If you are keen to add international experience and legal knowledge to your study program, why not consider participating in one of the faculty’s overseas electives courses.
UNSW Law & Justice offers a suite of two-week intensive courses each year, covering a range of study areas throughout various locations across the world. These opportunities also allow students to experience local culture and attractions, all while gaining course credit towards your degree.
Berkley, California, USA
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Undertake a two-week intensive course on the Introduction to the American Legal System at the University of California, Berkeley. The course will focus principally on the study of the federal and state legal systems in the USA. It will include consideration of the primary features of the American legal system, including US legal history, US judicial structure and operation, the US Constitution and the legislative and administrative structure and process.
During this course you are required to spend two weeks overseas in Berkley, California. Students are required to make their own travel arrangements for arrival at the University of California Berkeley no later than one day prior to the commencement of the course. However, students should factor in the effects of the change in time zones and ‘jetlag’ which may mean arriving a day or two earlier is prudent. Students will be provided with details of transportation options from the airports to the accommodation in Berkeley closer to the commencement of the course, but students are responsible for their own transportation arrangements.
Shanghai, China
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The course will be taught intensively over 2 weeks in English by law professors from Shanghai Jiao Tong University and will also include field trips and cultural activities. The course provides an introduction to the legal system of the People’s Republic of China with particular reference to modern developments in contract and commercial law.
China opened up its economy to market forces thirty years ago. When it did so, law and the legal system lost the pariah role under which they had been cast during the Proletarian Cultural Revolution.
The course examines the role law is playing in modern China by reference to its historical antecedents. It examines particular areas of development for their own sake but also as indicators of the changing role of law in Chinese society.
Areas which are the subject of particular attention include:
- The elements and institutions of Chinese legal system
- Constitutional law
- Contract law
- Intellectual property law
- Foreign investment law
- Corporate and securities law
- Foreign trade law and
- Mediation and, arbitration and civil enforcement procedures
Lectures will be held at the city campus of Shanghai Jiao Tong from 9.00am–12.00pm from Monday–Friday for two weeks. In addition, there will be field trips and travel activities organised for some afternoons and weekends to sites such as the Bund, a cruise of Huang Pu River, Shanghai World Expo, Shanghai Stock Exchange, Xitang Water Town, Shanghai Arbitration Commission, a Chinese court, a Chinese law firm and a foreign law firm. You will also have opportunities to interact with local students and learn more about legal education and practice in China.
Beijing, China
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Hosted by Tsinghua University (one of the highest ranked universities in China) in China’s capital Beijing, the course introduces the legal system of the People's Republic of China. Particular reference is paid to modern developments in China’s international business and economic law, commercial law and related areas.
The course examines Chinese business and economic law in an international context, and students will gain an understanding of relevant Chinese laws and their broader social, cultural and economic contexts. Students will also gain insights into Chinese business and legal practices, and challenges of doing business in China. This will give graduates tools that could later assist them when advising clients with respect to negotiations, agreements, disputes and other legal matters involving Chinese entities.
In addition to classroom teaching, field trips have been organised to Chinese legal organisations, and to historical and cultural locations that are relevant to an understanding of Chinese legal and business culture.
Topics covered in the course are expected to include:
- Chinese Society and Chinese law
- General Introduction to Chinese Business Law
- Chinese Civil Procedure
- Chinese Company Law
- Foreign Trade and Investment law
- International and Comparative Intellectual Property Law
- Chinese Intellectual Property Law
- Chinese Securities Law
Lectures will be held at the campus of Tsinghua University from Monday–Friday for two weeks. Most classes and activities will be between 9am-5pm, though there may be activities outside these hours that students must be available for (e.g. farewell dinner; transport to/from field trips). You will also have opportunities to interact with local students and learn more about legal education and practice in China.
In conjunction with the cultural activities, the field trips to cultural sites and Chinese legal institutions are designed to give increase your understanding of Chinese culture, and Chinese social and business traditions.
Zurich, Switzerland
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This course will explore the interaction between law and modern technology. It will introduce students to the potentially problematic relationship between legal rules and technological change, and then begin to explore real substantive problems at the interface between them. This will require some understanding of particular legal doctrines and technologies, which the course itself will provide. It is the aim of the course to teach, encourage and nurture creative legal (and technological) thinking when contemplating questions such as the possible regulation and/or promotion (for example, through patents) of technology and technological change. This course also provides students with knowledge of the legal frameworks and theoretical approaches regarding regulation of technologies in a global and transnational context. The course will draw on Australian, U.S., and European perspectives (among others) in order to ensure that students understand the topics covered on a broader, global canvas.
Topics may include:
- Theories on law and technological change and the regulation and governance of technologies
- Understanding the law’s role in channelling, promoting or hindering technological change
- Legal responses to disruptive technologies (case studies, including AI)
- Patent issues for emerging technologies
- Technologies, the legal profession and legal/law enforcement decision-making
- Legal Issues for digital technologies – governance, privacy, security
- New forms of evidence eg digital evidence, algorithmic outputs, expertise in patent cases
Pune, India
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This course considers the role of the law in creating and perpetuating gender inequalities. Feminist legal theory is a significant body of thought challenging the practice and theory of law, and this course explores its potential to effect social transformation in select areas of women's lives. The course will trace the historical development of feminist legal theory in both India and in the West, and its modern developments, including key concepts such as formal and substantive equality, the public/private divide, intersections between categories such as race, class, caste and gender and explore theories of universalism and cultural relativism. The course will also explore a range of substantive issues of particular relevance to Indian society including child marriage, dowry, and sex-selection, and a range of issues relevant to both Indian and Australian society including family relations, sex work, economic empowerment of women and violence against women. Where relevant the course will compare the approaches and solutions of Indian scholars and activists with those of Australian scholars and activists.
The course aims to assist students to develop skills in critical thinking and to evaluate areas of law that have been subject to feminist critique. It builds core skills that students need to examine gendered constructions of law and how those constructions lead to inequality and discrimination. Two field trips to local organisations will be included as part of the course.
The topics covered in the course include:
- The historical development of feminist legal theory in India and the west
- Feminist theories of formal equality and substantive equality
- Feminist theories of intersectionalism
- Postmodern feminist legal theories
- Marriage and family relations
- Violence against women
- Economic empowerment of women
- Political representation of women
- Reproductive rights of women
- Sex work
Where possible, the course will include guest lectures from leading Indian gender advocates. Students will also have an opportunity to take part in extra field trips of relevance to the course.
Goa, India
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The purpose of the program is to expose students from both institutions to new legal, political and cultural paradigms through the prism of international and comparative perspectives on children’s rights, sexual harassment issues, and family law. This course will provide up to 10 UNSW Law Students with an opportunity to visit VM Salgaocar College of Law for a 10-day planned program. The program will cover topics including child rights and law reform in India, intersecting issues including sexual harassment and family law issues, community education initiatives in India and Australia, learning about the legal aid and child rights clinical program that is operated by VM Salgaocar College of Law in Goa, and learning generally about the Indian and Goan legal systems and taking relevant legal site visits, including to the:
- Child Welfare Committee
- Children’s Court
- Women’s police station
- Legal Aid Cells
- Victim Assistance Unit
- State Commission for the Protection of Children’s Rights
Topics covered will include:
- Legal system of India / Goa
- Young offenders and the law
- Child development
- Cybercrime by juveniles
- Family law and domestic violence
- Sexual harassment law
- Role of community legal clinics and community legal education
Vanuatu
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This course will provide an introduction to the legal systems of the Pacific region, and to some specific areas of Pacific law. Most Pacific Island states have gained independence relatively recently and their laws and legal systems have undergone significant change over recent decades.
The course will introduce the key issues arising in developing legal systems, including the role of history and politics, constitutional developments, the recognition and application of customary law, land tenure regimes, the extent of adoption of common law principles and regional engagement between states and with outside bodies.
As the course will be taught on location in Vanuatu, students will gain direct exposure to the key features of a Pacific Island legal system in its own environment. In addition, the location will allow field trips to important legal institutions, such as courts, parliament, government departments, and NGOs. This will help students to appreciate some of the challenges faced by developing legal systems in the region and to appreciate how and why local laws and legal systems are developing in the way they are. Students will also be exposed to the culture and way of life of the South Pacific and will have an opportunity to meet and mix with local and regional USP students and staff.
General Information
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Successful applicants are required to attend a pre-departure meeting. The time and location will be advised closer to departure (typically scheduled 4 weeks prior to departure). At the meeting there will be an opportunity for students to find roommates for shared accommodation options if applicable.
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UNSW students enrolled in LLB, JD or LLM (dependant on the course) are eligible to participate in an overseas electives.
- LLB students need to have completed at least 78 UOC of LAWS courses
- JD students need to have completed 72 UOC of JURD courses
As enrolments are restricted, you cannot enrol yourself into this course.
The process is:
Step 1: Submit your application
Step 2: Within 2 weeks after the application closing date, Learning Abroad will inform you of the outcome. If approved, students must pay the program deposit fee via the link provided. Final payment will be required approximately 4 weeks after the deposit.
Step 3: The Nucleus team will enrol approved students into the course.
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Domestic students enrolled as Commonwealth Supported students in the undergraduate law or JD program will be charged the Student Contribution Charge for the course. Full Fee Paying Domestic and International students will be charged Tuition fees for the course. There will be an additional charge from $1800 - $3000 (depending on destination) which covers course administration costs and activities. Accommodation may be arranged by the Faculty of Law & Justice for some destinations.
IMPORTANT: This charge does NOT include airfares, departure taxes, accommodation (if applicable), meals, medical and travel insurance, and telephone and other communication charges. Students are required to make and cover all other arrangements associated with travel.
Deposit Payment
Online payment forms will be sent to eligible students via UNSW student email. To secure enrolment, a deposit of $500 must be made by the requested date.
Final instalment
The same procedure applies for the payment of the outstanding balance. To secure your place in the course, the remaining cost less the deposit must be made in full by the requested date.
Refunds/Withdrawal
Once you have made final payment and are enrolled, you will not be able to drop the course, and no refund will be given unless you meet the exceptional circumstances criteria. In the case of exceptional circumstances such as sickness, misadventure or other circumstances beyond your control, refunds will be considered: a) if you meet UNSW Special Consideration requirements; AND b) The Faculty can find another student to attend the course in your place.
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Please refer to the relevant course handbook and course outlines for detailed assessment information. Please note if the course outline for the relevant year is not yet available, previous years can be viewed.
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Information for students going on an Overseas Elective
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UNSW is unable to offer specific advice on visa requirements. Therefore, we recommend that you independently verify the necessary travel documents for your journey.
Useful links:
- Smartraveller.gov.au or other trusted travel advisory website for information
- Swiss Government – State Secretariat for Migration (SEM): SEM Visa Information
- Schengen Visa Info: Schengen Visa Information for Switzerland
- National Immigration Administration of China: This website provides details on various visa types and application procedures: National Immigration Administration
- China Consulate in Sydney: Visa (china-consulate.gov.cn)
- Indian Visa Online portal: India Visa Online (indianvisaonline.gov.in)
- U.S. Visa Waiver Program (VWP): Official ESTA Application Website
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Certain Overseas Elective Courses are eligible for New Colombo Plan Mobility Grants, which are open to Australian undergraduate students. Check the course information to confirm if scholarships are available for your course.
Students do not apply directly for scholarship grants as eligible students will be automatically considered as part of the course enrolment.
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Class Attendance:
Students may attend an OSE during term where their absences from other courses fall within the Class Attendance requirements set out in the Assessment Procedure:
- for non-intensive courses, students may miss up to 20% of classes (e.g., students can miss up to 4 classes for a standard core course).
- for courses taught intensively, full attendance is required.
For additional absences due to unavoidable travel commitments whilst participating in an OSE, students may apply for Special Consideration (SC). SC applications will be assessed against the degree of learning deficit caused by the absences. Students wishing to apply for SC must apply as soon as possible and at the latest within 3 working days of the missed class.
Students must keep up with all required reading and course activities. Lecturers will not arrange additional consultations, tutorials, materials, lecture notes, recordings etc.
Assessment:
Generally, undertaking an elective intensively (whether in Australia or overseas) is not grounds for SC. Students will not be eligible for extensions simply because they take an overseas elective.
UNSW policy provides that ‘heavy academic workload’ and ‘two or more assessments due on the same date’ are not grounds for SC.
In the instance where a student’s travel to participate in an OSE makes it impossible for them to attend or complete a particular assessment task (such as an exam or an in-class test), the student may apply for SC. Students wishing to apply for SC must apply as soon as possible and at the latest within 3 working days of assessment due date.
Students must not participate in an OSE where their absences would require them to miss a group work assessment.
Students may check with the convenor of the other course to determine whether there is any conflicting group work.
Interested in overseas exchange?
Study overseas on an international exchange at leading universities around the world.
"I chose to go on the Zurich Overseas Elective as it was a great opportunity to travel and study in an area I am passionate about. Concepts of technology are increasingly becoming commonplace in law. While a lot of focus is placed on innovation, less is placed on the substantive legal issues that may arise. This course explored those issues from the perspective of three jurisdictions – Australia, Europe and the US. It was particularly valuable to consider alternate perspectives, because the place of technology in law is much more mature in overseas jurisdictions. By the end of the trip, we had canvassed multiple issues that will no doubt become relevant in Australia in the near future."
Adrian Agius, Commerce, Law student