LLM in International Law

Programme description

This popular programme offers you a firm foundation in the fundamentals of the international legal system and international relations. It offers you an opportunity to pursue advanced specialist courses according to your personal interests and career plans and is ideally suited to those wishing to specialize in public international law.

Programme structure

You must complete 180 credits of study – 60 credits are taken in the compulsory dissertation and the remaining 120 credits are taken in taught courses.

Courses will be led by members of Edinburgh Law School academic community, who are leaders in their field. You are expected to prepare in advance by reading the required materials and by reflecting on the issues to be discussed, and your participation in classes will be assessed.

For the dissertation, you will have a supervisor from whom you can expect guidance and support, but the purpose of the dissertation is to allow you to independently design and conduct a piece of research and analysis.

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this programme, you should have acquired a more sophisticated understanding of the international legal system, international law-making processes, the diverse functions of international law in contemporary society, differing approaches to the subject, and a greater familiarity with research materials and methods.

Career opportunities

This programme is suitable for professionally qualified lawyers wishing to practice international law professionally, whether in law firms or at the bar, or as legal advisers in foreign ministries, other government departments, international organizations, or NGOs.

It may also be of value to anyone seeking to develop a career in diplomacy or international relations. Recent graduates are now working as solicitors, lawyers, attorneys, paralegals and in a variety of other legal roles for organizations including the UN High Commission, International Criminal Tribunal, HSBC, Skyscanner and the Department of Health.

Entry requirements

A UK 2:1 honors degree, or its international equivalent, in law.

We may also consider a UK 2:1 honors degree, or its international equivalent, in a social science subject.

English language requirements

All applicants must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of their English language ability:

• an undergraduate or masters degree, that was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration
• IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.5 in each module)
• TOEFL-iBT: total 100 (at least 23 in each module)
• PTE(A): total 67 (at least 61 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)
• CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 176 in each module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

Degrees taught and assessed in English must be no more than three years old at the beginning of your degree programme. Language tests must be no more than two years old at the beginning of your degree programme.