LLM in International Commercial and Business Law

The LLM International Commercial and Business Law is designed as a research-led programme for graduates from law and related disciplines who aim to specialise in commercial law, international trade and cross-border business transactions from a socio-legal perspective. It will help you understand and master the highly dynamic and complex legal and regulatory regimes governing international business and the global economy. If you aim for a career in corporate, financial or commercial law, our programme will equip you with solid knowledge and an advanced understanding of the key principles, rules and practices in areas such as corporate governance, corporate law, competition law, financial law, and trade law. With support from leading academics throughout this LLM, you will be able to develop a broad set of relevant skills that will allow you to contribute to legal problem-solving in key areas of commercial and business law.

Thanks to our diverse staff and student body you will have a unique opportunity to meet lecturers and peers with different experiences and backgrounds, enabling you to expand your own perspective and understanding further. In previous years students have joined the programme from both the UK and around the world, significantly contributing to the discussions in class and group work.

The School’s world-leading academics specialise in a range of relevant areas, including:

• International and Transnational Commercial Law, including international commercial and financial transactions, Conflicts of Law/Public International Law, harmonisation and regionalisation of commercial law, and commercial litigation and arbitration.
  • International Competition Law, including European and Comparative Competition Law
  • International Trade Law, including World Trade Organisation Law, international economic law, dispute settlement, and regional and national trade laws and policies.
  • Legal Aspects of Innovation and New Technologies, including blockchain and smart contracts.
  • Corporate Governance and Compliance, including comparative corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.
  • International Financial Regulation, including regulatory changes in the aftermaths of the East-Asian Financial Crisis and the Global Financial Crisis, regulating finance in key jurisdictions and in global financial centres and tax havens, deepening financial integration and financial fragmentation, the role of law and technology in finance, and the transition to sustainable and digital finance.

A Connected and Engaged Law School

The Law School and its academic staff are highly connected with institutions outside the higher education sector, enabling us to provide a programme that is vastly relevant for real-world problem solving. We have had cooperation with and inputs to our programme from the UN Conference on Trade and Development, competition authorities across multiple jurisdictions, the international competition network, local and national business law firms, the European Commission, the NI Department for the Economy, and the Bank of England. Law School staff members have been involved in advising various departments on trade laws and policies over recent years. We have also been providing legal training on finance law for the Department for the Economy under its Assured Skills Programme. Some of those cooperations have led to guest lectures in modules, where those external experts shared valuable insights with our students.

Small Group Teaching

The majority of the LLM modules use small group teaching to enhance your engagement with staff and peers in the classroom. This setting also maximises cross-cultural exchanges and learning reflecting many of the complexities and varieties in contemporary international business.

Research-led Teaching

Building on the unique research experience and knowledge of staff allows you to gain state-of-the-art insights into the key issues and discussions about socio-legal challenges and solutions related to international business and commerce. We also encourage LLM students to come along to research events at Queen’s and our Law School and we have usually several talks from world-leading experts on commercial and business law topics.

Industry Links

• Integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally. Law was ranked 11th in the UK for graduate prospects (Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2022). Northern Ireland had in recent years the most dynamic inflow of foreign investment in the UK and has become a key UK hub for legal and financial firms, including fintech firms. The Kalifa Review (2021) commissioned by the UK Treasury lists Belfast and Northern Ireland as one of 10 UK fintech clusters with world leading strength in RegTech, InsurTech, and Wealthtech.

World Class Facilities

• Our facilities at Queen's include a state-of-art Law building with superb teaching facilities, a moot court and study spaces. Queen's has one of the most modern campuses in the UK, including the award winning McClay Library, one of the finest libraries in the world, home to 1.2 million volumes, an amazing digitally-available collection of books and journals from all over the world, and over 2,000 reader places. The University invested considerable resources into further expanding its capacity to enable online learning and engagement, further boosting the student experience. Our Physical Education Centre was used as a training camp for the 2012 Olympics. Our Queen's Elms Student Village and city centre student accommodation (built in 2018) are located within easy walking distance of the University. The One Elmwood Student Centre, home of the Students’ Union and University Services, opened its doors in 2022 as a vibrant new hub for students at the heart of our campus and in close proximity to our School of Law building.

Internationally Renowned Experts

• The LLM is delivered by academic staff who through their research are currently shaping global, regional and local debates within legal scholarship and related disciplines. They have experience of interacting with leading policy-makers, regulators, businesses, law firms and other key stakeholders, contributing to ongoing developments both in the UK and beyond. Law at Queen's is in the top 150 Law Schools worldwide and we are ranked 19th in the world for global outlook. Research in Law was ranked 8th in the UK in the most recent research assessment exercise (REF 2021). Key areas of commercial and business law and regulation, including corporate governance, competition law, the law of commercial and financial transactions, the law of finance, and trade law are among our key areas of our research strength, reflected in our teaching on this LLM programme.

Student Experience

• This Programme has been specifically designed so that our students can emerge with a deeper appreciation of the place law plays in international business and the global economy. Students study within a vibrant international mix of students and staff from all over the world. We focus on your individual career and development needs, building your skills, enhancing your personal experience of the course and thinking of your career path. You will be taught not just abstract theory but also its practical application to legal problems and challenges faced by businesses, regulatory bodies, the profession of business lawyers, and wider society. At Queen's you will be part of and co-creating a thriving postgraduate culture built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and active engagement. These components are also woven together in our Graduate School that supports all our LLM students in developing additional skills and increased personal effectiveness that will enable you to stand out in the crowded and increasingly competitive global job market. Life at Queen's is not just about the degree. We offer and encourage our students to enrich their studies by using the manifold opportunities Belfast and the wider Queen’s community have to offer. Whether you're into student societies, sports, music, dance, or just a coffee with your friends, Queen’s has exceptional facilities to cater for all interests.

Welcome to the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast. We are a dynamic community of internationally acclaimed researchers, scholars and students who are committed to creating and sustaining a modern and meaningful place of connected learning. We are open to all talents, welcoming of challenge and change, and dedicated to using our subject expertise to make a difference in lives locally, nationally and internationally.

The Faculty has almost 10,500 students and over 700 academic and support staff who work in and across our five Schools – Arts, English and Languages; History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics; Law; Management; and Social Sciences, Education and Social Work, and in the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice. Our colleagues and students pursue a wide range of activities, including world-leading research and life-changing teaching. We hope that you want to be part of our work: we have nearly 150 undergraduate and postgraduate programmes as well as lots of challenging doctoral opportunities, so there is definitely something to suit your needs and ambition.

We are proud of the work of our students and staff, which has been recognised by many others for its quality and its commitment to work that makes. As a member of the Russell Group, Queen’s University Belfast is one of the UK’s 24 leading universities, providing students with a world-class education underpinned by world-class research. Queen’s is truly a global university, as our researchers work closely with more than 250 universities around the world and with even more businesses and agencies in Belfast and internationally. These networks and collaborations inform our programmes and offer great opportunities for students to learn with and from international peers and partners.

So, with a huge range of undergraduate and postgraduate opportunities, as well as a vibrant postgraduate research culture, I know that you will find that Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Queen’s University Belfast will challenge and inspire you, as well as equip you with the first-class skills and knowledge to excel in your chosen career.

Nola Hewitt-Dundas Pro-Vice-Chancellor

An Intellectual Powerhouse

Spanning everything from traditional humanities and social science subjects to cutting-edge areas in Creative Arts and applied professional studies.

Over 40 per cent of our research is ranked in the top 25 per cent for its respective subject area, with a further 40 per cent in the top 50 per cent nationally.

A Collaborative Culture

Our interdisciplinary environment allows students from all fields the opportunity to interact with academic leaders and participate in their research.

Areas of notable excellence include Creative Writing, Sonic Arts, Global Financial Markets, Children’s Well-being, Poverty and Social Exclusion, Translation and Interpreting and Shared Education.