Bachelor of Laws
Study a Bachelor of Laws degree in one of the best law schools in New Zealand. Look deeper to find out why laws are made, who made them, how they work and how to change them.
From 2023, all four years of the Bachelor of Laws degree can be studied in Tauranga.
Students in Tauranga can also opt to study a two-year Diploma in Law, and have it credited to the first two years of a Bachelor of Laws degree.
480 points, 4 years
Hamilton, Tauranga
Papers offered differ by location. Find a Paper for full location info.
Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)
Why study the Bachelor of Laws?
Assessed by Lawyers & Judges
Lawyers and judges will be involved in teaching and assessing your law assignments and will provide you with valuable feedback. This sort of contact with the profession will stand you in good stead when you come to apply for a full-time job.
Practical experience
At Waikato, you’ll get to practice skills you need to succeed in the profession – whether it’s interviewing a client, making a case in court, negotiating a settlement for a client, or drafting a required contract to perfect a merger.
You’ll analyse how law operates in local, national and global contexts and learn to consider the business practices of financial markets, corporations, national and local government, trusts and iwi.
Internships
There are plenty of opportunities for you to apply your practical experience to real-life problems. From your second year onward in the law degree, you’ll have the opportunity to gain work experience at the Hamilton District Community Law Centre, Police Prosecution Office, Defence Office, several city and regional councils, law firms and other organisations. You’ll also be eligible for the National Summer Clerking Employment Programme.
Career Opportunities
- Barrister - LLB
- Board Member for Iwi or other organisations
- Business Owner
- Human Resource personnel
- Judge - LLB
- Mediator and/or Negotiator
- Policy Analyst or Advisor
- Politician
- Solicitor - LLB
480 points, 4 years
Hamilton, Tauranga
Papers offered differ by location. Find a Paper for full location info.
Trimester A (March) and Trimester B (July)
Degree information
Select a tile for more information. As an international student studying at undergraduate level, you are required to meet English language and academic entry requirements.
View Entry requirements for undergraduate international students.
Estimated fees
$38,252 per year
International tuition fees
Approximate annual tuition fees and costs for international students enrolled in one year of full-time study.
International tuition costsScholarships
Visit our Scholarship finder for more information about possible scholarships.
Scholarships Finder
Relevant as of 01 February 2025.
All amounts are in New Zealand Dollars (NZD). Tuition fees shown are indicative only and may change. There are additional fees and charges related to enrolment. Please see the Table of Fees and Charges for more information. You will be sent an enrolment agreement which will confirm your fees.
Direct entry
Our students do not require a special invitation to progress into 2nd year of their law degree. Our selection process takes place at the application stage. If you are accepted into the Bachelor of Laws degree and you obtain the required passing grades each year, you'll gain automatic entry into the following years until the time you graduate.
New, multi-million dollar building
In 2016 the Faculty of Law moved into the new multi-million dollar building. The new facilities were purpose-built to meet the needs of our students. Our state-of-the-art Moot Court will enable you to record your practicing mooting or negotiation for self-review and assessment.
Taught by New Zealand’s leading legal advisors
The Bachelor of Laws degree is taught by some of New Zealand’s leading scholars, who advise governments, businesses and non-governmental organisations.
The classes are small and are typically offered in seminar-style discussions. We have an open door policy, so you will have plenty of opportunities to talk to our staff. Find out more about our lecturers' areas of expertise.
Individualised, ongoing support
The Faculty's five dynamic law student associations: Pacific Law Student Association, Te Whakahiapo (Māori Student Association), Waikato University Law Student Association, Women in Law Association and the Asian Law Students Association play an important role of fostering great collegial relationships between students and offer plenty of social and learning opportunities.
Our Mentoring Programme will provide extra support. Our Mentors are law students in their senior years of study. They will provide guidance in your studies, help you to navigate through the transition period from school or previous employment to university study as well as advise you on other services and opportunities available to you on campus.
Helpful administrative staff are also able to provide you with personalised advice on study options and assist you with your degree planning. Make a booking to talk to our staff or if you have questions about how to apply.
Accredited by the Arbitrators' and Mediators' Institute of New Zealand
Waikato's Faculty of Law is accredited by the Arbitrators’ and Meditators’ Institute of New Zealand. This means that you will automatically become a member of this professional organisation and can specialise to practice in this growing area of law.
Practicing Law in New Zealand
The Waikato Bachelor of Laws degree is approved by the New Zealand Council of Legal Education (NZCLE). So, after graduating with your degree, you’ll be eligible to complete the Professional Legal Studies (PLS) course to be admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor to practice law in New Zealand. The Professional Legal Studies course can be completed at the Institute of Legal Studies (IPLS) or the College of Law New Zealand.
Find out more about what is required to become a New Zealand lawyer.
Personalise your law degree with a second major
The Bachelor of Laws degree requires you to choose law as a major subject. However, you can choose to take a second major in almost any other undergraduate subject offered at the University of Waikato, such as Computer Science or Human Resource Management. Talk to our friendly student advisors to tailor your law degree to your interests.
You can study a broad range of optional law papers including:
- Advocacy
- Competition law
- Corporate securities and finance
- Employment law
- Environmental law
- Family law
- Human rights
- Intellectual property
- International trade
- Law and information technology
- Māori land law
- Mediation
- Natural resources law
- Public international law
- The Treaty of Waitangi in contemporary Aotearoa / New Zealand
View the full list of optional law papers.
Study a law degree in Tauranga
From 2023, all four years of the Bachelor of Laws can be studied at our Tauranga campus.
Bachelor of Laws with Honours
If you obtain a B+ average grade for all your papers in your law degree, you may have the opportunity to study for the honours degree. The selection for this programme takes place at the end of second-year law.
Graduate study options
If you have already gained a Bachelor degree in a subject other than law, you may be interested in our Graduate Diploma in Dispute Resolution (GradDipDr).
Master of Laws
Master of Laws in Māori/Pacific and Indigenous Peoples' Law
Master of Philosophy
Doctor of Juridical Science
Doctor of Laws
Exchange programme and study abroad
Are you keen to study in another country?
Studying law in a foreign jurisdiction is not only valuable on its own merit but it also enables you to re-examine the foundations of the New Zealand legal system through a comparative lens.
In your fourth year of study, you'll have the opportunity to spend one semester of study towards your degree at one of our many partner law schools in Europe, North America or Asia.
To be eligible you must complete your third year in Law and have a sound academic record. For more information, contact the Law Student Administrators.
In addition to law exchange programme, if you’re studying for a conjoint degree, you may be able to participate in the University of Waikato exchange programme. From second year onward you may study some non-law papers overseas. Find out more.
Law Degree Regulations
What our law degree students are saying
While it’s important to get good grades, it’s equally important to take part in extra-curricular activities that will highlight your unique strengths to employers.Bradley SamBachelor of Laws
