The Master of Law, Media and Journalism is a joint program of Faculty of Law and the Journalism Media Research Centre in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

The Master of Law, Media and Journalism is a specialist degree intended for individuals with an interest in the developing relationship between media and law. It is open to students from a media background, law background, or who have previously undertaken a Bachelors degree but have no prior experience in either media or law.

As new media moves towards becoming the dominant form of mass communication, it is important for individuals from a range of backgrounds - law, government, business, journalism, corporate communications - to understand how best to use these emergent platforms and the legal rights and responsibilities that accompany such usage. In terms of the law, established doctrines including defamation and privacy are being used in new ways to cope with the regulatory impact of this increased reliance on the digital sphere. With the Australian Government committed to increasing engagement with social media and a growing number of brands appearing on Facebook and Twitter, it is important for individuals at all levels of business and government to have a solid grasp of how to most effectively use these new platforms and understand the accompanying legal boundaries.

The interdisciplinary focus of the degree equips students with a theoretical focus and practical skills. Students will have the opportunity to learn how to communicate via a series of media, whether in print, broadcasting or online. In turn, students will supplement these practical skills by developing an understanding of the regulatory context in which those skills can be used. The program is structured to allow students to undertake courses according to their interest or employment and thus a student may elect to focus on the practical skills required for broadcasting media and the regulation surrounding that platform, or solely on digital media and the privacy, defamation and online content regulation issues that accompany that area. Students may also elect to do additional law electives that will enhance their understanding of a particular area of law and allow them to reflect on that area in the context of the overall degree.

The objectives of the Master of Law, Media and Journalism (MLMJ) are as follows:

Candidates for the MLMJ must undertake 48 uoc to complete the program. 24 uoc must be obtained in Media & Journalism (MDIA) and 24 uoc must be obtained in Law (LAWS).

The degree of Master of Law, Media and Journalism may be awarded by the Council to a candidate who has satisfactorily completed a program of advanced study.

1) A candidate for the degree shall have been awarded an appropriate Bachelor degree from UNSW Australia or a qualification considered equivalent from another university or tertiary institution with a minimum of credit average, or

(2) A candidate for the degree shall have been awarded an appropriate Bachelor degree from UNSW Australia or a qualification considered equivalent from another university or tertiary institution with a minimum of two years' relevant professional experience.

At the discretion of the Faculty of Law, advanced standing may be granted for approved postgraduate courses up to 12 uoc (2 courses) for the Law component. An additional 12 uoc (2 courses) may be granted for the Journalism and Media component.

1. An application to enrol as a candidate for the degree shall be lodged online on the UNSW website, by the advertised due date.

2. No candidate shall be awarded the degree until the lapse of two academic semesters from the date of enrolment in the case of a full-time candidate or three semesters in the case of a part-time candidate. The maximum period of candidature shall be three academic semesters from the date of enrolment for a full-time candidate and six semesters for a part-time candidate. In special cases an extension of these times may be granted by the Committee.

For information regarding fees for UNSW programs, please refer to the following website:  UNSW Fee Website.

Candidates for the MLMJ must complete 48 uoc for the MLMJ degree. 24 uoc must be obtained in Media & Journalism (MDIA) and 24 uoc must be obtained in Law (LAWS).
The following two core compulsory courses (total 12uoc) must be completed before, or be taken concurrently with, non-core courses:

MDIA5000 Understanding Contemporary Media (6 uoc)
LAWS8249 Legal Concepts, Research and Writing for Media Law (6 uoc).

Note:
1. Candidates with completed Bachelor of Media are not required to undertake MDIA5000 and can take another MDIA elective in lieu of the exemption.
2. Candidates may be exempted from either one or both of the core courses by application to Alexandra George, MLMJ Program Director, (a.george@unsw.edu.au). Exemptions may be granted on the basis of prior tertiary study, previous work experience, or a combination of both.
3.All Students in the program must take a minimum of 2 of the elective courses with LAWS prefix from the Research-Based Course List as specified below. The requirement to take two courses from the Research-Based Course list can, in the alternative, be satisfied if the student takes the single course LAWS8423 Research Thesis, 12,000 words.

Research-Based Course List:

The Enrolment Guide for the Master of Law, Media and Journalism (MLMJ) can be found on the UNSW Law Enrolment website.

Entry to the program may occur in either Semester 1 or Semester 2.

Please Note:

1) MLMJ students have the option to enrol in either LAWS8423 Research Thesis (6 UOC) or MDIA5008 Media Project (12 UOC) but not both.

2) Not all electives will be offered every year.

3) For any request to undertake a LAWS or MDIA elective not on the above list, please contact the Law, Media & Journalism Program Director.