Postgraduate Certificate in Law
Course details
| NZQF Level | 8 |
|---|
About the course
Enhance your career prospects by building on your legal knowledge in a particular area or developing new specialised expertise.
1 December is the limited-entry deadline for students starting this qualification in Trimester 1 of the following year. If places remain available, we’ll consider late applications—so applying on time gives you the best chance of securing your place.
Whether you’re a lawyer, a paralegal, a non-Law graduate, or a legal practitioner from overseas, the PGCertLaw can help you meet your postgraduate study goals.
With the PGCertLaw, you can explore specialised subjects, refresh your existing knowledge in a field, and gain experience in conducting and presenting research.
Here in Wellington, you’ll be close to where New Zealand law and policy are made. You’ll be studying with leading legal experts who will encourage you to tackle contemporary issues in a vibrant academic environment.
Focus on an area of interest
Within the 60-point PGCertLaw, you can take almost any of our 400- or 500-level LAWS courses—the only exceptions are the thesis course (LAWS 591) and the dissertation course (LAWS 592).
Choose from courses covering a wide range of contemporary topics in New Zealand law. Here is a sample of some of the courses you could take:
- LAWS 438—Fraud and Corruption in an International Context (10 points)
- LAWS 528—Contemporary Issues in Public International Law: Human Rights, Climate Change (40 points)
- LAWS 530—New Zealand and Australian Copyright and Designs Law (20 points)
- LAWS 532—Law and Technology (20 points)
- LAWS 535—Restorative Justice (20 points)
- LAWS 536—Trade Marks and Unfair Competition (20 points)
- LAWS 537—Patent Law (20 points)
- LAWS 547—Financial Markets Regulation (20 points).
Boost your legal acumen
Through the PGCertLaw, you’ll enhance your skills in research, writing, and oral communication. You’ll get to think critically about the law, explore topical issues, and solve legal problems.
Depending on your goals, the PGCertLaw can help advance your career in various ways:
- If you’re currently working in a policy or regulatory area, it will give you substantive legal knowledge that you can apply to your daily work.
- If you’re a practising lawyer, you can upskill in specialised areas or get abreast of critical legal topics.
- If you’re interested in developing a sustained research project in the future, you could use the PGCertLaw to explore a theme.
Pathway to further study
Although the PGCertLaw by itself does not qualify you to practise as a lawyer, it can act as a stepping stone towards a higher qualification.
If you complete the PGCertLaw and want to pursue further study, the courses you’ve completed in the PGCertLaw may be counted towards the Master of Laws (LLM).
Alternative qualifications
If you’re a legal practitioner from overseas who needs to meet New Zealand Council of Legal Education requirements, the PGCertLaw may not be the best qualification for you. Instead, we recommend taking the Graduate Certificate in Law (60 points) or the Graduate Diploma in Law (120 points).
Workload and duration
Depending on your choice of courses, it may be possible to complete the entire PGCertLaw in a single trimester of full-time study. In that case, you can expect a workload of 40 to 45 hours a week.
Domestic part-time students taking two courses per trimester will need to do around 20 to 23 hours of work a week. Make sure you take this into account if you are balancing study with other commitments.
You can estimate your workload by adding up the number of points you’ll be doing. One point is roughly equal to 10 to 12 hours of work.
Why Wellington
Our Faculty of Law sits in the heart of the capital city, surrounded by the courts, Parliament, and government agencies. If you’re interested in law and policy, Wellington is the ideal place to engage with topical issues, gain expertise in a specific field, or upskill to enhance your employment prospects.
Support for students
Victoria University of Wellington is a welcoming place with great student support. There are all sorts of resources and support available to help you make the best of your time at university.
All students can join VUWSA—your student representative organisation on campus. VUWSA assigns a postgraduate executive to help meet the needs of postgraduate students.
Scholarships
While there are no specific scholarships for PGCertLaw students, you may qualify for one of many general scholarships the University offers.
Search our scholarships based on your level of study, subject area, and background.
Entry requirements
Domestic entry requirements
LLB or LLB(Hons).
English language requirements
You may also be required to demonstrate your proficiency in English.
About the provider
Victoria University of Wellington, full name Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington, was founded in 1897 and is one of New Zealand’s largest and most prestigious universities. The University is located in the heart of New Zealand’s vibrant capital city and its three city campuses are all within easy walking distance of one another, as well as local attractions, shopping districts, and cafés.
The University’s central location gives students access to a
variety of national organisations in the areas of business, government,
politics, culture and heritage, the arts and filmmaking industry, as well as
the science and technology communities. Wellington is a compact city where
students can easily explore nature trails, beaches, galleries, museums, and
events. It is multicultural, safe, friendly, and has a reputation for great
food and coffee—it regularly ranks as one of the world’s most liveable cities.
Victoria University of Wellington at a glance
- Top 1% of the world's universities for research quality and teaching
- 170+ subjects
- 20 undergraduate programmes and 180 postgraduate programmes
- 40+ research institutes and 4 libraries
- 3,000 of our 17,000 students are international students, from 120+ countries
- 130+ clubs and societies
- 5+ stars from the latest QS Stars Rating of Excellence
- #1 in New Zealand for research intensity (in the latest assessment of the Performance-Based Research Fund)
- Wellington School of Business and Government is one of an elite group of commerce faculties worldwide that hold the Triple Crown of international accreditations of EQUIS, AACSB, and AMBA
- Top 2% of the world’s universities (QS World University Rankings 2026)
- Top 100 in the world in 7 subjects (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025)
Graduate outcomes*
- Of the graduates who responded that they are currently working full time, 91% were employed prior to or within 6 months of degree completion.
- 67% were in full-time employment.
*Based on those who completed the 2023–2024 Graduate Destinations Survey.
Entry requirements
To study at Victoria University of Wellington, international students need:
- a good command of the English language
- a good record of academic achievement.
Entry requirements are provided under each programme. The University considers each student’s academic and English-language background when assessing applications. If a student doesn’t meet entry requirements, our team can help them meet their study goals.
If a student doesn’t meet the entry requirements for:
- English language - Students can apply for our English for Academic Purposes programme
- Undergraduate study - Students can apply for our Foundation Studies programme
- Postgraduate study - Students can talk to us to help build a pathway to their degree
The University offers complete support for students through a range of wellbeing and learning services. These include a specialised international team that is dedicated to supporting students during their studies, which helps international students meet new friends and settle into university and Wellington life.
Some of the support services include:
- dedicated international student orientation and events
- a free arrival meeting service at the airport
- the International Buddy Programme, where you get paired with a ‘buddy’ from the get-go
Students can make the most of the many opportunities to get
involved in different communities, embrace new experiences, and develop skills
for their future careers. The university encourages all students to develop
strong global citizenship skills through their studies and extracurricular
programmes such as the Kitea
Impact Programme, which is also free to join.