Bachelor of Fine Arts (Creative Writing)/Bachelor of Laws (Honours)

Name: Bachelor of Fine Arts (Creative Writing)/Bachelor of Laws (Honours)
Author: Queensland University of Technology

Highlights

Work creatively on writing novels, poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, memoir, and genre fiction. You'll work towards a year-long major piece of creative writing in a form and genre of your choice.
Learn about central ideas from literary theory and ways to think and write critically about texts.
Learn from highly experienced and published authors, scholars, and experts in creative writing.
Gain a strong foundation in contemporary law knowledge, understanding and experience.
Benefit from meaningful connections with high profile industry employers and classes with leading and internationally renowned law experts.
Develop specialised creative skills while meeting the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia.
Complete 2 degrees in 5.5 years full-time.

Highlights

Work creatively on writing novels, poetry, short stories, creative non-fiction, memoir, and genre fiction. You'll work towards a year-long major piece of creative writing in a form and genre of your choice.
Learn about central ideas from literary theory and ways to think and write critically about texts.
Learn from highly experienced and published authors, scholars, and experts in creative writing.
Gain a strong foundation in contemporary law knowledge, understanding and experience.
Benefit from meaningful connections with high profile industry employers and classes with leading and internationally renowned law experts.
Develop specialised creative skills while meeting the academic requirements for admission to legal practice in Australia.
Complete 2 degrees in 5.5 years full-time.

Make a
MID-YEAR RESOLUTION MID-YEAR RESOLUTION

Apply by 30 May
Start study in July

Gain practical skills and professional connections to thrive in your chosen career.

Ready to apply?

Apply now
Start study in July

Boost or change your career with a postgraduate degree.

Ready to apply?

Why choose this course?

This double degree prepares you to work as a professional creative writer, as a barrister or solicitor in private practice, or to practise with large companies, in government agencies, or as a policy adviser. Through the combination of creative writing with law, you will enhance your employability in your chosen field, whether in the legal fraternity or as a creative practitioner. You can advise on the legalities in the publishing or creative writing industries, or in relation to copyright or intellectual property law, or work as an editor of legal-related publications or in a position specialising in law in the publishing industry.

Immerse yourself in the creative writing major with up to 16 discipline units and gain in-depth knowledge in your specialisation. Your law degree component comprises nineteen core units and eight law elective units, which can include a third study area as a minor or electives from across QUT.

We offer the largest and most comprehensive undergraduate writing course in South-East Queensland with the broadest range of units on offer. We take a transdisciplinary approach from the outset, encouraging you as a specialist creative writer to work in teams with others who have different creative skill sets. You will graduate with advanced writing and communication competence—a rare skill keenly sought by employers.

You will be taught by highly experienced and published authors, scholars, and experts in creative writing.

Visits from other writers, editors and publishers will further help you gain a unique perspective on writing as a vocation and as a critical and creative practice. Writers, editors and publishers regularly provide guest lectures for the benefit of students, and you’ll have access to the industry and national writing communities.

Explore this course

What to expect Career outcomes Details and units Requirements Fees Scholarships

What to expect

Both creative writing and law require high-calibre, sophisticated communication. This double degree will strongly develop your writing skills which can be applied through your law studies and in future careers.

Areas of study include all the major areas of law and creative writing. In the creative writing component of the course, you will work intensively on your writing in a number of forms including novels, short stories, creative non-fiction, memoir, genre writing, and poetry. You will develop comprehensive editing skills as well as self-editing skills. You will learn about and engage with local writing contexts, as well as enter contemporary debates around ideas that illuminate and challenge what people write and how they write it. You will learn to think and write critically about texts. You will learn how to engage readers through emotional story telling. You will progress towards a major piece of creative writing in a form and genre of your choice at the end of your degree.

In the law component, there is a practical focus which, when combined with creative writing study, will equip you for a broad range of careers, including legal practice.

Career outcomes

Your law degree will provide additional career opportunities, and legal skills you can apply in your creative industries career. Alternatively your writing skills will complement your legal studies, should you choose to pursue a career as a lawyer. Your degrees in law and creative writing will prove invaluable in legal careers within publishing, intellectual property or policy development, or in writing careers focusing on legal issues such as crime writing, or case reporting.

Graduates can work as writers and editors in legal, community and freelance capacities.

Professional recognition

This course is approved by the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board. If you want to become a lawyer at the end of your degree, you will need to complete further practical legal training (PLT) before you can apply for admission to practice. We offer PLT in the form of the Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice.

The Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, provides the knowledge, skills, understanding and values required to become a competent entry-level legal practitioner. The course is available in full-time, internal mode and part-time, online mode. The course complies with the Law Admissions Consultative Council's Competency Standards for entry-level lawyers and is approved by the Queensland Legal Practitioners Admissions Board.

Possible careers

Academic
Art Writer
Barrister
Copywriter
Creative Writer
Crown Law Officer
Government Officer
In-House Lawyer
Information Officer
Lawyer
Organisational Communication Specialist
Policy analyst

Requirements

OP 6

Rank 89

These thresholds are the lowest adjusted scores to which QUT made an offer in Semester 1, 2019.

Don't have an OP or rank?

Find out other ways you can apply

Starting uni in 2021?

There are some changes to subjects and the qualifications we’ll consider for entry to QUT from 2021 and beyond. Make sure you’re prepared to apply.

Find out how these changes might affect you

Course code: IX85

QTAC code: 409472

CRICOS code: 083024E

Campus

Gardens Point
Kelvin Grove

Campus

Gardens Point
Kelvin Grove

Duration: 5.5 years full-time

Duration: 5.5 years full-time

Entry: February and July

Entry: February and July

OP Guarantee: Yes

Deferment: You can defer your offer and postpone the start of your course for one year.

Assumed knowledge

Before you start this course we assume you have sound knowledge in these areas:

English

We assume that you have knowledge equivalent to four semesters at high school level (Years 11 and 12) with sound achievement (4, SA).

More about assumed knowledge

Guaranteed entry

If you receive an adjusted OP 1-5 (or equivalent selection rank), you are guaranteed an offer for this course.

Advanced standing

If you have prior studies or work experience, you may be eligible for advanced standing (credit). You can apply for advanced standing once you've been accepted to QUT. If you're in your first semester of study, you must apply for advanced standing within 10 days of receiving your offer.

More about advanced standing

Deferment

You can defer your offer and postpone the start of your course for one year.

More about deferring your offer

Adjustments to your selection rank

Any adjustments you receive to your selection rank (or OP equivalent) will be applied to this course.

Find out if you’re eligible for an adjustment to your selection rank

Offers we made to school leavers in Semester 1, 2018

The scores listed in the tables below reflect the offers that were made to recent school leavers. If you are not a school leaver, take a look at the entry thresholds box at the top of this page to see the lowest adjusted scores required overall to receive an offer.

	Excluding adjustments		Including adjustments
	OP	Selection rank	OP	Selection rank
Highest OP/selection rank to receive an offer	OP 1	Selection rank 99	OP 1	Selection rank 99
Median OP/selection rank to receive an offer	OP 4	Selection rank 93	OP 4	Selection rank 93
Lowest OP/selection rank to receive an offer	OP 7	Selection rank 86	OP 6	Selection rank 89

You can find out more about your fellow students’ backgrounds with this course’s student profile.

Other admission options

If you are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent, you may be eligible for admission through our Centralised Assessment Selection Process (CASP).

Minimum academic requirements

Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide to the grades you need to apply for this course.

If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.

I completed secondary school in Australia

Guide to entry thresholds

These thresholds are the lowest adjusted scores to which QUT made an offer in Semester 1, 2019.

OP: 6

Rank: 89

Did you get an OP 1-5?

If you completed secondary school in Australia and received an OP 1-5 or equivalent, and you meet the course prerequisites, you are guaranteed an offer for this course in the January offer round

Minimum English language requirements

Select the country where you completed your studies to see a guide on meeting QUT’s English language requirements.

Your scores and prior qualifications in English-speaking countries are considered. Approved English-speaking countries are Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore, South Africa, United States of America and Wales.

If your country or qualification is not listed, you can still apply for this course and we will assess your eligibility.

We accept English language proficiency scores from the following tests.

English Test	Overall	Listening	Reading	Writing	Speaking
Cambridge Advanced English Score Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT. You must provide your Cambridge English Candidate ID and Candidate Secret Number, these are printed on your Cambridge English Confirmation of Entry.	176	169	169	169	169
IELTS Academic Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT.	6.5	6	6	6	6
Pearson PTE (Academic) Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT. Please assign your test to QUT in your Pearson profile.	58	50	50	50	50
TOEFL iBT Test must be taken within 2 years of commencement at QUT.	79	16	16	21	18