2 Core: CLAW1003 Company Law
Second Semester 1 Selective: 2000-level unit listed for major
Semester 2 Selective: 2000-level unit listed for major
Third Semester 1 Selective: 2000-level unit listed for major Selective: 3000-level unit listed for major
Semester 2 Core: CLAW3600 Business Law in Practice * Selective: 3000-level unit listed for major

* Capstone unit for the major – completed in the final semester of study for that major. This unit of study must be completed at the University of Sydney Business School.

For details of the core and selective units of study required for the major or minor please refer to the Business Law section of the unit of study table, Table S, in this handbook.

(ii) Business Law minor

To achieve a minor in Business Law, students must complete 36 credit points comprising:

  • 12 credit points of 1000-level core units of study;
  • 18 credit points of 2000-level selective units of study; and
  • 6 credit points of 3000-level selective units of study.

A sample pathway for the Business Law minor (over three years of a degree) is listed below.

Please Note. This sample progression is meant as an example only. Depending on unit prerequisites, students may be able to complete these units in a different sequence to that displayed in the following table.

Year Session Units of study
First Semester 1 Core: CLAW1001 Foundations of Business Law
Semester 2 Core: CLAW1003 Company Law
Second Semester 1 Selective: 2000-level unit listed for minor
Semester 2 Selective: 2000-level unit listed for minor
Third Semester 1 Selective: 2000-level unit listed for minor 
Semester 2 Selective: 3000-level unit listed for minor 

For details of the core and selective units of study required for the major or minor please refer to the Business Law section of the unit of study table, Table S, in this handbook.

Bachelor of Advanced Studies with Honours in Business Law

Students enrolled in a degree combined with the Bachelor of Advanced studies who complete a major in Business Law with a weighted average mark of 70% (within the first three years of their degree) may be eligible to complete honours in Business Law as their fourth year of study in this combined degree program. Students will need to have completed any requirements of their degree not satisfied with the completion of honours (including both majors, all core units, all Open Learning Environment units, and any elective units as necessary to ensure they meet degree requirements) by the end of their third year of study to proceed to honours in their fourth year of study. The available units of study for Honours in Business Law are listed in Table A Honours units of study in the Business School handbook.

For details of the requirements for admission, completion and the criteria for the awarding of honours, please refer to the Degree and Faculty resolutions.

Learning Outcomes

On successful completion of the Business Law major students will be able to:

No. Mid-Level Learning Outcomes
1 Identify legal issues and legal risks that arise in a business context.
2 Locate and evaluate legal material and information from various sources to form a convincing argument in order to influence business processes and policy.
3 Communicate to a professional standard, orally and in written form, by using legal terminology and correct referencing style to support a reasoned argument.
4 Appropriately apply legal knowledge while considering diverse regulatory requirements to make sound business decisions.
5 Analyse and resolve business legal problems by applying relevant law and legal concepts.
6 Apply legal knowledge with an awareness of cultural diversity as well as social and ethical responsibility.

Further information

For further information regarding study in business law at the University of Sydney, please refer to the Discipline of Business Law.