Teaching animal law ensures that the next generation of change-makers in law, government and politics have an understanding of the key role the law plays in animal protection.
What do you study in an animal law course?
Most Animal Law units cover the following topics:
- Overview of animal cruelty legislation
- Moral and legal status of animals
- Wild animals and the law
- Farmed animals and the law
- Animals in entertainment and the law
- Animals in research and the law
- Companion animals and the law
- Animals as assistants and the law
- Animal law reform
For insight into the sorts of topics and issues covered in Animal Law courses, visit the Animal Law homepage to access our range of animal law education resources.
Where can you study animal law in Australia?
The following 17 Australian universities are currently offering Animal Law courses. For information about delivery modes during the Covid-19 pandemic, enrolment eligibility, pre-requisites and cross-institutional study options, please contact the relevant university directly.
Australian Capital Territory
Australian National University
‘Animals and the Law’ (LAWS4234) is an undergraduate law elective, taught for the first time in 2009. There are no current offerings for this course. Please email the course coordinator, Associate Professor Alex Bruce for further details.
New South Wales
Australian Catholic University
‘Animal Law’ (LAWS415) is an undergraduate law elective unit which was first taught in 2018. The most recent offering was held in Winter 2020 (online), taught by Dr Robert Mezyk. This unit will be offered in 2022.
Macquarie University
‘Animal Law’ (LAWS5048) was taught for the first time in 2012 and continues to be offered annually. The course is available for undergraduate, postgraduate and cross-institutional study. For further information, please contact the course coordinator, Dr Jed Goodfellow. This unit will be offered in 2022.
Southern Cross University
‘Animal Law’ (LAWS2028) is an undergraduate elective, first offered via distance education in 2010. The unit will be offered in 2022 Term 5 both in the Gold Coast and online. For further information, please contact the Southern Cross University Law School directly.
University of New England
‘Animal Law’ (LAW345 and LLM545) is available for both undergraduate and postgraduate study. LAW345 was run for the first time over Trimester 3 in 2017/2018. Neither of the units are currently offered for 2022.
University of New South Wales
Animal Law (LAWS3144 and JURD7444) is available for undergraduate and postgraduate study at UNSW, which was the first law school in Australia to teach animal law in 2005. Both units are offered for Term 3 in 2022 through a blended in-person / online delivery mode. For further information, please contact the course coordinator, Tara Ward.
University of Technology Sydney
Animal Law and Policy in Australia (76033 and 78218) is available for undergraduate and postgraduate study. The unit was first taught in 2012. The undergraduate version of the subject usually alternates with the postgraduate version. The postgraduate unit 78218 was offered in Sem 1 2020, and the undergraduate unit 76033 was offered in 2021. For further information, please contact the course coordinator Dr Sophie Riley.
University of Wollongong
‘Animal Law’ (LLB366) was first taught as an undergraduate elective subject in Spring 2008. The subject is offered every 18-24 months. It will next be offered in 2022 in intensive mode. For further information, please contact the course coordinator, Dr Keely Boom.
Queensland
Bond University
‘Animal Law’ (LAWS13-538) has been offered as an undergraduate law elective at Bond University since 2008. The unit is usually offered biannually, although there are no future offerings planned yet.
Central Queensland University
‘Animal Law’ (LAWS11067) was offered for the first time this year as an undergraduate law elective unit at CQU Law. The course is fully online and scheduled to be offered in Term 3 2021 (November 2021 – February 2022). For further information, please contact the Unit Coordinator Dr Alexandra McEwan: a.mcewan@cqu.edu.au.
Griffith University
‘Animal Law’ (5069LAW) is an undergraduate law elective, first taught at Griffith Law School in January 2007. The course is generally offered annually. In 2020 it was offered as a summer intensive, consisting of on-campus classes completed in four days over a two-week period, and was most recently offered in Trimester 2 in 2021. There is currently no information for offerings in 2022. For further information, please contact the course coordinator, Dr Steven White.
Queensland University of Technology
LLB247 Animal Law is an online biannual undergraduate law elective unit that was offered for the first time in Sem 2, 2020. It will next run in Semester 1, 2023. The course is coordinated by Professor Amanda Kennedy.
South Australia
University of Adelaide
‘Animals and the Law’ (ANIML SC 3250RW) was taught for the first time in 2012 and continues to run annually during the Winter semester (July) as a two week intensive program. The course was most recently offered in July 2021 as a 2 week intensive course, and will be available in 2022. The course is open to undergraduate and postgraduate students. Cross-institutional study is also available. For further information, please contact the course lecturer, Dr Alexandra Whittaker.
Tasmania
The University of Tasmania
‘Animal Law’ (LAW629) is an undergraduate law elective unit, first taught in 2014 as a summer intensive course under the unit coordination of Dr Malcolm Caulfield. The unit currently runs as an online full semester unit under the coordination of Dr Meg Good. No 2022 offerings available at this stage. Please contact the course coordinator for further information.
Victoria
La Trobe University
‘Animal Welfare Law and Policy’ (LAW3ANI) is an undergraduate online law elective unit, first offered in 2016. It was most recently offered as a summer intensive in 2021. The unit will be offered online in LTU Term 1 2022. For queries, please contact the course coordinator Stephanie Falconer.
Monash University
Monash University offers two animal law units. Animal Law, Regulation and Policy Law5458 is a postgraduate law elective unit, which has been delivered once to date in 2017 as an intensive (1 full day per week over 4 weeks). If offered in the future, it is expected to be an intensive/semi-intensive on-campus unit. Animal Law Law4230 is an undergraduate law elective unit which was first taught in 2015. It has been offered annually (2017-2020) since its introduction, and from 2021 onwards it will be offered every second year. It was most recently offered in Semester 2 2020 (online due to the Covid-19 pandemic). In 2022, the unit will be offered on campus in Summer Semester A. Please contact course coordinator Dr Joanna Kyriakakis for further information about either unit.
University of Melbourne
‘Animal Law and Policy’ (LAWS90168) is a postgraduate masters level law elective unit, which will be offered for the first time in online intensive mode from 28 April to 4 May 2021 focusing on comparison between US and Australian animal law and co-taught by Joyce Tischler and Christine Parker. This unit is not offered in 2022. An ‘Animals and the Law’ (LAWS50122) elective for JD students was also offered from 22 November to 3 December 2021 in online intensive mode co-taught by Katy Barnett and Christine Parker. An undergraduate version of this unit ‘Animal Law’ (S50122) was offered to undergraduate students in 2010 and 2011. It was also taught as an intensive LLM course in November 2009. Both LAWS50122 and S50122 will be offered in Semester 2 2022. Please contact course coordinator Professor Christine Parker for further information.
Units currently not offered
Flinders University
Animal Law was taught for the first time in 2009, and again as a summer intensive unit in 2014/15 under the coordination of Dr Aaron Timoshanko. It is not currently offered. For further information please contact the Law School directly.
University of Sydney
Animal Law (LAWS3410) was taught for the first time in 2009 as an undergraduate elective unit under the coordination of Dr Celeste Black. The course is currently not being offered. To express your interest in having the course offered again, please contact the University of Sydney Law School directly.
Where can you study animal law in New Zealand?
University of Auckland
‘Animals and the Law’ (LAWGENRL 442) is an undergraduate elective unit that will be offered over Summer School 2022. This course is coordinated by Danielle Duffield.
University of Otago
‘Animals and the Law’ (LAWS432) is available for undergraduate study. The course was offered in Semester 2 2021, and will also be offered Semester 1 2022 on campus. For further information, please contact the Unit Coordinator, Mr Marcelo Rodriguez Ferrere. ‘Special Topic 6: Global and Comparative Animal Law’ (LAWS475) will also be offered as an intensive undergraduate elective unit over Summer School 2022. This course is coordinated by Danielle Duffield.
University of Waikato
‘New Zealand Animal Law’ (LEGAL456) and ‘Advanced New Zealand Animal Law’ (LEGAL556) are offered in Trimester B 2022. Both units are offered at the university’s Hamilton campus.
What if your university doesn’t offer animal law?
If you wish to study animal law at a university that does not presently run an animal law course, we encourage you to write to the head of the law school and express your interest in the field.
Note: This page was last updated in early 2021, and will not be updated in the future. Please contact the universities directly to obtain current information about course offerings.