The Law & Justice Dean's List is changing, here's what to expect

From 2027, the Dean's List will change how it recognises its highest academic achievers.

Published on the 16 March 2026

From 2027, the Faculty of Law & Justice Dean’s List will move from a course-based model to a cohort-based recognition framework. The new framework will apply to academic results from 2026 onward, with awards issued in 2027.

Instead of awarding the top student in each individual course, students will be ranked within their program cohort and stage. The top three per cent of students in each eligible cohort will be recognised based on their overall Faculty WAM, ensuring sustained academic excellence is acknowledged.

What's changing

These new changes will affect each Law & Justice program as follows:

Bachelor of Laws (LLB): Stage-based ranking (by UoC completed) - top 3% of students per stage. To be eligible, students must have successfully completed a minimum 18 UoC of LAWS courses in the relevant year.
Juris Doctor (JD): Stage-based ranking (by UoC completed) - top 3% of students per stage. To be eligible, students must have successfully completed a minimum 18 UoC of LAWS courses in the relevant year.
Master of Laws (LLM): Top 3% of each term-based cohort. To be eligible, students must have successfully completed a minimum 18 UoC of LAWS courses in the relevant term.
Bachelor of Criminology & Criminal Justice (BCCJ): Stage-based ranking - top 3% of students per stage. To be eligible, students must have successfully completed a minimum 18 UoC of CRIM courses in the relevant year.

Digital badges via Credly will also be introduced, replacing individual certificates. These secure, verifiable credentials can be shared on LinkedIn and other professional platforms, providing long-term, portable recognition of your achievements. A formal Dean’s List notation will continue to appear on academic transcripts.

Why the big change?

The Faculty of Law & Justice has undertaken a comprehensive review of the Dean’s List process to ensure its highest academic achievers are recognised in a way that is fair, transparent, and aligned with best practice across UNSW.

The revised model:

Recognises sustained academic excellence across a program, not just performance in a single course;
Aligns Law & Justice with recognition practices used across other UNSW faculties; and
Enhances the prestige and clarity of the Dean’s List award.