LLM International and Comparative Law - Part-time

Our LLMs from our new Master's in Law suite of programs are designed for law and non-law graduates who want to explore the practical application of a particular, specialist area of the law. Study face-to-face or online.

LLM International and Comparative Law - Part-time

A Master of Laws (LLM) in International and Comparative Law* is a postgraduate degree designed for law and non-law graduates to enhance their academic legal knowledge. This internationally recognized Master’s course will give you the skills to progress within international and comparative law and can open up pathways to a career as a Barrister, Solicitor, Legal Advisor, Corporate Lawyer, Intergovernmental Legal Officer, and more.

The law in context

Gain essential in-depth knowledge and insight in your chosen area of law and understand the importance of legal rules as they are applied in the real world.

Flexible study

The program structure is highly flexible. You can design your own degree pathway that suits you and meets your career objectives, whatever they might be.

Taught by subject experts

Taught by a combination of former and current practitioners, as well as research and teaching academics who are focused on legal practice, not just theory.

Course Requirements

Students should possess a UK bachelor’s degree in any subject at 2:2 or above or equivalent qualifications. Non-law students must complete a compulsory two-week induction covering the Key Principles of the English Legal System unless they can evidence the successful completion of an LLB (or equivalent) or a minimum of 3 legal modules worth at least 80 QCF credits, which must include - English Legal System, Contract Law and Law of Tort.

Course Details

The LLM International and Comparative Law is an innovative, flexible program that will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of international and comparative law in practice. You will explore the main legal families worldwide and the roles of legal personnel and courts within each family type. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore the issues of legal transplantation and convergence and consider comparative legal principles in the context of case studies selected from different fields of private law.

When you study the LLM International and Comparative Law with us you will:

• Be taught by subject matter experts, former and current practitioners, and research and teaching-focused academics.
• Benefit from strategic partnerships with firms, regulators, and accreditation bodies, which inform our program development.
• Improve your employability by gaining important transferable skills and mapping your career with our careers team.
• Strengthen your network - connect with other students, faculty, and industry professionals on an international scale, and seek out opportunities for future placements and job opportunities.
• Increase your earning potential - the 2020 Graduate Labour Market Statistics found that postgraduates earn on average £7,000 more than their graduate counterparts.
• Get ahead of the competition - gain in-depth knowledge of your topic of interest and become a subject expert, which will provide you with a competitive edge in the job market.
• 94% of postgraduate students in employment were in highly skilled occupations 15 months after graduating (2019/20 Graduate Outcomes data).
• Prepare for the future of Legal Technology – study modules in legal technology and gain insight into this emerging area of law.

Please note that, due to Home Office regulations, students who require a Student Route visa to study with us are not permitted to study online and can only choose face-to-face taught modules.

Course Structure

Term 1-4 (Part-time)

In addition to a general induction to the program, there is a two-week induction covering the Key Principles of the English Legal System. This is compulsory for non-law students, but also open to students wanting a refresher in the fundamentals of the law of England and Wales. This would be useful for any student who has taken a considerable break from legal education.

Compulsory modules include:

• International and Comparative Law
• Research Methods Training to help you prepare for your dissertation

You may then choose three* from the list of elective modules which includes modules such as:

• Public International Law
• International Human Rights
• International Business Law

*All elective modules are subject to availability.

Term 4-5 (Part-time)

• Dissertation in International and Comparative Law.

Course Information

Assessments

Modules are assessed by a three-hour unseen written examination or a 4,500-word coursework assignment.

All assessments are conducted online.

The dissertation module will be assessed by submission of a thesis (15,000 words), and provides an opportunity for sustained, in-depth and intensive investigation into, and reflection upon, a specialist area of Healthcare Regulation.

Structure

The course has an innovatively flexible structure, with specific assessments that are conducive to effective learning.

The approach to learning and teaching in the Master of Laws programs is predominantly learner-centered. Each taught module is divided into a number of Units which are presented using the Prepare, Engage, Consolidate approach.

Prepare: this represents all the work the student needs to complete before attending the relevant workshop. Traditional lecture content will be presented in short bite-sized segments of approximately 10 minutes to better engage the modern student. Guided independent research and reading will be expected as part of a student’s preparation.

Engage : this represents the interactive element of the Unit. This could be a face-to-face workshop, a synchronous online workshop, or an asynchronous online activity.

Consolidate : this represents the final part of the Unit and can be used by students to check their understanding of the Unit immediately after their Engage activity or as part of their revision for the module or both.

How to Apply

• You can apply for this course directly with the University.
• This course cannot be chosen to study alongside our Legal Practice Course (LPC).

The University of Law is one of the UK's longest-established specialist providers of legal education. We can trace our origins to 1876 with the formation of leading tutorial firm Gibson & Weldon.

With a rich heritage and a reputation for innovation and contemporary teaching practices, we continuously focus on developing the best legal minds.

What Makes Us Different

What really sets us apart from other universities is the guiding principle that the current and future lawyers we teach should only ever learn in a realistic, professional and contemporary context with plenty of practical, interactive engagement. That's why we keep our contact hours high and our teaching groups small.

Innovation and Contemporary Teaching Practices

All of our courses – from our undergraduate law degrees to our market-leading postgraduate courses and professional development programmes – are designed with a unique, varied and innovative learning approach that’s proven to deliver self-reliant lawyers who can compete in the fast-changing world of legal services. With a focus on developing skills in problem-solving, weighing up arguments, critical thinking, and commercial awareness, our courses are designed to prepare you for the real-life challenges of the working world.

Powerful Connections

Our track record of excellence in learning and development has helped us establish worldwide connections within the legal services market. This is why many leading global law firms work exclusively with us to develop their people, and why legal employers of all types want to meet our students. It’s also why law schools and professional bodies around the world choose to enter into strategic alliances with us.

Understanding of the Law

The University of Law is an internationally recognised expert in the field of law. Rather than focusing on academic research, our aim is to be thought leaders in the issues that matter to the legal profession and the next generation of practising lawyers. Our courses take an in-depth look into key areas of the law and provide a broader overview of the legal system to better contextualise what's being learned.

The Most Experienced Tutors

Over 250 of our tutors are qualified lawyers, many still in practice, and all have extensive practical experience which they are able to pass onto our students. We facilitate this process with high levels of student-to-tutor contact time and small class sizes - one of the reasons that many law firms insist their trainees study with us.

Focused on Employability

We focus exclusively on practice-based training and give students access to our market-leading law careers service and legal vacancy database as soon as they accept a place with us. Students also benefit from our pioneering and award-winning pro bono programmes, which allow them to gain valuable work experience by helping real clients from the local community.

Widening Access

We take our responsibility to widen access to the legal profession seriously and offer a wide range of scholarships to help talented University of Law students fund their legal training and achieve their career ambitions.