Melbourne Law School English language requirements 2026: LLM at IELTS 6.5, JD unchanged at 7.5
The short answer
Melbourne Law School has lowered the published minimum English language requirement for its taught law masters — the Master of Laws (LLM) and comparable courses — from IELTS 7.0 (no band below 6.5) to IELTS 6.5 (no band below 6.0). The Juris Doctor (JD) requirement is unchanged at IELTS 7.5 (no band below 7.0).
These figures were read directly from the University of Melbourne's official course pages on 13 August 2026, and cross-checked against Wayback Machine archives. The LLM change applies from the mid-year 2026 intake; the JD figures apply from the start-year 2027 intake.
What changed for the LLM and other law masters
The Master of Laws (course code 502CW) entry-requirements page now lists the following minimum English scores:
- IELTS: 6.5 overall; writing 6.0; speaking 6.0; reading 6.0; listening 6.0
- TOEFL iBT: 81 overall; writing 19; speaking 19; reading 16; listening 16
- Pearson PTE Academic: 64 overall; writing 60; speaking 60; reading 60; listening 60
- Cambridge English: 169 overall; writing 170; speaking 179; reading 163; listening 163
- LanguageCert Academic: 67 overall; writing 64; speaking 70; reading 60; listening 57
- MET: 58 overall; writing 57; speaking 48; reading 55; listening 56
The previous published requirement, confirmed in archives from 9 January 2025 and 10 December 2025, was IELTS 7.0 with no band less than 6.5 (the December archive also lists TOEFL 91). So the headline change is a half-band reduction on the overall score and a half-band reduction on each individual component.
The same 6.5/6.0 IELTS standard now appears on the entry-requirements pages for the other taught law masters checked on the same date:
- Master of Commercial Law — IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band; TOEFL 81
- Master of Banking and Finance Law — IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band; TOEFL 81
- Master of Construction Law — IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band
- Master of Tax — IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band
- Graduate Diploma in Laws — IELTS 6.5 overall, 6.0 in each band
The LLM page states that the published entry requirements apply from the mid-year 2026 intake. If you are applying for an earlier intake, check the course page for the requirements that apply to that intake.
The JD is unchanged at 7.5
The Juris Doctor entry-requirements page still lists:
- IELTS: 7.5 overall; writing 7.0; speaking 7.0; reading 7.0; listening 7.0
- TOEFL iBT: 100 overall; writing 26; speaking 24; reading 22; listening 22
- Pearson PTE Academic: 78 overall; writing 75; speaking 76; reading 72; listening 72
- Cambridge English: 187 overall; writing 193; speaking 193; reading 194; listening 179
- LanguageCert Academic: 81 overall; writing 78; speaking 82; reading 71; listening 67
- MET: 67 overall; writing 74; speaking 59; reading 63; listening 61
This is not a new figure. Three separate Wayback Machine captures — 3 January 2025, 21 April 2025 and 18 November 2025 — all show the JD at IELTS 7.5 with no band below 7.0. The JD page states that its published requirements apply from the start-year 2027 intake.
It is worth noting that some secondary sources have circulated a figure of 7.0/6.5 for the JD. That is incorrect for the current published requirement. If you see that number anywhere, it is a misreading of the LLM change, not a JD change.
What this does and does not mean
The published minimum requirement for the taught law masters has moved from 7.0 to 6.5. That is a factual statement about what the University of Melbourne now lists as the minimum score for admission consideration.
It does not mean the course has become easier to get into, that competition has fallen, or that a 6.5 score guarantees admission. English proficiency is one entry requirement among several — academic transcripts, prior qualifications and other selection criteria still apply. The published score is a floor, not a promise.
Similarly, the unchanged JD requirement should not be read as a signal about course quality or difficulty. The two courses have always had different English thresholds, and they still do.
The language pathway page has not caught up
The University of Melbourne English Language Bridging Program (UMELBP), run through Hawthorn English, has an entry-requirements page that still states: "Applicants to the Melbourne Law School are not eligible for UMELBP."
That page has not been updated to reflect the new LLM scores. As of 13 August 2026, the official UMELBP entry-requirements page still states that applicants to the Melbourne Law School are not eligible for UMELBP. If you were hoping to use UMELBP to meet the English requirement, the current published position is that law school applicants are not eligible — check the UMELBP page directly for any future change.
If you already hold a conditional offer
For applicants who already hold a conditional offer, or who have applied for a place in the language pathway under the previous requirements, the university has communicated that it will contact affected students directly by email with further advice. Specific arrangements for existing offers will be confirmed through that official communication, so the university's email to individual applicants is the channel to watch.
Do not act on the new scores until you have written confirmation from the University about your specific offer. A published change to entry requirements does not automatically rewrite the conditions of an existing offer.
How to verify these figures yourself
All figures in this article were read from the official University of Melbourne course pages on 13 August 2026. If you are reading this later, the pages may have changed again. The three pages to check are the LLM entry requirements, the JD entry requirements, and the UMELBP entry requirements. The course pages are the only authoritative source for current scores; the UMELBP page is the only authoritative source for bridging program eligibility.