Frequently Asked Questions
- What if I don’t have prerequisite knowledge required for the program?
- What if my qualifications where obtained in another country?
- Where will the course be held?
- Is the course available by correspondence? Are there flexible study options?
- How and when do I pay for the course? Is it possible to obtain a government loan to pay for the course fees (ie: FEE-HELP)? What do I have to do?
- How long do I have to finish the program?
- What is covered in the program?
- What if I need to pull out of the course? Do I get a refund?
- I only want to do the Advanced Arbitration Course. Is this possible?
- Does this program cover Mediation? I’m not sure if I need to do a course on Arbitration or Mediation?
- Do I automatically become an Arbitrator once I complete the Professional Certificate? How do I obtain work in this field?
- Can international students undertake the Professional Certificate in Arbitration?
- How much time do I need to devote to study during the week?
1. What if I don’t have prerequisite knowledge required for the program?
You can indicate that you intend to complete study in order to meet the prerequisite knowledge requirements - this can be:
- Introduction to Business Law course offered by the University of Adelaide
- Another course that provides the same knowledge - the content will need be assessed by the Adelaide Law School.
- The course will need to be completed by the time they commence the Professional Certificate.
2. What if my qualifications where obtained in another country?
Your qualifications will be assessed by the Law School for equivalency.
3. Where will the course be held?
Program is delivered nationally through a mix of online and face to face workshops. Online components can be accessed anywhere in the world.
Face to face workshops will be held in Adelaide and Sydney.
4. Is the course available by correspondence? Are there flexible study options?
The course is primarily delivered online but there are two face to face workshops per semester:
- Recommended Introduction Workshops are held at the start of each course.
These workshops provide the opportunity for participants to meet fellow students and the program academics, familiarise themselves with the online interface (MyUni) and cover some initial content in intensive mode. Students do not have to attend these sessions and may cover the material online. Students who do not have a law background and are not familiar with online learning are strongly encouraged to attend. - Compulsory Practical Workshops are held towards the end of each program.
All students must attend these sessions – they include a mock arbitration that must be completed by all students.
Students who are not able to attend the practical workshop for religious observance or health reasons – there will be an alternative workshop session offered on the Monday after the practical workshop.
5. How and when so I pay for the course? Is it possible to obtain a government loan to pay for the course fees (ie: FEE-HELP)? What do I have to do?
You will pay for the program online when you enrol – you can pay via credit card or request an invoice for payment.
The program meets the course of study requirements of FEE-HELP.
- To be eligible, you must be either an Australian citizen, permanent resident or have a humanitarian visa.
- You must also ensure that you have not exceeded your FEE-HELP limit, have enrolled in the course by the census date and provide your tax file number.
- You apply for fee help at the time of enrolment.
6. How long do I have to finish the program?
It is strongly recommended that both courses are completed within the year.
7. What is covered in the program?
An overview of the program topics is available under about the Professional Certificate in Arbitration section of this website.
If you have further questions about the academic content, contact the National Program Coordinator in the first instance.
8. What if I need to pull out of the course? Do I get a refund?
If you wish to withdraw from the Professional Certificate you must do this via Access Adelaide.
The date you withdraw from your course may impact on your academic record and the amount refunded to you.
9. I only want to do the Advanced Arbitration Course. Is this possible?
Exemption from the Introduction to Arbitration Course is no longer possible due to changes in the course content. Students who have previously completed and passed the General Course (previous name for Introduction Course) can enter the Advanced Arbitration Course.
Please contact theNational Program Coordinator to apply.
10. Does this program cover Mediation? I’m not sure if I need to do a course on Arbitration or Mediation?
The Professional Certificate includes sections on mediation - but only how it pertains to the Arbitration processes.
The program focuses on commercial arbitration and may not be suitable for those interested in non-commercial arbitration .
If you are interested in doing courses in mediation, contact IAMA in your state.
- Arbitration: to act or give judgment as umpire; to decide; to determine. An arbitrator makes a decision that the parties abide to,
- Mediation: negotiation to resolve differences conducted by some impartial party; intervention between conflicting parties to promote reconciliation, settlement, or compromise. A mediator assist parties to come to an agreement but does not decide for them.
11. Do I automatically become an Arbitrator once I complete the Professional Certificate? How do I obtain work in this field?
Completion of this qualification does not guarantee work in this field
On completion of the program and membership of IAMA, you are eligible to become a Grade 3 Arbitrator. There are 3 grades for Arbitrators – 1, 2 and 3 (1 is the highest).
When a dispute comes before IAMA, the Board at IAMA will nominate an Arbitrator to sit in on the dispute.
To qualify for a higher-level 1 or 2 grading, you must do a pupillage (which requires you to obtain permission from parties to sit in on an actual dispute).
For further information on career options and the work of an Arbitrator, you should contact IAMA in your state.
12. Can international students undertake the Professional Certificate in Arbitration?
The Professional Certificate is only open to international students who are already studying in Australia and meet the prerequisite and English language proficiency requirements for this program.
For programs in the Law School, providing documentation on any of the following can satisfy proof of English language proficiency: 1) IELTS - Overall band score of 7.0 with a minimum band score of 7.0 in Writing and Speaking and 6.5 in Reading and Listening. 2) TOEFL – Score of at least 600 with a minimum score of 5.0 in TWE. 3) Computer-based TOEFL – Score of at least 250 with a minimum score of 5.0 in Essay Rating.
The Program is particularly focused on arbitration practice in Australia.
13. How much time do I need to devote to study during the week?
Students should allocate between 6-9 hours per week (includes reading and answering tutorials and contributing to discussion boards).
The material is self-paced but you need to keep up with the Discussion Board material on a weekly basis.
If you are undertaking Introduction to Business Law at the same time as starting the Professional Certificate you should anticipate up to 15-20 hours per week during the cross-over study period.
