Masters degrees in Public International Law offer advanced study of the legal structure, conduct and interaction of sovereign states, analogous entities (such as certain religious institutions), and intergovernmental organisations.
Related subjects include International Law and Public Affairs. Entry requirements normally include an undergraduate degree in a relevant Law discipline.
The General Law programme at Aberdeen is one of the best programmes in terms of scope and areas of interest you can choose to study at advanced level. If your first degree was in a specific area of law there is nothing preventing you from choosing another area of law completely or a complementary area. You could study environmental law areas such as oil and gas law, energy and environmental law, low carbon energy transition with further environmental regulation. If you are more interested in criminal law you could look at Criminology, the politics of human rights, humanitarian law. If you are more interested in business you might choose international law, intellectual property law, world trade organisation or for business with a creative aspect you might think about specialist in cultural property issues or law for business and arts and museums law. There are many possible mixes of these general areas of law you might want to explore. Employment possibilities are huge from this range of areas of law and include all notable areas to practise law and careers within the legal profession to welfare sectors such as employment, business, HR and finance.
Law careers
You may become a Barrister if you wish to represent people at High Court and Magistrates court to put legal argument forward for decision. You could start off as a legal executive to later qualify as a solicitor with further training or after a number of years experience you may wish to become a judge. If you want some work experience you could become a court usher. Other careers include a Paralegal. This role undertakes much of a lawyers role in drafting documents, meetings and contracts. If you decide your law degree is useful for other areas you may look at Civil Service careers, become a politician, work in the police, city, or teach.
This programme is ideal if you want to be a generalist to an advanced level rather than a specialist in a specific area of law. You develop your analysis and research skills and you have the option of wide ranging courses to choose from which stretches your intellectual thinking capabilities in a top 10 School of Law (Complete University Guide 2018)
Courses listed for the programme
Semester 1
Compulsory
Optional (4 courses 2 in Semester 1 and 2)
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
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View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
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In this advanced master’s programme, you will gain a thorough understanding of the legislation that governs international relations in an increasingly complex global society. You will learn in-depth about a wide range of aspects that affect our world, in addition to getting the opportunity to specialise your area of study. Through focused seminars and workshops, you will be challenged to develop your own views on the role and functioning of public international law.
For this programme, you will choose one of the following specialisations:
To view the full programme outline, please choose the link to one of the specialisations.
Professional skills
During the programme, you will develop the skills to:
The Public International Law programme is a good fit for you if you have a sincere interest in the field and:
The programme caters to those who are working in or would like to pursue a career in international organisations, governmental institutions, international non-governmental organisations or in academia. You can follow the programme full-time for one year or part-time for two years.
Core courses
Specialisation courses: International Criminal Law
Specialisation courses: Peace, Justice and Development
Please select one of the specialisations to view the full prospectus and a more detailed programme description.
The International Law programme offered at Aberdeen differs from International Commercial Law with Professional Skills and Dissertation within the optional modules you take. There is less emphasis on intellectual property law and commercial business law and more emphasis on International Law in a general sense internationally. You study areas such as family law, human rights, criminal law and humanitarian law plus private laws in many cases within your options so you can potentially specialise within your choices. You also do combine some area of commercial law such as arbitration, energy and environmental law and international trade and finance law which can be applied to individuals and businesses, charities and NGOs plus some level of cultural property law. These could be options if you want to mix your modules a bit within the first and second semester. If you want to get the most from your Master's degree and have a range of specialisms in international private and commercial law this may be an ideal solution due to the range of modules to choose from.
The LLM in International Law offers a range of courses covering both public and private international law. It enables students to undertake advanced legal research and writing in this field and educates students in the analysis of international treaties and case law with an international law dimension.
Semester 1
Optional
Semester 2
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about fees:
Find out more from the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes have different tuition fees from those listed above and that some programmes also have additional costs.
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
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This pathway allows international law and international relations to inform each other. It covers the general methods, scope and theories of international law, international humanitarian law and international relations. It provides a detailed understanding of the role, potential and limitations of public international law in international affairs. Its interdisciplinary approach is particularly suited to those involved with, or hoping to work for, international organisations, non-governmental organisations, foreign affairs departments and international law firms.
Students studying International Law with International Relations are encouraged to participate in the activities of the Centre for Critical International Law (CeCIL) at Kent. These include workshops, trips to international courts and tribunals, and guest lecture series.
Students can choose to spend one term (either Autumn or Spring) at our Canterbury campus and one (either Autumn or Spring) at our Brussels centre (returning to Canterbury to complete the dissertation) under our split-site option for this programme. The split site option is charged at a different rate. Please see under Fees below for more information. Programmes at our Brussels centre are offered primarily in International Law and Human Rights Law. Students are responsible for organising their own accommodation in Brussels. Please contact the University's Accommodation Office for information about the availability of short term accommodation in Canterbury.
Studying for a Master's in Law (LLM) at Kent means having the certainty of gaining an LLM in a specialist area of Law. The Kent LLM gives you the freedom to leave your choice of pathway open until after you arrive - your pathway being determined by the modules you choose.
Kent Law School (KLS) is the UK's leading critical law school. A cosmopolitan centre of world-class critical legal research, it offers a supportive and intellectually stimulating place to study postgraduate taught and research degrees.
The Law School offers its flagship Kent LLM at the University’s Canterbury campus (and two defined LLM programmes at the University’s Brussels centre). Our programmes are open to non-law graduates with an appropriate academic or professional background who wish to develop an advanced understanding of law in their field.
You study within a close-knit, supportive and intellectually stimulating environment, working closely with academic staff. KLS uses critical research-led teaching throughout our programmes to ensure that you benefit from the Law School’s world-class research.
In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by Kent Law School was ranked 8th in the UK for research intensity. We were also ranked 7th for research power and in the top 20 for research output, research quality and research impact. An impressive 99% of our research was judged to be of international quality and the School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of world-leading research.
Kent Law School is one of the leading law schools in the UK; we are ranked 14th in The Times Good University Guide 2018, 15th in The Guardian University Guide 2018 for law and 19th in The Complete University Guide 2018.
The Law School has an excellent international reputation; ranked 50th in the Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings for law 2018, it is also listed amongst the top 100 law schools in the world in both the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2017 and the Shanghai Ranking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2017.
The fees for the Canterbury-only delivery of this programme are the same as those for the standard LLM programme. However, fees for our split-site option (which is taught in Canterbury and Brussels) are charged at a different rate. Please refer here for the current fees for the split-site 90 ECTS option.
The University has a generous postgraduate scholarship fund in excess of £9m available to taught and research students studying at Kent. There are also scholarships specifically for Law School students including a Taught Overseas Scholarship and Taught Home/EU Bursaries. Kent Law School has also established a major fund to support students who are from or who have studied in Kenya, Nigeria or Thailand, and who undertake a Master's in Law (LLM) at the Canterbury campus of the University of Kent.
Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take modules from other programmes so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.
Our current module handbook is available to download on our website. The modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.
The postgraduate programmes offered within the Law School are usually taught in seminar format. Students on the Diploma and LLM programmes study three modules in each of the autumn and spring terms. The modules are normally assessed by a 4-5,000-word essay. Students undertaking an LLM degree must write a dissertation of 15,000 words.
Employability is a key focus throughout the University and at Kent Law School you have the support of a dedicated Employability and Career Development Officer together with a broad choice of work placement opportunities, employability events and careers talks. Details of graduate internship schemes with NGOs, charities and other professional organisations are made available to postgraduate students via the School’s Employability Blog.
Kent has an excellent record for postgraduate employment: over 96% of our postgraduate students who graduated in 2015 found a job or further study opportunity within six months.
Information about the internship programme for LLM students can be found on the Kent Law School Employability blog.
Information for international students
This course will be of interest to individuals who seek a deeper understanding of the many dimensions of public international law from both a theoretical and practical perspective. As this course has an international dimension it will appeal to students from around the world and at all stages of their legal education and professional experience.
The Specialist LLM in Public International Law concentrates on the development of a thorough and critical understanding of Public International Law, the law governing the interaction of states. The last decade or so has seen tremendous challenges for International Law including matters relating to armed conflict, commercial relations and human rights. This course gives you the opportunity to trace and evaluate some of these practical and theoretical developments guided by leading academics and expert practitioners.
City's LLM in Public International Law takes a contemporary approach to the study of international law. You may choose from an extensive list of electives including the law of treaties, human rights, economic law, law of the sea and others.
All electives adopt a curriculum that is cutting edge in its theoretical approach and a skill-based methodology to enable you to develop your knowledge and skills in the subject in the best manner possible.
Each year a small number of internships become available and you will be provided with information about such opportunities and how to apply during the year of your study.
As a City Law School student you will benefit from everything the institution has to offer including the Learning Success department and Lawbore, an online resource designed to help you find the information you need for the course modules. All course modules have online depositories through Moodle.
As part of the University of London you can also become a member of Senate House Library for free with your student ID card.
You will benefit from City, University of London’s extensive library of hard copy and electronic resources, including its comprehensive database of domestic and international caselaw, legislation, treaties and legal periodicals. There are two law-specific libraries – one at the Gray’s Inn campus and one at our Northampton square campus - with individual study spaces and dedicated rooms for group work.
Additionally, we are a short walk away from the British Library and the Law Library of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies.
This course is taught by leading academics as well as visiting practitioners including barristers and solicitors who work in private practice and in legal departments of major companies.
All modules are structured as 10-weekly two-hour seminars which comprise both lectures as well as interactive tutorials. All modules are supported by our online learning platform - Moodle. Assessment is by way of coursework which comprises 100% of the final mark in each module. Each module carries the same weight in terms of the overall qualification.
You will be allocated a dedicated supervisor for your dissertation who will help you develop a specific topic and provide support in terms of resources, content and structure.
As with all LLM specialisms at City, University of London, you may take either five modules and a shorter dissertation (10,000 words) or four modules and a longer dissertation (20,000 words). All modules are of the same duration and are taught per term (September – December or January – April) rather than the whole academic year. If you take four modules you will take two per term in each term and if you take five modules you will have three in one term and two in the other. Dissertations are written during the summer term when there are no classes.
In order to obtain this specialism, you must choose at least three modules from within this specialism and write their dissertation on a subject within the specialism.
Specialism modules
Choose from the following 30 credit modules:
For your remaining modules you can choose from more than 50 modules covering a diverse range of subjects.
As a graduate of this specialist LLM in Public International Law you will be well placed to pursue careers in this area of law in private practice, in house in a legal practice, policy and government, non-governmental organisations, and a wide range of non-legal careers in the field of publc international law.
The City Law School has a vibrant Pro Bono programme including our award-winning commercial law clinic for tech start-ups Start-Ed.
If you want to work internationally in law Public International Law gives you an opportunity to utilise your skills within nation states and international organisations. It consists of rules and general applications of states and intergovernmental organisations. If you want to work as a public international lawyer you can specialise with the programme at Aberdeen within discipline areas such as human rights law, world trade or international environmental protection. The School of Law is ranked in the top 10 (Complete University Guide 2018) and your lecturers come from across Europe and are published in several languages. You can be involved in the many student run societies and law projects which allow students to gain valuable real world insight. You can also attend events run by the Centre for Sustainable International Development, the Centre for Security and Governance and you can attend research seminars and guest lecturers to provide you with unique and current insights into legal issues.
The programme provides students with a thorough knowledge of public international law while also discussing recent trends and current developments in this area of law. The school prides itself in producing highly skilled graduates for the legal profession and you benefit from guest speakers from Public International Law. 98% of students felt that their LLM had added value to their career prospectus and 97% would recommend their programme to others. The programme is run by highly skilled lawyers and academics in their own right and you have access to these teaching staff whenever you need their support.
Semester 1
Semester 2
Optional
Semester 3
Find out more detail by visiting the programme web page
Find out about international fees:
Find out more about fees on the programme page
*Please be advised that some programmes also have additional costs.Find out about international fees:
View all funding options on our funding database via the programme page and the latest postgraduate opportunities
Find out more about:
Find out more about living in Aberdeen and living costs
You may be interested in:
The LLM International Law and International Relations examines global politics and international law and the fascinating interplay between the two. Jointly delivered by our prestigious Law School and the highly ranked and regarded Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion (PPR), it enables you to explore the theory and the practice of international relations and international law, and deepen your understanding of the ways that legal principles apply to inter-state relations.
Our Law School is home to the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice. These influential centres underpin our postgraduate teaching and you will have access to the much sought-after expertise of academics working at the forefront of research into international affairs, legal and socio-legal issues.
The pathway for the LLM ensures a duality: five modules from the Law School and PPR, and a 20,000 word dissertation, enable you to pursue your own interests whilst becoming practiced at looking at issues from different perspectives.
Your core modules are International Law, Major Approaches to the Study of International Relations, and the LLM Dissertation.
You will study further elective modules from the Law School and/or PPR. We pride ourselves on the breadth of options available and you can focus on the issues that most interest you. Elective modules include (among many others): Theorising Security and War; Environmental Law; International Relations and Politics of the Middle East; Law and Global Health; Conflict Management and Contemporary Conflicts; and, the Rights of Peoples.
The dissertation is an independent, in-depth inquiry into a research topic of your choosing. The topic will link to a key legal or political question or issue and may also directly relate to your professional/career interests. This is your opportunity to make a contribution to the academic community with new, original research and writing. A dissertation supervisor will provide you with support and introduce you to relevant research; their personal research interests will closely align with your chosen topic wherever possible.
Our teaching approach is international in scope and comparative by nature, and we actively encourage you to build a beneficial network of academics, peers and alumni during your time with us. All of this will help you to broaden your experience, deepen your understanding, and prepare for your next step.
Your postgraduate LLM/MA degree opens doors to a huge range of careers and provides high-level training for those pursuing careers in areas such as foreign and international affairs, national and international non-governmental organisations, journalism and international business.
You will develop: the skills required to critically evaluate cutting-edge research; inter-disciplinary skills; and, analytical and communications skills. All of which are a real boost in any sector and highly prized by employers.
The LLM/MA is also an ideal stepping stone to PhD study and academia.
Please note: We welcome applications from students without prior study of politics, law or international relations, but you would be expected to work hard to make up the gap to master advanced level study of these subjects.
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
Core
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Study for your specialist masters degree at a University ranked 13th in the UK for Law.
