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Apply by 1 Dec 2024 to start 7 Jul 2025
Meet your specific study needs
The GDipLaw is a flexible 120-point qualification that you can adapt to meet your own study goals. It is an excellent choice for tertiary graduates from related disciplines, for legal professionals, or for international lawyers who are seeking a New Zealand qualification for legal accreditation.
Non-law graduates
If you don’t have a background in law but need some legal knowledge for your work, the GDipLaw gives you the flexibility to focus on specific legal areas and build a framework for understanding legal processes.
New Zealand lawyers
If you’re a practising legal professional in New Zealand, the GDipLaw gives you the opportunity to explore specialised subjects or refresh your existing knowledge in a field.Overseas lawyers
If you’re a qualified legal practitioner from overseas who wants to practise law in New Zealand, the GDipLaw can help you to meet the accreditation requirements of the New Zealand Council of Legal Education (NZCLE).If this is your goal, you need to provide an NZCLE assessment when you enrol for the GDipLaw. Our Student Success team can help you with individual enrolment advice. For more information on the NZCLE requirements and how you can get your overseas qualification assessed, see the NZCLE website.
Limited entry for 200- and 300-level courses
Almost all Law courses have limited entry—that is, they have a limit on the number of students they can accept. You need to apply by 1 December for all 200- and 300-level Law courses you wish to study in Trimester 1 or Trimester 2.
Late enrolments
We may still accept your course enrolments after the application deadline. But capacity is limited and preference will be given to people who have applied on time. In your course enrolment application, you can provide alternatives to your first-choice courses.If you have applied for this programme after 1 December and would like to know more about our course enrolment processes, get in touch with our Student Success team.
Focus on an area of interest
Within the 120-point GDipLaw, you can take almost any of our 200- to 500-level LAWS courses—the only exceptions are the thesis course (LAWS 591) and the dissertation course (LAWS 592). At least 75 points must be at 300-level or above.
Choose from courses covering a wide range of contemporary topics in New Zealand law. Here is a sample of some of the courses you could take:
- LAWS 213—Public Law (30 points)
- LAWS 214—Criminal Law (30 points)
- LAWS 301—Property Law (30 points)
- LAWS 307—Sentencing and Penal Policy (15 points)
- LAWS 312—Equity, Trusts and Succession (15 points)
- LAWS 313—Ngā Tikanga Ture Māori / Māori Law (15 points)
- LAWS 318—Resource Management Law (15 points)
- LAWS 342—International Environmental Law (15 points)
- LAWS 353—Intellectual Property (15 points)
- LAWS 385—Data Privacy (15 points)
- LAWS 438—Fraud and Corruption in an International Context (10 points)
- LAWS 528—Contemporary Issues in Public International Law: Human Rights, Climate Change (40 points)
- LAWS 530—New Zealand and Australian Copyright and Designs Law (20 points)
- LAWS 532—Law and Technology (20 points)
- LAWS 535—Restorative Justice (20 points)
- LAWS 536—Trade Marks and Unfair Competition (20 points)
- LAWS 537—Patent Law (20 points)
- LAWS 547—Financial Markets Regulation (20 points).
Why Wellington
Our Faculty of Law sits in the heart of the capital city, surrounded by the courts, Parliament, and government agencies. If you’re interested in law and policy, Wellington is the ideal place to engage with topical issues, gain expertise in a specific field, or upskill to enhance your employment prospects.
Workload and duration
Depending on your choice of courses, you can complete the GDipLaw in two consecutive trimesters of full-time study. Expect a workload of 40 to 45 hours a week if you’re studying full time.
Domestic part-time students taking two courses per trimester will need to do around 20 to 23 hours of work a week. If you’re studying part time, you’ll need to complete the GDipLaw within three years.
You can estimate your workload by adding up the number of points you’ll be doing. One point is roughly equal to 10 to 12 hours of work.
Support for students
Victoria University of Wellington is a welcoming place with great student support. There are all sorts of resources and support available to help you make the best of your time at university.
All students can join VUWSA—your student representative organisation on campus. VUWSA assigns a postgraduate executive to help meet the needs of postgraduate students.
Scholarships
While there are no specific scholarships for GDipLaw students, you may qualify for one of many general scholarships the University offers.
Search our scholarships based on your level of study, subject area, and background.
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