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The ANU Law School provides students with the opportunity within their program to focus on a particular area of law. Specialisations at ANU require 24 units of study.
Students who wish to add or change specialisations will need to do so through their ANUHub account in the registration periods at the start of each semester. You will have two opportunities each year to make changes to your specialisations, up until your graduation.
- Semester 1 : 20 January - 31 March
- Semester 2 : 3 August - 31 August
To change your specialisation please use the following pathway from your ANUHub homepage:
- Navbar (small compass in top-right corner) > Menu > ANUHub > Degree Management > Major, Minor & Specialisations
Please note that you are indicating your intention to complete this specialisation only. The ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy will assess your eligibility for the indicated specialisation from the units you have completed when you are preparing to graduate.
When planning your studies, it’s important to understand the difference between program orders and specialisations.
Your program orders are the rules that apply to your degree based on the year you were admitted to the program. These outline which courses you must complete, how many units are required, and the overall structure of your degree.
Even if the program changes in later years, you will continue to follow the program orders from your year of admission (unless you formally transfer to a newer version of the program).
Specialisations are a group of courses that allow you to focus on a particular area of law. Unlike program orders, specialisations depend on the year the course is offered, not the year you started your degree.
This means that:
- You can count a course towards a specialisation only if it appears under that specialisation in the year the course is offered.
- If a course (for example, LAWS8123) is not listed under the International Law Specialisation in 2025, it cannot count towards that specialisation.
- If the same course (LAWS8123) is later listed in the International Law Specialisation in 2026 (for example, following changes to the course content or learning outcomes), it can count towards the specialisation for students taking it in 2026.
Course lists for each specialisation are updated annually and are published on the Programs and Courses website under the Study tab for that specialisation. Before enrolling, always check the current year’s list to confirm whether a course counts towards your chosen specialisation.
Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Flexible Double Degree – Law (Honours)
Students studying a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) or a Flexible Double Degree – Law (Honours) have the opportunity to work towards attaining the following specialisations:
Corporate and Commercial Law Specialisation
This specialisation will provide students with an insight into the increasingly complex global and domestic commercial environment in which individuals and corporations operate. The courses in this specialisation focus on the governance and regulation of business and the legal issues that arise in commercial trading and transactions.
This specialisation gives students the skills necessary in corporate and commercial law to prepare them for a career in private practice, the private sector or within regulatory agencies or government.
International and Comparative Law Specialisation
Developing skills in international and comparative law equips students for modern global and transnational legal practice. International law and institutions have an ever increasing relevance to domestic policy and legal issues. Comparative law provides students with the skills to understand foreign legal systems and the approach taken to resolving legal issues in other countries.
This specialisation will give students the skills necessary to navigate international and foreign legal system, particularly in the Asia-pacific region, with the opportunity to focus on areas of particular interest through a wide array of elective courses. It is highly flexible, allowing you to choose courses that suit your interests or that extend your knowledge in new directions. Whether you want to work in private practice, an NGO, within government or are looking to expand your legal knowledge, this specialisation provides the necessary skills and knowledge.
Law Reform, Environmental and Social Justice Specialisation
Law reform and social justice is a central ethos in the ANU College of Law, Governance and Policy. Building on the College's extra-curricular Law Reform and Social Justice Program, this specialisation gives students the skills to explore and interrogate the complex role of law in society, and the part that lawyers play in promoting both change and stability.
Courses in this specialisation gives students the skills to evaluate current legal regulation of complex social issues, assess the relevant considerations in planning law reform and the necessary skills in executing reform. The diverse range of courses allow students to develop values of social justice and develop the skills necessary to achieve social justice goals.
Public Law Specialisation
Studying Public Law involves students in examining both the process and product of government regulation and the underlying legal structures upon which government is built.
This specialisation combines comparative and multi-disciplinary perspectives in examining the design, implementation and effectiveness of regulation in Australia. The specialisation gives students the skills to develop a strong understanding of the modern regulatory state and the laws that govern its operation.
This specialisation allows students to choose courses that provide skills particularly suited for careers within government, regulatory agencies or private practice in public law.
Master of Laws
Students studying a Master of Laws have the opportunity to work towards attaining the following specialisations:
International Law Specialisation
International law regulates the relations between States and with other actors at the international level and can affect society in a variety of ways, both internationally and at the domestic level. It helps us to explain and analyse interactions in the international community and their impact within national societies.
This specialisation is highly flexible, allowing students to choose courses that are compatible with their current profession or that extends knowledge in new directions. Whether working in private practice, an NGO, within government or are looking to expand on legal knowledge for a future career – this program offers diversity, flexibility and knowledge suitable for a wide range of students.
Law Research Specialisation
The Research Specialisation is part of a broader initiative to make high-quality research training available to postgraduate law students. Postgraduate law degrees equip students for a range of legally related careers. Graduates may wish to pursue post-degree employment in research. The Research Specialisation provides advanced training in legal research methodologies and legal writing and allows students to plan and execute in-depth research projects. It will attract high-quality candidates who are drawn to ANU by our programs that train students to be researchers after graduation.
Private Commercial Law Specialisation
This specialisation will provide students with an insight into the increasingly complex global and domestic commercial environment in which individuals and corporations operate. The courses in this specialisation focus on the governance and regulation of business and the legal issues that arise in commercial trading and transactions.
This specialisation gives students the skills necessary in corporate and commercial law to prepare them for a career in private practice, the private sector or within regulatory agencies or government.
Public Law Specialisation
Studying Public Law involves students in examining both the process and product of government regulation and the underlying legal structures upon which government is built.
This specialisation combines comparative and multi-disciplinary perspectives in examining the design, implementation and effectiveness of regulation in Australia. The specialisation gives students the skills to develop a strong understanding of the modern regulatory state and the laws that govern its operation.
This specialisation allows students to choose courses that provide skills particularly suited for careers within government, regulatory agencies or private practice in public law.
Juris Doctor
Students studying a Juris Doctor have the opportunity to work towards attaining a specialisation from the completion of 24 units of study from the appropriate 4000 level courses and/or from the completion of 24 units of study from the appropriate 8000 level courses. This means that Juris Doctor students can elect an undergraduate specialisation and/or a postgraduate specialisation; provided the requirements are met.
Undergraduate Specialisations
Corporate and Commercial Law Specialisation
This specialisation will provide students with an insight into the increasingly complex global and domestic commercial environment in which individuals and corporations operate. The courses in this specialisation focus on the governance and regulation of business and the legal issues that arise in commercial trading and transactions.
This specialisation gives students the skills necessary in corporate and commercial law to prepare them for a career in private practice, the private sector or within regulatory agencies or government.
International and Comparative Law Specialisation
Developing skills in international and comparative law equips students for modern global and transnational legal practice. International law and institutions have an ever increasing relevance to domestic policy and legal issues. Comparative law provides students with the skills to understand foreign legal systems and the approach taken to resolving legal issues in other countries.
This specialisation will give students the skills necessary to navigate international and foreign legal system, particularly in the Asia-pacific region, with the opportunity to focus on areas of particular interest through a wide array of elective courses. It is highly flexible, allowing you to choose courses that suit your interests or that extend your knowledge in new directions. Whether you want to work in private practice, an NGO, within government or are looking to expand your legal knowledge, this specialisation provides the necessary skills and knowledge.
Law Reform, Environmental and Social Justice Specialisation
Law reform and social justice is a central ethos in the ANU College of Law. Building on the College's extra-curricular Law Reform and Social Justice Program, this specialisation gives students the skills to explore and interrogate the complex role of law in society, and the part that lawyers play in promoting both change and stability.
Courses in this specialisation gives students the skills to evaluate current legal regulation of complex social issues, assess the relevant considerations in planning law reform and the necessary skills in executing reform. The diverse range of courses allow students to develop values of social justice and develop the skills necessary to achieve social justice goals.
Public Law Specialisation
Studying Public Law involves students in examining both the process and product of government regulation and the underlying legal structures upon which government is built.
This specialisation combines comparative and multi-disciplinary perspectives in examining the design, implementation and effectiveness of regulation in Australia. The specialisation gives students the skills to develop a strong understanding of the modern regulatory state and the laws that govern its operation.
This specialisation allows students to choose courses that provide skills particularly suited for careers within government, regulatory agencies or private practice in public law.
Postgraduate Specialisations
International Law Specialisation
International law regulates the relations between States and with other actors at the international level and can affect society in a variety of ways, both internationally and at the domestic level. It helps us to explain and analyse interactions in the international community and their impact within national societies. This specialisation is highly flexible, allowing students to choose courses that are compatible with their current profession or that extends knowledge in new directions. Whether working in private practice, an NGO, within government or are looking to expand on legal knowledge for a future career – this program offers diversity, flexibility and knowledge suitable for a wide range of students.
Law Research Specialisation
The Research Specialisation is part of a broader initiative to make high-quality research training available to postgraduate law students. Postgraduate law degrees equip students for a range of legally related careers. Graduates may wish to pursue post-degree employment in research. The Research Specialisation provides advanced training in legal research methodologies and legal writing and allows students to plan and execute in-depth research projects. It will attract high-quality candidates who are drawn to ANU by our programs that train students to be researchers after graduation.
Private Commercial Law Specialisation
This specialisation will provide students with an insight into the increasingly complex global and domestic commercial environment in which individuals and corporations operate. The courses in this specialisation focus on the governance and regulation of business and the legal issues that arise in commercial trading and transactions.
This specialisation gives students the skills necessary in corporate and commercial law to prepare them for a career in private practice, the private sector or within regulatory agencies or government.
Public Law Specialisation
Studying Public Law involves students in examining both the process and product of government regulation and the underlying legal structures upon which government is built.
This specialisation combines comparative and multi-disciplinary perspectives in examining the design, implementation and effectiveness of regulation in Australia. The specialisation gives students the skills to develop a strong understanding of the modern regulatory state and the laws that govern its operation.
This specialisation allows students to choose courses that provide skills particularly suited for careers within government, regulatory agencies or private practice in public law.
On the Programs and Courses website, via the links in the list above, there is a list of courses under the study tab that can be taken to build each specialisation. Some courses can be counted towards more than one specialisation, provided they are listed on the Study Tab under the relevant specialisation. If students wish to request that a course be counted towards a specialisation that is not on the list; they will need to complete the application form below outlining the course of study chosen and how it satisfies the requirements of the specialisation learning outcomes. This could be an internship that has a focus on one of the areas of specialisation or a course studied at another institution; either in Australia or offshore. This will then be determined by the appropriate delegated authority and students will be advised of the outcome. Please be advised that a maximum of 12 units only can come from non-ANU Law School courses.
Students are responsible for registering their specialisations themselves, before they are due to graduate.
Application to add a course that is not already listed under the relevant specialisation/s.
Before completing the application form, please ensure you have the following details about each course. Incomplete applications will not be progressed.
- Name of Course
- Course Code
- The year the course was completed
- A statement attesting to how the specialisation/s learning outcomes have been satisfied
- Any specific assessment tasks that individually meet the learning outcomes of the specialisation/s
Enquiries
Student Hub
+61 2 6125 3339