Bachelor of Business Administration and Bachelor of Laws
Interested in combining your love of business and law into a career? A new partnership between the University of Lethbridge and Australia’s Bond University lets students get a business degree (Bachelor of Business Administration) and Canadian law degree (Bachelor of Laws) in just five years, making them eligible to practice law in Canada more quickly. For domestic students only.
In this dual degree program, you:
- earn a BBA, majoring in general management and an LLB in five years;
- study adjacent to Canada's Rocky Mountains and on Australia's Gold Coast;
- apply directly to Bond University (no application fee!) to pursue a bachelor's degree in Canadian Law, after completing 20 courses at ULethbridge;
- enter Bond law school without writing the LSAT or completing a prior degree;
- return to ULethbridge after two years at Bond to complete your final year of study and earn both degrees!
Learn more about the BBA/LLB program here
You can also refer to the program planning guide for more detailed course information.
*Note: this dual degree program is not available through the Calgary campus.
Already a BBA/LLB student?
Activation of Bond University Attendance
Students should plan on completing a full course load each semester (5 courses each over 4 semesters). Once they have started their second term of Year 2 of studies at ULethbridge (Winter term prior to attending Bond University) and are registered in their 20th course, students must initiate their attendance at Bond University by filling out the activation form.
IMPORTANT: The deadline to complete the ULethbridge activation form indicating that a student will be applying to Bond University for their Fall admission is Feb. 1.
The University of Lethbridge GPA (calculated on all completed ULethbridge courses) required for activation of Bond University attendance is a minimum of 2.70. Conditional approval will be granted based on grades prior to the Winter Semester, with final approval granted upon completion of Winter courses.
Once attendance at Bond University is confirmed, a non-credit placeholder will be registered to facilitate registration at ULethbridge when you return. During your time at Bond University, you will have access to your uleth.ca email account and may continue to contact ULethbridge staff for assistance.
Application to Bond University
Students completing their second year of studies in the Winter Semester (20th course registered for Winter) will need to apply to the Bond University LL.B. for the following September start. Although Bond University does not post application deadlines, students should begin completing the application and satisfying all the paperwork requirements in January of that year.
Students are responsible for having their high school and all post-secondary transcripts sent to Bond University. Please use the Bridge to request official transcripts from the University of Lethbridge (final copies must be sent at the conclusion of the Winter Semester). You are responsible for obtaining all high school and any other post-secondary transcripts.
Passports and student visas
A passport is required to apply for a visa to travel to Australia. Canadian Citizens can apply for a Canadian passport here. The average processing time is about 20 days plus mail time (not guaranteed), but students should have their passport arranged earlier rather than later.
Canadian Students will need to hold a student visa to study and stay in Australia. The average processing time for a student visa is approximately 8 weeks (not guaranteed), so students should be confirmed as enrolled (and receive a Confirmation of Enrolment from Bond University for the application) by May or June at the latest.
Student housing application
The Bond University student housing portal will open for new students in late July. Students should create their log-in prior to this date and then apply immediately upon the portal opening.
Costs
There are a number of costs that you will likely incur in transitioning to Bond University that you would not have to worry about if you stayed at one university. Bond University tuition and fees, airfare to and from Australia, passport and visa fees, Australia living expenses, overseas student health coverage – all of these costs add up and may be quite variable. It is a good idea to check out the entire cost of things and plan ahead to make the transition to Bond University a little easier.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, graduates of the BBA/LLB may qualify to be called to the bar in all provinces in Canada. Bond University offers an LLB focusing on Canadian Law and prepares graduates to work in Canada. Graduates will need to sit for five challenge exams offered by the National Committee on Accreditation not required by graduates of Canadian universities, however, but the coursework prepares graduates well for those exams.
No. Students will need to apply separately to Bond University and qualify for admission separate from their admission to the University of Lethbridge.
No, students who will have fewer than 20 courses (60.0 credit hours) will not be eligible to transition to Bond University under the BBA/LLB dual degree program. Students with fewer than 20 courses at the end of Winter Semester may complete further courses at ULethbridge and attend Bond University in the following year.
No, students with less than a 2.70 GPA (calculated on all ULethbridge courses) prior to the end of the Winter Semester will not be approved for Bond University activation for September of that year under the BBA/LLB program. Students who have been conditionally approved but have achieved a GPA below 2.70 will have that approval rescinded.
If you are still interested in completing the BBA/LLB dual degree program, you can continue to complete ULethbridge courses and either try again the following year or change your program to complete the 40-course BBA and try law school after completion of your degree. If you are focused on the LLB and your average is too low for the dual degree option, you could apply directly to Bond University outside of this dual degree program.
No, the Bond University Faculty of Law does not require completion of the LSAT for admission purposes.
You will be paying fees to the university where you are attending for the semester. So, for the regular pattern, you will pay tuition and other fees to the University of Lethbridge for years one, two and five, and you will pay tuition and other fees to Bond University for years three and four.
Bond University is located in the city of Gold Coast, Queensland state, on the east coast of Australia, about 80 km from Australia’s third largest city, Brisbane. The climate is subtropical, meaning that it doesn’t have a winter like we see in Canada. The high temperature averages pretty warm all of the time (20-31°C during their summer, 9-22°C during their winter) without scorching heat and Gold Coast receives about 300 days of sunshine per year, on average.
Current information on Bond University fees can be found here. Tuition for Bond University’s 2-year program is comparable to some of the most expensive 3-year law programs in Canada.
Yes, students may be able to access Alberta and Canada Students Loans to attend Bond University as well as to attend the University of Lethbridge.
University of Lethbridge awards and scholarships are available during the B.B.A. portion of the dual degree program. Feel free to contact the Scholarships and Student Finance office for more information.
Please visit the Bond University scholarships site for information on scholarships awarded by Bond University for Bond students.
Prospective students should familiarize themselves with the policies and procedures for other funding sources (RESPs, lines of credit, other funding sources).
Students approved to attend Bond University under the BBA/LLB dual degree program will be registered in a non-credit placeholder during their second year attendance at Bond University which will maintain their ULethbridge status. Students will have access to their ULethbridge emails during that time. In March of the year of their expected return to ULethbridge for the Fall semester, students will register for classes as normal, with their registration priority held over from when they left. Students needing on-campus housing will need to apply by the normal deadlines.
Yes, students may transition to the 40-course BBA degree program at any time. Students who have completed a portion of the LLB program may receive transfer credit towards their BBA upon submission of Bond University transcripts.