Postgraduate Certificate in Law
The Postgraduate Certificate in Law is for those who have already completed an undergraduate degree, whether in law or another area, and want to gain advanced legal knowledge and develop their research skills.
It provides you with advanced theoretical and practical knowledge of law and legal issues, which you can integrate with your existing knowledge and related professional experience. Practising lawyers can earn credit towards satisfying compulsory Continuing Legal Education requirements by enrolling in and completing courses towards a Postgraduate Certificate in Law.
In exceptional circumstances, a student who does not otherwise meet the criteria for entry to the Master of Laws but who has completed the Postgraduate Certificate in Law may be considered for admission into the Master of Laws.
Download programme guides
Minimum entry requirements
- A Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Laws (Honours); or
- A bachelor’s degree; or
- A relevant professional qualification or professional experience approved by the Dean of Law to be equivalent to a bachelor’s degree
Applicants must demonstrate to the Dean (or representative) an ability to undertake advanced study and research in law.
International student entry requirements
English language requirements
- IELTS (Academic) 7.0 overall with 7.0 or higher in Writing and Reading, and 6.5 in Listening and Speaking; or equivalent.
To qualify for the Postgraduate Certificate in Law, you must successfully complete 60 points from approved courses from the Master of Laws, including LAWS901 Legal Research Methodology.
This is a short, zero points, zero tuition fees compulsory course for all new law postgraduate students. You need to complete this course either before or alongside any other law postgraduate courses you're studying at AUT.
Areas you can focus on in the Postgraduate Certificate in Law
You can focus on one of the following areas if you complete at least 60 points in this single subject area:
- Climate change law
- Human rights law
- Indigenous rights and law
- International law
- Jurisprudence
- Non-adversarial justice
- Private law
- Public law
- Trusts/trusts and fiduciary obligations
Study planner for this programme
Download our study planner to see all the courses offered in 2026 and what your studies could look like in the Postgraduate Certificate in Law.
Postgraduate Certificate in Law study planner
Skills you will develop
The outcomes for graduates of the Postgraduate Certificate in Law are outlined in the Graduate Profile below.
Graduate Profile
You can do a general postgraduate certificate or you can have a focus area marked on your transcript if you complete your 60 points from the courses on offer under the following headings.
Not all courses are offered each year. Use our study planner to view courses offered in 2025
- LAWS902 Climate Change Law (30 points)
- LAWS938 International Environmental Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS909 Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice (30 points)
- LAWS919 White Collar and Cyber Crime (30 points)
- LAWS921 Criminal Law: Forms of Liability (30 points)
- LAWS923 Current Issues in Criminal Procedure (30 points)
- LAWS924 Current Issues in Sentencing (30 points)
- LAWS925 Criminal Defences (30 points)
- LAWS929 Special Topic in Criminal Law (30 points)
- LAWS930 Criminal Appeals and Miscarriages of Justice (30 points)
- LAWS947 Maori Legal Issues (30 points)
- LAWS955 Non-Adversarial Justice (30 points)
- LAWS960 International Criminal Procedure (30 points)
- LAWS974 Youth Justice (30 points)
- LAWS975 Commercial Criminal Law (30 points)
- LAWS976 Mental Health and the Law (30 points)
- LAWS977 Health and Safety Law (30 points)
- LAWS978 Law of Evidence (30 points)
- LAWS979 Criminal Procedure (30 points)
- LAWS980 Prison and Parole Law (30 points)
- LAWS981 Advanced Criminal Law: Sentencing Maori (30 points)
- LAWS983 Advanced Ciiminal Law: Homicide (30 points)
- LAWS984 Advanced Criminal Law: Fraud Trials (30 points)
- LAWS985 Statutory Interpretation (30 points)
- LAWS986 Proof of Fact (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS907 International Trade Law (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS915 Art Law (30 points)
- LAWS916 Employment Law (30 points)
- LAWS918 Corporate Governance (30 points)
- LAWS919 White Collar and Cyber Crime (30 points)
- LAWS927 The International Trust (30 points)
- LAWS928 The Modern Discretionary Trust (30 points)
- LAWS932 Remedies in Private Law (30 points)
- LAWS935 Insolvency and Receivership (30 points)
- LAWS936 Law and Economics (30 points)
- LAWS937 Privacy Law (30 points)
- LAWS946 Commercial Transactions (30 points)
- LAWS957 Franchise Law (30 points)
- LAWS963 Ideas of Property (30 points)
- LAWS964 Arbitration (30 points)
- LAWS966 Corporate Insolvency – Comparative Perspectives (30 points)
- LAWS967 Insurance Law (30 points)
- LAWS968 The Law of Fiduciaries (30 points)
- LAWS970 Principles of Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS975 Commercial Criminal Law (30 points)
- LAWS982 Human Rights and Business (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS916 Employment Law (30 points)
- LAWS934 Advanced Employment Law (30 points)
- LAWS977 Health and Safety Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS902 Climate Change Law (30 points)
- LAWS933 Resource Management Law (30 points)
- LAWS938 International Environmental Law (30 points)
- LAWS969 Local Government Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS904 American Politics and Constitutional Law (30 points)
- LAWS905 International Human Rights Law (30 points)
- LAWS906 International Law, State Jurisdiction and Indigenous Rights (30 points)
- LAWS910 Law and Gendered Violence (30 points)
- LAWS911 Human Rights Litigation in New Zealand (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS920 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS926 International Criminal Law (30 points)
- LAWS937 Privacy Law (30 points)
- LAWS939 Social Justice, Law and Society (30 points)
- LAWS962 Current Issues in Human Rights (30 points)
- LAWS972 Law of Democracy (30 points)
- LAWS980 Prison and Parole Law (30 points)
- LAWS982 Human Rights and Business (30 points)
- LAWS988 Law of Armed Conflict (30 points)
- LAWS991 Gender, Sexuality and the Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS906 International Law, State Jurisdiction and Indigenous Rights (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS922 Indigenous Legal Issues (30 points)
- LAWS937 Privacy Law (30 points)
- LAWS947 Maori Legal Issues (30 points)
- LAWS971 Indigenous Private Law (30 points)
- LAWS974 Youth Justice (30 points)
- LAWS992 South Pacific Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS931 Problems in Patent Law (30 points)
- LAWS936 Law and Economics (30 points)
- LAWS970 Principles of Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS902 Climate Change Law (30 points)
- LAWS905 International Human Rights Law (30 points)
- LAWS906 International Law, State Jurisdiction and Indigenous Rights (30 points)
- LAWS907 International Trade Law (30 points)
- LAWS911 Human Rights Litigation in New Zealand (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS926 International Criminal Law (30 points)
- LAWS937 Privacy Law (30 points)
- LAWS938 International Environmental Law (30 points)
- LAWS951 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS958 Private International Law (30 points)
- LAWS960 International Criminal Procedure (30 points)
- LAWS982 Human Rights and Business (30 points)
- LAWS988 Law of Armed Conflict (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS920 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS936 Law and Economics (30 points)
- LAWS937 Privacy Law (30 points)
- LAWS939 Social Justice, Law and Society
- LAWS973 Justice (30 points)
- LAWS991 Gender, Sexuality and the Law (30 points)
- LAWS992 South Pacific Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS920 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS964 Arbitration (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS903 Advanced Private Law (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS915 Art Law (30 points)
- LAWS916 Employment Law (30 points)
- LAWS918 Corporate Governance (30 points)
- LAWS932 Remedies in Private Law (30 points)
- LAWS935 Insolvency and Receivership (30 points)
- LAWS936 Law and Economics (30 points)
- LAWS940 Copyright Law (30 points)
- LAWS941 High Density Living and Co-Ownership (30 points)
- LAWS942 Media Law (30 points)
- LAWS946 Commercial Transactions (30 points)
- LAWS950 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS952 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS957 Franchise Law (30 points)
- LAWS958 Private International Law (30 points)
- LAWS963 Ideas of Property (30 points)
- LAWS966 Corporate Insolvency – Comparative Perspectives (30 points)
- LAWS967 Insurance Law (30 points)
- LAWS968 The Law of Fiduciaries (30 points)
- LAWS970 Principles of Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS971 Indigenous Private Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS918 Corporate Governance (30 points)
- LAWS933 Resource Management Law (30 points)
- LAWS941 High Density Living and Co-Ownership (30 points)
- LAWS943 Sale of Land (30 points)
- LAWS963 Ideas of Property (30 points)
- LAWS969 Local Government Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS902 Climate Change Law (30 points)
- LAWS904 American Politics and Constitutional Law (30 points)
- LAWS905 International Human Rights Law (30 points)
- LAWS906 International Law, State Jurisdiction and Indigenous Rights (30 points)
- LAWS911 Human Rights Litigation in New Zealand (30 points)
- LAWS912 Human Rights and Intellectual Property (30 points)
- LAWS933 Resource Management Law (30 points)
- LAWS937 Privacy Law (30 points)
- LAWS947 Maori Legal Issues (30 points)
- LAWS950 Special Topic (30 points)*
- LAWS962 Current Issues in Human Rights (30 points)
- LAWS969 Local Government Law (30 points)
- LAWS972 Law of Democracy (30 points)
- LAWS980 Prison and Parole Law (30 points)
- LAWS982 Human Rights and Business (30 points)
- LAWS985 Statutory Interpretation (30 points)
- LAWS992 South Pacific Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS931 Problems in Patent Law (30 points)
- LAWS933 Resource Management Law (30 points)
- LAWS936 Law and Economics (30 points)
- LAWS967 Insurance Law (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
- LAWS927 The International Trust (30 points)
- LAWS928 The Modern Discretionary Trust (30 points)
- LAWS950 Special Topic (30 points)
- LAWS968 The Law of Fiduciaries (30 points)
- LAWS995 Research Project (30 points)
* Depending on the topic in the Special Topic course
($5,315 tuition fees + $610.80 student services levy)
($20,400 tuition fees + $610.80 student services levy)
- Fees shown are based on a full-time workload for the points indicated next to the fee. The exact fee charged will depend on which courses you select at the time of enrolment.
- Fees are subject to change year to year. If you are planning for study beyond the current year, fees may vary from those stated.
- There may also be other fees and charges you need to pay.
- International students' tuition fees reflect the full cost of tuition. Domestic students' tuition fees are less due to a proportion of the tuition fees being funded by the New Zealand Government.
The information on this page was correct at time of publication. For a comprehensive overview of AUT qualifications, please refer to the Academic Calendar.