Sharpen your legal skills at an advanced level
Whether you’re a lawyer, paralegal, non-Law graduate, or legal practitioner from overseas, the Postgraduate Certificate in Law can help you meet your study goals.
Enhance your skills in research, writing, and oral communication. Think critically about the law, explore topical issues, and solve legal problems. With the PGCertLaw, you can explore advanced specialised subjects, refresh your existing knowledge in a field, and gain experience in conducting and presenting research.
Study in Wellington where law and policy are made, and learn from leading legal experts.
Why Wellington
Studying Law at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington puts you right where the action happens. Our Pipitea Campus sits at the heart of Aotearoa’s legal and political world, just steps from Parliament, the Supreme Court, the High Court, and major law firms.
You’ll learn from world-leading scholars—many of them practising lawyers—who are genuinely invested in your success and teach in-depth courses in their own areas of expertise.
The rankings back it up too. Our Faculty of Law is consistently ranked among the top 100 law schools globally by QS World University Rankings. And we’re ranked number one for Law in Aotearoa New Zealand according to Times Higher Education 2026, Rankings by Subject.
Who can study for the PGCertLaw
You normally need a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) to enrol in this qualification.
Although the PGCertLaw by itself does not qualify you to practise as a lawyer, it can help advance your career. It could be ideal for you if you are:
- working in a policy or regulatory area—the PGCertLaw gives you substantive legal knowledge that you can apply to your daily work
- a practising lawyer—you can upskill in specialised areas or get up to date with critical legal topics
- interested in developing a sustained research project in the future—you could use the PGCertLaw to explore a research theme.
Pathway to further study
The PGCertLaw can also be your stepping stone to a higher qualification.
If you complete the PGCertLaw and want to continue on to further study, the courses you’ve done may be counted towards a coursework-based Master of Laws.
What you’ll learn
Within the PGCertLaw, you can take almost any of our 400- or 500-level LAWS courses—except 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 are some of the courses you could take:
- LAWS 438—Fraud and Corruption in an International Context
- LAWS 528—Contemporary Issues in Public International Law: Human Rights, Climate Change
- LAWS 530—New Zealand and Australian Copyright and Designs Law
- LAWS 532—Law and Technology
- LAWS 535—Restorative Justice
- LAWS 536—Trade Marks and Unfair Competition
- LAWS 537—Patent Law
- LAWS 547—Financial Markets Regulation.
How you’ll study
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.
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.
Part-time study options
Domestic students can choose to study part time, taking two courses per trimester. You’ll 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.
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 one of the following qualifications, based on the number of courses or points you need:
- Graduate Certificate in Law (60 points)
- Graduate Diploma in Law (120 points)
Entry requirements
Entry requirements for domestic students
- Requirements for students who completed university in:
If you live in New Zealand and are a citizen or permanent resident of New Zealand or Australia, you're considered a domestic student.
Some citizens of the Cook Islands, Niue, and Tokelau may automatically hold New Zealand citizenship.
Diplomatic residents living in New Zealand are also regarded as domestic students.
To be accepted into this qualification, you need:
1. (a) Before enrolment, a candidate for the PGCertLaw shall have:
(i) completed an LLB(Hons) or LLB; and
(ii) been accepted by the Director of Postgraduate Studies for the Faculty of Law as capable of proceeding with the proposed course of study.
(b) Requirement (a)(i) may be waived by the director for a candidate who has extensive practical, professional or scholarly experience of an appropriate kind and ability to proceed with the proposed course of study.
Qualification requirements
Excerpt from the regulations for the PGCertLaw
2. (a) The course of study for the PGCertLaw shall be a coherent programme of study approved by the director and consisting of courses at 400-level and above, with a total value of no less than 60 points. Except as provided in section 4, these courses shall be chosen from the LLB(Hons), or LLM schedules.
(b) The course of study may include up to two courses passed for a Certificate of Proficiency before enrolment for the PGCertLaw.
3. A candidate shall normally be enrolled for at least one trimester and shall complete the PGCertLaw within two years of first enrolling in it. The director may extend the maximum period in special cases.
Globally ranked
Our Faculty of Law is consistently ranked among the top 100 law schools in the world by QS World University Rankings.
The QS World University Rankings is an annual global publication that gives overall rankings and subject rankings for more than 1,500 universities worldwide.
Future careers
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). You could then continue with an LLM in coursework.
More career information
Find out more about careers in law.
The government careers website, Tahatū, offers more information about jobs, salaries, and current opportunities.
Scholarships
You may be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies.
While there are no specific scholarships for PGCertLaw students, we have general postgraduate and scholarships available, as well as specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas.
We encourage you to apply—many scholarships don’t receive enough applications.
Scholarships for the Law
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The purpose of this scholarship is to provide monetary assistance to students undertaking or proposing to undertake study or research in the Faculty of Law, and to recognize and encourage academic merit.
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The fund, which was established at the time of the renovation of the C3 lecture theatre, is to assist a second-year student from any faculty in their studies at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington
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The Takis Koutsos Memorial Scholarship was established by the friends and family of Takis Koutsos. Mr Koutsos was a post-WW II child immigrant to New Zealand from Greece who had a lifelong interest in Greek archaeology and history and was a close friend of VUW Emeritus Professor John Psathas, who worked as a stormwater engineer in Napier. The scholarship honours...
Scholarships for international students
We're currently offering a NZ$10,000 VUW Postgraduate International Scholarship to all eligible international students enrolling in a Master’s degree or Postgraduate Diploma programme.
Your scholarship will be processed automatically when your programme application is accepted, and the amount will be deducted from your tuition fees.
Other scholarships
We also have postgraduate and doctoral scholarships available, as well as specialised scholarships for different groups and subject areas.
We encourage you to apply—many scholarships don’t receive enough applications.
Scholarships for Law
There could be a scholarship for your qualification, subject area, background, or situation.
Join our postgraduate community
The Postgraduate Students’ Association provides a voice for you on campus and information on studying at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
Postgraduate Students’ Association
MAI ki Pōneke
MAI ki Pōneke are part of an international network of Māori and Indigenous postgraduate students. They provide advice, support, and information to Indigenous postgraduate students of all levels, as well as those thinking about enrolling.
Degree support and advice
We can help you match your interests and career goals with the right course of study.
If you’re a new student, talk to a Future Student Adviser.
If you’re already studying with us, talk to Tītoko—Student Success.
Get help to manage your finances
We can help you:
- budget your money
- manage your student loan or allowance
- work out your accommodation payment schedule.
If you’re facing financial difficulties, we can help you apply for the Hardship Fund.
You may be eligible for government or community support, too.
Apply for a New Zealand study visa
You’ll need to apply for a study visa if you plan to study with us as an international student.
You should apply for your visa after you’ve received your Offer of Place, and before you come to New Zealand.