LLM in International Law LLM

International law is an exciting and ever-changing area of law.

You’ll study international law from a theoretical perspective, helping you to understand and contextualise the law and the international legal system. You’ll learn from today’s leading lawyers – our world-leading research underpins our teaching – and gain a strong basis in the foundations of international law and the international legal system.

You’ll have the opportunity to explore specialist areas of the law that seek to regulate, for example:

• the use of force
• armed conflict
• international crimes and terrorism
• human rights and human migration
• the protection of the environment.

Sussex Law School provides an international, stimulating and engaging learning environment for you to build a rich base of knowledge. We’ll also prepare you for your future career – our courses have skills training at their core, enabling you to approach legal problems logically.

Entry Requirements

UK requirements

Degree Requirements: You should normally have an upper second-class (2.1) undergraduate honours degree or above.

Subject-specific requirements: Your qualification should be in law or a relevant subject such as economics, finance, international relations, political science, history, criminology, criminal justice or sociology. You may still be considered for the course if you have a qualification in a different subject area. You may also be considered for the course if you have other professional qualifications or experience of equivalent standing.

International requirements

IELTS (Academic): Standard level (6.5 overall, including at least 6.0 in each component).

Admissions information for applicants

How to apply: You apply to Sussex using our postgraduate application system.

Personal Statement: Yes. You must submit a personal statement as part of your application.

Application deadlines

• 1 August 2020 (international)
• 1 September 2020 (UK/EU)

Course Details

Full-time and part-time study

Choose to study this course full time or part time, to fit around your work and personal life. Modules for the full-time course are listed below.

For details about the part-time course, contact us at lps@sussex.ac.uk

Modules

These modules are running in the academic year 2020/21. However, there may be changes to these modules due to staff availability, student demand or updates to our curriculum. We’ll make sure to let our applicants know of changes to modules at the earliest opportunity.

Core modules

Core modules are taken by all students on the course. They give you a solid grounding in your chosen subject and prepare you to explore the topics that interest you most.

• LLM Dissertation
• Advanced Legal Research and Writing
• Critiquing International Law
• International Law: Rights and Responsibilities
• Principles of International Law

Options

Alongside your core modules, you can choose options to broaden your horizons and tailor your course to your interests.

• Alternative Dispute Resolution
• Civil and Political Rights: Contemporary Challenges
• Corruption and the Law
• Indigenous and Minority Rights
• International and Transnational Offending
• International Crimes
• International Environmental Law
• International Investment Law
• Law of Armed Conflict
• Migration, Rights and Governance
• Socioeconomic rights: economic violence, social justice and human rights law
• The EU as a Global Actor
• The Use of Force and International Law
• War, Terror, Violence and International Law
• Women and Human Rights

Study visit

You’ll have the opportunity to experience the work of the international courts on our annual study visit to The Hague in the Netherlands.

How much does it cost?

Fees

• UK/EU students: £9,250 per year
• Channel Islands and Isle of Man students: £9,250 per year
• International students: £18,500 per year

Additional costs

Please note, all costs are best estimates based on current market values. Costs are paid at the start of your course unless specified otherwise. We review estimates every year and they may vary with inflation.

International Law texts

We recommend you buy certain optional texts for around £30 to £35. These texts are available from the University bookshop, online and from other outlets.

Optional field trip

This course offers an optional field trip to The Hague once a year. If you wish to attend, it will cost around £100 to £180.

Recommended texts

The optional but recommended texts for this course cost between £20 and £50.

How can I fund my course?

Postgraduate Masters loans

You can borrow up to £11,222 to help with fees and living costs if your course starts on or after 1 August 2020. Loans are available from the Student Loans Company if you’re from the UK or if you’re an EU national studying for a Masters.

Scholarships

Our aim is to ensure that every student who wants to study with us is able to despite financial barriers so that we continue to attract talented and unique individuals.

Careers

Our course will enhance your employability. You’ll have acquired transferable methodological skills, equipping you to handle legal texts, international instruments and academic literature.

The LLM’s emphasis on comparative, international examples will help if you are interested in looking to work in both the UK and overseas in international law firms, agencies, governments, international organisations and NGOs.