European Law (LLM)

Programme Description

An in-depth knowledge and understanding of EU law is now more essential than ever for anyone considering a career in law, business, politics or policy within the UK, EU or beyond.

EU law is a complex and fascinating subject that weighs ever more heavily on policymaking in the UK, Europe and internationally. This programme is designed to equip you with the knowledge and understanding of European law required for any future legal career.

The negotiations on the UK’s departure from the EU will raise complex questions, with a possible special status for Scotland (or even renewed calls for independence) adding a further layer of complexity. Even after a so-called Brexit, EU law will remain relevant to lawyers in the UK not only when they are dealing with pre-Brexit questions, but also because any future EU-UK relationship is likely to be heavily influenced by it. Against that background, the importance of advanced knowledge in EU law to employment in the public and private sectors will only increase.

At Edinburgh, we take an interdisciplinary approach. You will combine study of the law and legal systems of the EU with courses on both policy implications and applied economics. The involvement of legal practitioners and policymakers in our programme, as well as the high-profile lectures and activities hosted by the Europa Institute, will give you first-hand knowledge of what is happening in Europe right now.

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. These courses will be led by members of the Law School academic community and those practising at the forefront of European Law decision making.

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.

• Programme and course structure

Learning outcomes

By the end of this programme, students should have acquired a sophisticated understanding of the European Union's legal system and its law-making processes, and substantive knowledge of their chosen policy/course strands.

They will have explored differing approaches to the subject and developed a greater familiarity with research materials and methods.

Career opportunities

The LLM in European Law is not only for law graduates who plan to develop a career in the field of EU law, but also for law students or practising lawyers looking to gain a competitive edge in the employment market more generally within law, business or policymaking. Many graduates develop dynamic careers working in Brussels, home of the European Commission.

Visit the European Law (LLM) page on the University of Edinburgh website for more details!