International Law - LLM/Postgraduate Diploma/Postgraduate Certificate

The LLM in International Law consists of nine modules in total, including a dissertation of up to 15,000 words.

To gain the Postgraduate Certificate, you will study three compulsory modules (Research Methods, International Law and Institutions) and two optional modules.

To gain the Postgraduate Diploma, you will complete the necessary modules to gain the Certificate (as above) and another four optional modules.

To achieve the LLM, you will complete the necessary modules to gain the Diploma (as above) and also write a dissertation.

Compulsory modules

• Research Methods - We will develop your approach to legal research by introducing you to key skills and concepts.
• International Law and Institutions - This covers the principles and scope of international law and its main institutions. You will explore the dynamics of the international community and the increasing role played by non-governmental actors.

You will choose two modules from the following options:*

• Globalisation and the Law - This introduces you to what globalisation means in economic, political, cultural and social terms, and the legal consequences that derive there from. You will assess whether international law is equipped with instruments and institutions to regulate the consequences of globalisation.
• International Environmental Law -This module covers international legal principles and concepts relating to environmental protection in the context of wider political, ecological and economic issues.
• International Human Rights Law - Here, we examine the development of human rights protection in international law. We consider the philosophical origins, as well as the international and regional legal instruments and institutions that provide support for human rights.

If you are continuing onto the Diploma or LLM, you will choose another four modules from the following options:*

• Corporate Governance and Corporate Social Responsibility - This module focuses on the difference between the concepts of corporate governance and corporate social responsibility, enabling you to assess the effectiveness of corporate governance and self-regulatory schemes.
• Natural Resources Law - This examines the legal regulation related to natural resources, looking at the sources and legal concepts applicable to natural resource activities, with a particular focus on the oil, gas, water and forestry sectors.
• International Humanitarian Law - This covers the international legal principles regulating armed conflict, in order to understand the principal institutional structures for implementing international humanitarian law.
• International Employment Law - This centres on employment law in an international context. The module relates to many of the themes explored in the materials of the International Labour Office (ILO), in particular globalisation, flexicurity (flexibility v security), human rights and sustainability.
• World Trade Organisation Law - We examine the laws, law-making and adjudicative institutions of the World Trade Organisation. Particular attention is given to the procedures for dispute resolution and other 'covered agreements' relating to international economic law.

Or one option*, not listed above, offered on any of the other LLM courses.

Dissertation

Finally, if you are undertaking the full LLM, you will need to write a 15,000 word dissertation. This needs to be an original piece of work. You can satisfy this requirement by:

• carrying out empirical work that has not been done before
• synthesising issues not put together before
• looking at topics that have not been looked at before by people in the discipline
• examining existing knowledge in an original way, or
• bringing new evidence to bear on an old issue.

You don't need to meet all of these criteria. Your dissertation topic must broadly relate to your LLM award.

* Optional modules are dependent on numbers, so may not all run every year.

Please also note this structure is for the full-time course delivery only. For part-time delivery, the same modules will be studied. However, the structure will differ.

The University continually enhances our offer by responding to feedback from our students and other stakeholders, ensuring the curriculum is kept up to date and our graduates are equipped with the knowledge and skills they need for the real world. This may result in changes to the course. If changes to your course are approved, we will inform you.

The flexible nature of the course allows you to study with us full or part time. The course involves both extensive independent research and discussion in the context of workshops, designed to encourage the development of your critical, analytical and reflective skills. You will be expected to prepare for each workshop and to participate actively in discussion with your tutors and peers.

You will also have access to course and module information through our online Blackboard system.

For more details see our glossary of teaching and learning terms.

Full-time attendance

The full-time course takes one year, with approximately six to nine contact hours a week. However, as independent study is fundamental to the course, the total study time should be around 36 hours a week.

Part-time attendance

The flexible part-time route takes two to three years. You will usually have around three hours of contact with your tutors a week, depending on the route you are following, and you should spend between 12 and 18 hours a week studying independently.

Dedicated support

You will receive a high level of support both during your studies and after you have graduated. You will be allocated an LLM academic tutor to support you throughout the course. We also organise events to help you plan your career after the LLM.

Taught modules on the LLM International Law course are assessed through a combination of written coursework assignments and oral presentations. The culmination of the course is a dissertation of up to 15,000 words, which constitutes an original contribution to the corpus of legal knowledge within an area of international law.

For more details see our full glossary of assessment terms.