International Dispute Resolution

Entry requirements

We typically require a good 2:1 Bachelor (Honours) degree (or overseas equivalent) in a law degree, or in a degree where law is a major component.

Months of entry

September

Course content

In the first term, you will take a compulsory module providing a solid grounding in the subject. In the second term, you have the opportunity to take more advanced core modules that cover a range of topics in international dispute resolution. On completion of your choice of taught modules, you will be able to apply the knowledge, lawyering skills and legal reasoning to real-life situations to resolve issues, problems and disputes within the legal parameters.

We deliver teaching through student-led seminars. Your dissertation is pursued by independent research with individual supervision. You will be part of an inclusive and diverse community of students from different countries and backgrounds, who enrich the course with their academic and professional experiences.

Our School hosts the Durham International Dispute Resolution Institute and the Institute of Commercial and Corporate Law. You are encouraged to participate in their many activities. Upon completing the curriculum, you will be able to demonstrate a strong understanding of legal knowledge and be able to critically analyse and evaluate legal principles and arguments at a required level to meet the legal profession’s standards and expectations and the community. You will also be able to present effective legal arguments in the professional context and explain the Law effectively to lay clients and members of the larger community.

Course structure

Year 1 modules

Core modules:

International Commercial Arbitration

introduces the theory and practice of international commercial arbitration as a distinct legal field, provides practical instruction, the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and institutional rules, and equips students seeking exposure to the world of international dispute resolution with necessary skillset to gain expertise in the application of concepts and norms within the field of international arbitration. It also provides a critical analysis of current and contemporary international arbitration issues in the national, European and international level and develops moral, ethical and contextual awareness of selected issues in international arbitration.

Investor-State Arbitration

introduces the theory and practice of international investment arbitration, provides practical instruction, the recognition and enforcement of arbitral awards and institutional rules, and equip students seeking exposure to the world of international dispute resolution with necessary skillset to gain expertise in the application of concepts and norms within the field of international investment arbitration. It also provides students with a critical analysis of current and contemporary international investment arbitration issues, such as transparency and third-party funding etc, and introduces key terms in bilateral and multilateral investment treaties (BITs and MITs).

International Commercial Mediation

involves a study of the various processes available to disputing commercial parties to resolve conflict, with a particular emphasis on the legal and regulatory issues concerning the commercial mediation process. It also provides students with a critical analysis of current and contemporary commercial mediation issues in a national and international context. The course will equip students with the necessary skillset to gain expertise in the application of concepts and norms within the field of international commercial mediation and its interaction with arbitration and litigation practice.

Applied Research Methods

provides specialised knowledge of the research methods and skills available in legal studies as well as an advanced understanding of their strengths and weaknesses and of their relevance for different forms of legal research. The module will also give you the skills and training to be able to find primary and secondary sources for research, develop an understanding of producing written work, develop presentation skills and improve your comprehension of the various forms of legal analysis.

Dissertation

is based on an area of particular interest in an area of International Law and Governance and can be of one of two lengths – 10,000 or 15,000 words. Depending on the length chosen, the dissertation is equivalent to 2 or 2.5 modules.

Optional modules:

In recent years, optional modules have included:

• Advanced Issues of Corporate Law
• Advanced Issues of International Law
• China and the International Legal Order
• Competition Law
• Contemporary Issues in International Intellectual Property Law
• Cross-Border Commercial Litigation
• Frontiers in Biolaw
• Global Environmental Law
• Global Financial Law
• Fundamentals and advanced issues in International Commercial Arbitration
• International Commercial Mediation
• International Investment Law
• International Tax Law
• International Trade Law and Policy
• Introduction to Corporate Governance
• Mergers and Acquisitions

Information for international students

International students who do not meet direct entry requirements for this degree might have the option to complete an International Foundation Year.

Fees and funding

More information is available here: Tuition fees - how much are they - Durham University