Sydney Master of Laws
University of Sydney · Sydney Law School · Sydney, Australia- Full-time route
- Camperdown/Darlington and Sydney CBD
- February and August
Tuition, living, OSHC, SSAF, application and visa.
48 credit points
full-time
2027
band rules apply
international application
eligible Indian master's
What is Sydney Master of Laws?
Sydney Master of Laws is a 1 year, 48-credit-point postgraduate degree at Camperdown/Darlington and Sydney CBD. The official 2027 international rate is AUD 64,800 for 48 credit points, which projects to AUD 64,800 across the standard course. The complete tuition-and-living model reaches INR 67.57 lakh, with each AUD component itemised below.
The course concentrates on advanced legal analysis through a flexible selection of specialist law units. It is included as one official full-time master’s, with February 2027 planning based on the course page and Sydney’s documented international application dates rather than a rolled-forward assumption.
The Research Organization Registry record for Sydney identifies the awarding university independently. It isn’t documentation of course quality by itself, but it keeps this programme tied to the correct institution rather than a similarly named provider.
How much does Sydney Master of Laws cost for an Indian student?
The full planning total is AUD 98,546, about INR 67.57 lakh. It combines the 2027 course fee, Australia’s living-funds benchmark across 1 year, estimated single OSHC, SSAF, the international application fee and the current Student visa charge. It is a conservative first-pass budget for comparison.
| Item | INR | Local currency | When it is due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition, full programme | INR 44.43 lakh | AUD 64,800 | Charged by enrolled credit load; later rates can rise |
| Living plan, 1 year | INR 20.37 lakh | AUD 29,710 | Budgeted throughout study |
| Single-student OSHC estimate | INR 68,570 | AUD 1,000 | Before Confirmation of Enrolment |
| SSAF estimate | INR 26,468 | AUD 386 | Charged by study period, subject to the annual cap |
| International application fee | INR 10,285 | AUD 150 | At application |
| Student visa | INR 1.71 lakh | AUD 2,500 | At subclass 500 application |
| Full-programme planning total | INR 67.57 lakh | AUD 98,546 | Before flights and housing bond |
The AUD 29,710 annual living benchmark is already represented in the living row. It is the student's money, not an extra university fee. Converted at AUD 1 = INR 68.57, derived from ECB EUR reference rates dated 10 September 2026. Later-year tuition can rise; the insurer quote controls OSHC.
Tuition uses 1 blocks of 48 credit points at the published 2027 rate of AUD 64,800. Sydney can increase fees annually, so the later-year amount is a transparent planning projection rather than a fixed quote.
The living row extends the current AUD 29,710 Student visa financial-capacity benchmark across 1 year. Sydney rent can make real spending higher, especially for a student who chooses a private studio rather than shared housing.
OSHC is compulsory but varies with policy dates and family composition. The estimate is separated so the insurer quote on the offer can replace it without changing the tuition calculation.
Flights, rental bond, placement travel, equipment, exchange spreads and contingency remain outside the table because no single official amount applies to every applicant.
The planning total doesn’t include a flight or refundable rental bond, and it assumes no scholarship or paid work. Those omissions keep variable personal costs separate from the published and statutory amounts.
Can an Indian applicant meet Sydney Master of Laws entry rules?
Sydney publishes programme-specific academic entry routes for this exact degree. The evidence table below separates prior study, subject preparation and documents. English is IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each band. No GRE or GMAT requirement is published unless an alternative admission route explicitly names an approved test.
| Requirement | Published rule | What you do |
|---|---|---|
| Previous degree (India) | a Bachelor of Laws, Juris Doctor or equivalent legal qualification with at least a 65% credit average | Map the Indian award, grades and relevant units to the exact condition |
| Subject preparation (India) | Show readiness for Law options and Research and advanced options | Name relevant units, assessed work and marks |
| English (India) | IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each band | Meet the overall and every band minimum in a current accepted test |
| GRE or GMAT (India) | No rule documented | Do not use an optional score to replace academic documentation |
| Documents (India) | Complete academic records and certified translations where needed | Upload all term marksheets and the award or accepted provisional documentation |
Put every part of the admission rule beside the Indian degree, subject, mark or work record that answers it. This is more reliable than relying on a qualification title alone.
The academic file is strongest when previous units make selected specialist legal depth visible. A broad subject title needs a faithful syllabus description and its assessed mark.
Sydney can assess international qualifications individually and competitive entry can exceed the minimum. Complete documentation supports assessment but never guarantees an offer.
No aptitude test is listed as a substitute for missing prerequisites. Spend the effort on accurate transcripts, current English documentation and course-specific supporting documents.
Minimum eligibility isn’t an admission prediction. Course capacity, comparative academic merit and complete documentation still affect the decision after the stated threshold has been met.
The Sydney LLM is a 48-credit-point coursework degree lasting one year full-time, face to face, with teaching at Camperdown/Darlington and the Law School’s CBD premises at 133 Castlereagh Street. Part-time study exists, but this dossier concerns full-time. CRICOS is 006449G and the pathway code is MALAWLAW4000. The international guide lists February and August entry.
Documented international deadlines are 31 October in the year before a Term 1 start and 31 March in the commencing year for Term 2. Domestic deadlines are 31 January for Term 1 and 15 July for Term 2. Thus, documented international dates for 2027 are 31 October 2026 and 31 March 2027, unless replaced by a later course-page notice.
Sydney is 17th globally for Law in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. This is a discipline ranking, not a ranking of this LLM or an employment measure.
Three checks that can stop a Master of Laws application
A degree title is not a subject map
Prior study has to support the first-year academic load; broad Indian unit names are not self-explanatory and need marks plus faithful syllabus context.
Every English band remains binding
The published requirement is IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each band. A sufficient overall score cannot repair a band below the minimum.
The course-specific limitation is real
The published route has conditions beyond a degree title. For this course, academic fit must be shown before later work towards sustained legal analysis.
How should an Indian applicant apply for Sydney Master of Laws?
The correct application channel is Sydney’s international application route after checking this exact course and intake. The standard Semester 1 2027 international deadline is 31 October 2026 for international Semester 1 applications; a course-page deadline overrides the general calendar. That order leaves the financial and visa handovers visible.
The sequence begins with the exact international full-time course, prepare academic and English evidence, pay the application fee, clear offer conditions, arrange tuition and OSHC, receive the CoE, then apply for the Student visa.
| Step | Task | Allowance | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Audit academic fit | 14 days | Map the Indian degree and prerequisites to the course rule. |
| 02 | Complete English evidence | 90 days | Leave room for results and one retake. |
| 03 | Prepare documents | 21 days | Collect marksheets, award, passport and course-specific evidence. |
| 04 | Submit to Sydney | 1 day | Use the international online application and pay AUD 150. |
| 05 | Clear conditions and obtain CoE | 45 days | Accept the offer and pay the stated tuition and OSHC amounts. |
| 06 | Lodge the Student visa | 60 days | Use the CoE, funds, health cover and Genuine Student evidence. |
The allowances are preparation estimates, not University of Sydney processing promises; the published intake and closing date above remain the planning anchors.
For Master of Laws, decide the academic route before paying. A complete file should show the award, every marksheet, English evidence and any prerequisite syllabus the course needs.
Sydney’s general dates apply only when the course does not state another close. Semester 2 2027 has a standard 29 May 2027 international deadline, but availability must still be confirmed on the course page.
A submission six to eight weeks before the controlling deadline leaves a useful buffer. Assessment queries, English results, payments, the CoE and visa processing sit outside the final submission click.
After an offer, the written payment schedule and insurer quote control. Preserve enough cash for the visa fee and living funds rather than treating the first tuition payment as the whole pre-departure budget.
Sydney states its general timing rule directly.
“Generally, applications open two years before the semester start date. Closing dates are listed in the following table.”University of Sydney application dates
The exact course exception still controls where one is published.
If the official course page names a different date, limited intake or earlier close, use it instead of the standard university calendar.
What jobs can follow Sydney Master of Laws?
The curriculum can support legal practice development, policy, regulation, compliance and further legal research. The inspectable result is a specialist legal research and writing portfolio shaped by the chosen units; no exact-course employment rate or salary guarantee is published, so none is inferred.
| Measure | Figure | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Academic direction | Law options leading into Research and advanced options | Official Master of Laws course profile |
| Inspectable output | a specialist legal research and writing portfolio shaped by the chosen units | Course structure and assessed work |
| Role directions | legal practice development, policy, regulation, compliance and further legal research | Study Plan-linked directions, not a employment outcome promise |
| Guaranteed employment outcome | None documented | No audited exact-course guarantee located |
Role examples help with portfolio and job research. They do not show what every graduate obtains.
The strongest documentation is a specialist legal research and writing portfolio shaped by the chosen units. The brief, method, feedback and result should be retained so a recruiter can inspect what the degree title alone cannot show.
One coherent direction should point towards legal practice development, policy, regulation, compliance and further legal research. A scattered option list does not become more employable merely because it covers more topics.
An eligible Indian citizen completing a qualifying Australian master’s can receive a three-year Post-Higher Education Work visa under the Australia;India arrangement. The pathway creates temporary work time, not employment or permanent residence.
No salary is quoted because a general occupation average would not prove what a new international graduate from this exact course earns.
The Home Affairs post-study work rule can give an eligible Indian master’s graduate three years on the Post-Higher Education Work stream. It can’t guarantee employment, sponsorship or a later visa.
The official 2027 core data publishes an international tuition fee of A$64,800 for the full 48cp standard course load. It is still an indicative fee and can vary with enrolment choices; it does not include living costs.
To qualify, students complete 48cp from the Law postgraduate unit table, eight 6cp units, and at least one chosen unit must include a substantial 7,000;10,000-word long research essay as the capstone experience. The programme has no prescribed core sequence. The current handbook warns that not every listed unit runs every year and directs students to the annual Law School class timetable.
The course page says relevant Sydney Law School seminars and units can meet continuing professional development requirements for individual members of the Law Society of NSW or NSW Bar Association. That is CPD relevance for practitioners, not initial professional accreditation.
Who is Sydney Master of Laws for, and who should avoid it?
A good fit can prove the entry pathway, values the assessed research and advanced options and can finance AUD 98,546 without assumed paid work, with a cash reserve for variable costs. A poor fit relies on ranking, scholarship or migration instead of the course structure.
| Verdict | Your background | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Strong fit | Academically prepared student | Previous study already supports advanced legal analysis through a flexible selection of specialist law units. |
| Strong fit | Outcome-led student | The next step can use sustained legal analysis. |
| Needs evidence | Scholarship-dependent student | The 20% Sydney International Student Award is not automatic for every Indian student and should not be in the base budget. |
| Needs evidence | Funding at the limit | AUD 98,546 excludes flights, housing bond and contingency. |
| Do not shortlist | Student blocked by the limitation | The flexible 48-credit plan can lack a coherent specialism if units are chosen only by timetable. It also does not confer Australian admission to legal practice for an overseas lawyer. |
| Do not shortlist | Student needing a guaranteed job or migration result | No programme-level promise supports that assumption. |
A prepared entrant should recognise the foundation behind law options and still gain new depth from selected specialist legal depth. Needing the whole first block as remediation is a warning.
Later study develops sustained legal analysis. The final work has to serve the intended professional or research direction rather than becoming an unrelated graduation task.
The deciding comparison joins the INR 67.57 lakh plan to a visible academic and career use. The case should survive without part-time income, a scholarship, employment outcome or later permanent visa.
Admission requires a University of Sydney Bachelor of Laws or Juris Doctor with a credit average (65%), or an equivalent qualification. This is a post-qualification specialist law degree. It is not the Juris Doctor and the University does not present it as an initial qualifying pathway for a non-law graduate or as conferring admission to legal practice.
The 2027 core-data catalogue exposes the following 97 prospective units. This is the full future-year collection in the data, not a guarantee that each will be timetabled, and the 2027 handbook/class timetable is not yet documented:
Official role examples include solicitor, barrister, senior legal adviser, specialist/corporate counsel, compliance or regulatory affairs manager, policy adviser, government lawyer, legislative officer, international legal adviser, human-rights practitioner and governance/risk roles. Outcomes depend strongly on previous qualification, jurisdiction and professional experience. No exact-program employment rate, salary uplift, bar-admission outcome or employer list is substantiated for this cohort.
What does Sydney Master of Laws course structure contain?
The Master of Laws carries 48 credit points. The table names every coded unit in the current official structure sweep; students complete only the compulsory units and permitted choices required by their approved plan. The live handbook controls prerequisites and availability.
| Code | Component | Credit points | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| LAWS6008 | Takeovers and Reconstructions Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6011 | Administrative Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6030 | Corporate Taxation | 6 | |
| LAWS6032 | Crime Research and Policy | 6 | |
| LAWS6034 | Gender, Violence and the Criminal Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6039 | Discrimination in the Workplace | 6 | |
| LAWS6041 | Environmental Dispute Resolution | 6 | |
| LAWS6044 | Environmental Law and Policy | 6 | |
| LAWS6048 | Explaining Crime | 6 | |
| LAWS6052 | Government Regulation, Health Policy and Ethics | 6 | |
| LAWS6054 | Health Care and Professional Liability | 6 | |
| LAWS6058 | Information Rights in Health Care | 6 | |
| LAWS6059 | International Business Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6060 | International Commercial Arbitration | 6 | |
| LAWS6061 | International Environmental Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6062 | International Law; the Use of Armed Force | 6 | |
| LAWS6065 | Pollution, Corporate Liability and Governance | 6 | |
| LAWS6066 | Discretion in Criminal Justice | 6 | |
| LAWS6071 | Labour Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6096 | Work Health and Safety: Law and Policy | 6 | |
| LAWS6107 | Tax Litigation | 6 | |
| LAWS6118 | Taxation of Partnerships and Trusts | 6 | |
| LAWS6119 | The State and Global Governance | 6 | |
| LAWS6122 | Workplace Bargaining | 6 | |
| LAWS6123 | Transfer Pricing in International Tax | 6 | |
| LAWS6129 | Taxation of Offshore Operations | 6 | |
| LAWS6130 | Dispute Resolution in Australia | 6 | |
| LAWS6138 | International Financial Transactions: Law and Practice | 6 | |
| LAWS6140 | Corporate Social Responsibility: Theory and Policy | 6 | |
| LAWS6141 | Asia Pacific Environmental Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6147 | Independent Research Project | 6 | |
| LAWS6153 | Comparative Corporate Taxation | 6 | |
| LAWS6159 | Insolvency Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6161 | International Human Rights | 6 | |
| LAWS6165 | Biodiversity Law and Heritage Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6169 | Capital Gains Tax | 6 | |
| LAWS6177 | Tax Treaties | 6 | |
| LAWS6182 | Independent Research Project A | 6 | |
| LAWS6183 | Independent Research Project B | 6 | |
| LAWS6191 | Water Law and Climate Change | 6 | |
| LAWS6192 | Young People, Crime and the Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6193 | Criminal Justice: Prevention and Control | 6 | |
| LAWS6194 | Punishment | 6 | |
| LAWS6197 | Policing: Crime, Control and Security | 6 | |
| LAWS6198 | Refugee Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6209 | Australian International Taxation | 6 | |
| LAWS6214 | Goods and Services Tax Principles A | 6 | |
| LAWS6218 | International Humanitarian Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6222 | Corporate Governance | 6 | |
| LAWS6227 | Consumer Contracts and Product Defects | 6 | |
| LAWS6243 | International Law I | 6 | |
| LAWS6247 | Securities and Markets Regulation | 6 | |
| LAWS6251 | Legal Issues in Digital Trade | 6 | |
| LAWS6252 | Legal Reasoning and the Common Law System | 6 | |
| LAWS6264 | Compliance: Financial Services Industry | 6 | |
| LAWS6305 | Workplace Investigations | 6 | |
| LAWS6307 | Class Action Litigation in Australia | 6 | |
| LAWS6308 | Philosophy of Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6311 | Advanced Directors' Duties | 6 | |
| LAWS6314 | Coastal and Marine Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6318 | Corporate Innovation and Regulation | 6 | |
| LAWS6320 | Climate Justice and Disaster Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6327 | Crime and Media | 6 | |
| LAWS6328 | Contract Management | 6 | |
| LAWS6342 | Environmental Markets in Global Context | 6 | |
| LAWS6343 | International Law and Technology | 6 | |
| LAWS6352 | Mergers and Acquisitions in Asia | 6 | |
| LAWS6354 | Environmental Planning and Impact Assessment Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6362 | International Space Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6368 | Money Laundering: Law, Policy and Practice | 6 | |
| LAWS6810 | Fundamentals of Corporate Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6816 | Labour Law in the Global Economy | 6 | |
| LAWS6821 | Mediation; Skills and Theory | 6 | |
| LAWS6824 | Commercial Conflict of Laws | 6 | |
| LAWS6825 | Fundamentals of Australian Taxation | 6 | |
| LAWS6838 | Competition Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6839 | Critical Issues in Public Health Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6841 | Tax of Business and Investment Income B | 6 | |
| LAWS6846 | Human Rights and the Global Economy | 6 | |
| LAWS6862 | Hate Crime | 6 | |
| LAWS6865 | International Dispute Resolution | 6 | |
| LAWS6873 | Principles of Intellectual Property | 6 | |
| LAWS6874 | Contractual Damages | 6 | |
| LAWS6877 | Mental Illness: Law and Policy | 6 | |
| LAWS6889 | Death Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6896 | International and Comparative Criminal Justice | 6 | |
| LAWS6912 | Fundamentals of the Law of Trusts | 6 | |
| LAWS6916 | International Investment Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6946 | Tax Treaties Special Issues | 6 | |
| LAWS6947 | Advanced Obligations and Remedies | 6 | |
| LAWS6953 | Law of Asset Protection | 6 | |
| LAWS6955 | Fundamentals of Finance Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6965 | Tax Avoidance and Anti-Avoidance | 6 | |
| LAWS6974 | Development, Law and Human Rights | 6 | |
| LAWS6987 | Fundamentals of Commercial Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6990 | Principles of Oil and Gas Law | 6 | |
| LAWS6991 | Fundamentals of Contract Law | 6 | |
| Total | 48 |
The note “Core, selective, elective or pathway status depends on the published course rules and chosen study plan.” applies to 97 components in this table.
- Complete 48 credit points in the approved full-time plan.
- Follow compulsory units and only the permitted option combinations.
- Recheck unit availability, prerequisites and placement compliance before enrolment.
The study plan moves from Law options into Research and advanced options. Optional units are useful when they reinforce that progression instead of creating an unrelated list.
Sydney can amend units and availability. The live handbook structure controls the final plan before offer acceptance; a programme-level block summary cannot replace the enrolled plan.
The LLM has no prescribed core sequence. A standard full-time plan contains eight six-credit units and at least one must carry a substantial 7,000 to 10,000-word long research essay. That essay is the course-level capstone, even when it sits inside a specialist taught unit rather than a separately titled dissertation.
The 97-unit future-year collection shows the Law School’s range across commercial, public, international, tax, environmental, labour, technology and criminal law. It is not a promise that 97 choices will fit one year. The annual class timetable, intensive dates, prerequisites and clashes reduce the feasible set for February or August entry.
A coherent plan can link the long essay to two or three neighbouring subjects. For example, international trade, financial regulation and dispute resolution can create one evidence trail, while climate, planning and environmental markets can create another. A random eight-unit selection is formally possible but harder to explain professionally.
Prior legal qualification remains central because several units assume doctrine, case analysis and legal research. Fundamentals subjects may help an overseas lawyer interpret Australian concepts, yet the LLM is still specialist postgraduate study and does not become the initial professional qualification used for admission to practice.
Assessment design also varies across the table. Seminar participation, research essays, problem questions and intensive teaching can place effort in different weeks even when each unit carries six credits. The practical full-time plan is therefore constrained by assessment overlap as well as formal credit, and that workload cannot be inferred from unit titles alone.
For an Indian-qualified lawyer, Australian law subjects may strengthen comparative, transactional or regulatory reasoning without changing the home-jurisdiction licence. International and comparative choices can be more portable, while Australian tax, procedure or professional subjects may be most useful where the intended work actually touches that system.
Should an Indian applicant shortlist Sydney Master of Laws?
Shortlist Master of Laws when the previous degree meets the exact academic route, the final research and advanced options serves the intended next step, the intake remains available, and the AUD 98,546 plan works without assumed earnings or a scholarship, with a realistic contingency.
The convincing case links earlier documentation to selected specialist legal depth, then shows why sustained legal analysis matters after graduation.
The difficult point is specific: The flexible 48-credit plan can lack a coherent specialism if units are chosen only by timetable. It also does not confer Australian admission to legal practice for an overseas lawyer. Funding is the second constraint because the INR 67.57 lakh plan excludes flights and a refundable housing bond.
- Sydney lists Master of Laws as a 1 year full-time course carrying 48 credit points.
- The 2027 international tuition rate is AUD 64,800 per 48 credit points; projected full tuition is AUD 64,800.
- The full planning case is AUD 98,546, about INR 67.57 lakh, before flights and housing bond.
- The English requirement is IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each band.
- Published intake availability is February and August, subject to the exact 2027 course page.
- An eligible Indian master's graduate can receive three years on Australia's Post-Higher Education Work visa.
Frequently asked questions
How much is Sydney Master of Laws for Indian students?
The 2027 rate is AUD 64,800 per 48 credit points. Projected tuition for 48 credits is AUD 64,800. Adding 1 year of living funds, estimated single OSHC and SSAF, the AUD 150 application and AUD 2,500 visa gives AUD 98,546, about INR 67.57 lakh, before flights and housing bond.
What is the 2027 deadline for Sydney Master of Laws?
The controlling published date used here is 31 October 2026 for international Semester 1 applications. Course-specific dates override Sydney's general international calendar, and a closed date is not rolled forward. Apply earlier where the cycle remains open to leave time for assessment, offer conditions, payment, CoE and visa.
What IELTS score is needed for Sydney Master of Laws?
The current course requirement is IELTS 7.0 overall with 6.0 in each band. Sydney accepts specified alternatives, each with its own component rules and validity window. Meet every required band, not only the overall score, and recheck the course page before submission because professional degrees can impose higher requirements.
Does Sydney Master of Laws require GRE or GMAT?
No GRE or GMAT requirement is published for this programme. Admission instead turns on a Bachelor of Laws, Juris Doctor or equivalent legal qualification with at least a 65% credit average, English and complete supporting evidence. An optional aptitude score cannot replace missing prerequisites, subject preparation, professional checks or Sydney's assessment of the international qualification.
Is Sydney Master of Laws full time?
Yes. This page covers the 1 year, 48-credit-point full-time route at Camperdown/Darlington and Sydney CBD. Any part-time listing is outside this record. International students must also follow the study-load and enrolment conditions attached to their Confirmation of Enrolment and Student visa.
Can an Indian student work in Australia after Sydney Master of Laws?
An eligible Indian citizen completing a qualifying Australian master's can receive a three-year Post-Higher Education Work visa under the Australia;India arrangement. The applicant must meet the Australian study, age, English, health and other rules. The visa permits temporary work but does not guarantee a job or permanent residence.
Sources
These sources support the programme, admission, cost, experience and immigration information used on this page.
Sources checked on September 11, 2026. The next intake covered here is 2027: February and August.
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