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28 January 2016

The College Awarded Self Accrediting Authority by TEQSA


Published on 28 January 2016
From its origins as an arm of the NSW Law Society in 1974, the College of Law has since seen over 60,000 graduates complete its Practical Legal Training (PLT) Course and postgraduate masters programs. The College has also established itself as a market leader in PLT across Australia and New Zealand, while its vocationally-driven LLM programs have proven so popular the College has become Australia’s 5th biggest provider.

The Commonwealth higher education regulator, Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (TEQSA), has recently awarded the College Self Accrediting Authority (SAA), reflecting an achievement of academic standards, governance and quality similar to that expected of a university.

“The investment in academic governance and quality was recognised by TEQSA, and was the fundamental reason we were successful,” said Adrian Deans, Director, Academic Policy & Quality, who was instrumental in TEQSA’s accreditation process.

“The College has always invested strongly in the resources to enable effective staff / student ratios and the provision of up-to-date resources in order to ensure that all students have the best learning experience we can provide,” said Deans. “At the same time, it has also always been our approach to provide high quality practical legal training at the most affordable tuition fee.”

In achieving SAA, the College joins an elite few privately-funded educational institutions, all leaders in their field, including NIDA (National Institute of Dramatic Art), AFTRS (Australian Film, Television and Radio School), and Avondale College.

"Many universities have good academic governance and quality systems," observed Deans, "which are subsidised through major Commonwealth subsidies and grants. The College achieved the same standard of academic excellence entirely on its own resources."

TEQSA’s award of SAA also affirms the College’s status as the largest postgraduate law school in Australia, including its PLT and broader postgraduate programs.

“We are delighted with the award of Self Accrediting Authority, as it reflects another key stage in the College’s growth and development,” said CEO and Principal of the College, Mr Neville Carter.

The latest innovation from the College is the introduction of a series of new “Legal Business Skills” modules to the PLT program, intended to ensure graduates are work-ready from day one. Similarly, the College’s LLM program continues to expand its subject offerings to accommodate growing areas of practice.

“Lawyers enrolled in our Masters degrees become more valuable and employable from the day they start – as opposed to the day they finish. This is what sets the College’s LLM apart,” said Deans.  “For example, our Master of Applied Law (Family Law) is more or less regarded as a ‘must have’ now for serious family law practitioners”.

“Any doubt that a candidate may have about choosing the College over a sandstone university can be allayed,” said Deans, "by TEQSA’s award of SAA. Our courses are designed to make graduates employable, and are delivered by an institution that has forged its reputation on effective teaching and strong support systems.”