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Overview

Programme Overview

Students who have completed LLB Parts I and II of the LLB programme and have a weighted law GPA (LawHons GPA) of 6.00 (B+) and above are eligible to apply and be admitted into the LLB(Hons) programme.

Students who have graduated with the LLB degree cannot be admitted into LLB(Hons).

Students complete the LLB (Hons) requirements concurrently with their LLB, which is different to Honours offerings in other University Programmes.

The LLB(Hons) programme includes a full-year 20-point Honours Seminar Course and a 40-point Dissertation in addition to the LLB degree requirements. This is an extra semester of study.

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 Careers

Potential Careers

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

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

Student career planning services

Once you become a student at the University, you can get help with planning and developing your career from Career Development and Employability Services.

Key Information for Students

Key Information for Students

Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.

Entry Requirements, Fees and Dates

Programme Entry Requirements

Overseas qualifications

If your highest qualification was gained outside New Zealand, view our international entry requirements


New Zealand qualifications

To be considered for selection into LLB(Hons), you need to have:

• Completed all LLB Part I to III courses

AND

• Have a minimum LawHons GPA of 6.00

Entry into LLB(Hons) will be calculated on the basis of your weighted law GPA (LawHons GPA). Students with a minimum LawHons GPA of 6.00 (B+) are eligible to be admitted into the LLB(Hons) programme.

Transfer students will only be eligible to apply for LLB(Hons) upon completion of LAW 141 with the minimum grade requirement of C+, LAW 298 alongside LLB Part II courses and any outstanding non-law courses.

Find more information on applying for law transfer from another university, and LLB(Hons) Entry Requirements.

Please note: Entry requirements may change each year.

Delayed Admission into LLB(Hons)

Students who do not accept their offer of place or are not admitted into LLB(Hons) after the completion of their LLB part II courses and subsequently meet the minimum LawHons GPA of 6.00 are welcome to reapply for LLB(Hons).

Find more information on how the LawHons GPA is calculated .

Find a Supervisor

Depending on the type of programme you are pursuing, you may have the opportunity to complete a unique research project. To find out more about the research carried out at the University of Auckland and to identify potential supervisors, check out our researcher profiles.

Other Pathways to Study

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

Fees and scholarships

Fees

Fees Disclaimer

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. Fees will be confirmed upon completion of enrolment into courses. For more information, please see Fees and Money Matters.

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

Scholarships

Scholarships and awards

Find out about the scholarships you may be eligible for.

Loans and Allowances

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

Cost of living

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

Additional Information on Student Fees

Discover the wide range of scholarships available at Auckland Law School for domestic and international students. 

Key Dates

Application Advice

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.

Key Dates

SemesterApplication Closing DateSemester Start DateSemester End Date
2026 Semester One01 December 202502 March 202629 June 2026
2027 Semester One01 March 202728 June 2027

Other Important Dates

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

Additional Information on Key Dates

Please note you can only start Honours in Semester One.


Indicative Honours programme entry timeline

• Students apply for LLB(Hons) on SSO: by 1 October

• Final closing date for LLB(Hons) Applications: 1 December – no applications will be accepted after this date.

• Honours Selection Committee meet to determine entry requirements: mid-December

• LLB(Hons) offers sent to eligible applicants: by end of December

• Enrolments open for Honours Seminar – seminars are allocated on a first come first served basis: by end of December

• Deadline for students to accept LLB(Hons) offer: 15 January

• Deadline for students to enrol into Honours Seminar: second Friday of Semester One

Regulations

Preamble

The regulations for this degree are to be read in conjunction with all other relevant statutes and regulations including the Academic Statutes and Regulations.

Admission

1 a No student on whom the Degree of Bachelor of Laws has already been conferred may enrol for this degree.

b At the discretion of the Dean of Faculty of Law, a student who has completed Parts I to III for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws may be permitted to enrol for this degree.

c Where the Faculty of Law approves enrolment for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) the courses previously passed for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws will be reassigned to the Degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours).

Duration and Total Points Value

2 A student enrolled for this degree must pass courses with a total value of 480 points, unless credit is granted under the Admission Regulations and/or the Credit Regulations.

Structure and Content

3 Of the 480 points required for this degree, a student must pass:

a 360 points: Parts I to III and LAW 498 from the Degree of Bachelor of Laws Schedule

and

b 120 points as listed in the Bachelor of Laws (Honours) Schedule.

4 All the provisions and requirements of the Degree of Bachelor of Laws apply also to a student enrolled for this degree, including the provisions concerning written work and practical requirements, courses in other faculties and research papers, and the General Education requirements.

5 A student admitted to this programme must complete the University of Auckland Academic Integrity course as specified in the Enrolment and Programme Regulations, Academic Integrity, of the University Calendar.


Conjoint Degrees

6 Special arrangements apply where this degree is taken as a component degree of an approved conjoint combination for which the specific requirements and a complete list of the conjoint degrees available are set out in the Conjoint Degrees section of the University Calendar.

Research Component

7 a The research project is to be carried out under the guidance of a supervisor appointed by Senate or its representative, on the recommendation of the Dean of Faculty of Law or nominee.

b The research project topic must be approved by the Dean of Faculty of Law or nominee prior to enrolment.

c The research project must be completed and submitted by the last day of semester in the semester of enrolment.

d In exceptional circumstances beyond the student’s control, Senate or its representative may approve a limited extension of time, not exceeding two months, for the completion of the dissertation. Where an extension of time is approved, students will be required to be enrolled and pay tuition fees at the rate of 10 points for each two-month period or part thereof. This will only apply when the student’s current enrolment period in the course has ended.

Distinction

8 This degree will be awarded only where a student’s work throughout the entire programme, inclusive of the courses required for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws, is of a sufficiently high standard, as determined by the Faculty of Law. In assessing the standard of a student’s work in this programme, the courses taught by other faculties that are taken as part of Part I will not be taken into account.

9 A student whose work does not satisfy the standard specified in Regulation 8, or who at any time chooses to withdraw from Honours, may transfer from the Degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) to the Degree of Bachelor of Laws. In that case the courses already passed for, or credited to, the Degree of Bachelor of Laws (Honours) may be reassigned to the Degree of Bachelor of Laws.

Variations

10 In exceptional circumstances Senate or its representative may approve a personal programme which does not conform to these regulations.

11  The Associate Dean Academic may approve a variation to a student’s programme of study which does not conform to these regulations, including varying the points required for each part, where the programme has been affected by the transition to these regulations.

Regulation Commencement or Amendment

12 These regulations and/or schedule have been amended with effect from 1 January 2026.

Schedule

Programme Schedules

Complete 480 points comprising:

  • 120 points for LLB Part I, and
  • 135 points for all LLB Part II, and
  • 105 points for LLB Part III, and
  • 120 points for LLB (Honours), and
  • 1 item from Academic Integrity Course

LLB Part I

Complete 120 points comprising:

  • 45 points for all Compulsory Courses, and
  • Either:
  • 75 points from Elective Courses from Other Undergraduate Degree, or
  • 75 points for Elective Courses from Other Undergraduate Degree and General Education

Compulsory Courses

Complete 45 points for ALL of the following:

Elective Courses from Other Undergraduate Degree

Complete exactly 75 points from the following:

Selected courses must include exactly 60 points at level 100.

No credit will be given for courses matching the pattern LAW 1**, or LAW 1**G.

A student who is required to take 15 points from courses in General Education (other than LAW 121G) and who does not take these points in Part I, will need to fulfil this requirement concurrently with Parts II–IV. In this case the points will be additional to the requirements of Parts II–IV.

Elective Courses from Other Undergraduate Degree and General Education

Complete 75 points comprising:

  • 60 points from Elective Courses, and
  • 15 points from General Education Courses

Elective Courses

Complete exactly 60 points from the following:

Selected courses must include at least 60 points at level 100.

No credit will be given for courses matching the pattern LAW 1**, or LAW 1**G.

General Education Courses

Complete exactly 15 points from the following:

LLB Part II

Complete 135 points for ALL of the following:

LLB Part III

Complete 105 points comprising:

  • 45 points for all Stage III Compulsory Courses, and
  • 15 points for all Stage IV Compulsory Course, and
  • 45 points from Elective Courses

Stage III Compulsory Courses

Complete 45 points for ALL of the following:

Stage IV Compulsory Course

Complete 15 points for ALL of the following:

Elective Courses

Complete exactly 45 points from the following:

LLB (Honours)

Complete 120 points comprising:

  • 1 item from LAWHONS 786, and
  • 75 points from Electives, and
  • 15 points from LAWHONS Electives, and
  • 30 points for all Research Project

LAWHONS 786

Complete exactly 1 of the following:

Electives

Complete exactly 75 points from the following:

LAWHONS Electives

Complete exactly 15 points from the following:

Research Project

Complete 30 points for ALL of the following:

Academic Integrity Course

Complete exactly 1 of the following:

Graduate Profile and Programme Capabilities

Graduate Profile

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Programme Capabilities

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Programme Capabilities to Graduate Profile Map

Programme Learning OutcomesPeople and PlaceSustainabilityKnowledge and PracticeCritical ThinkingSolution-SeekingCommunicationCollaborationEthics and Professionalism