International Law and Governance

Entry requirements

A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

Students with foreign qualifications will conform to the minimum requirements for admission.

Months of entry

October

Course content

Under the course, you must complete four compulsory modules, and choose from a range of optional modules. Modules will be delivered primarily through small group seminars. Attendance is mandatory for these seminars, which have been chosen as the primary means of delivering material to students due to the advanced nature of the course. Small group seminars encourage participation and the development of communications skills. They also allow you to benefit from close contact with the academics teaching on the course, many of which are also experienced practitioners and consultants in their respective fields of expertise.

The compulsory modules ensure that you develop an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of international law and governance and become familiar with current debates in the field.

Optional modules then allow you to explore particular aspects of international law and governance, such as aspects of international and regional law, international dispute settlement, international human rights, international humanitarian law and international economic law, in greater depth.

The completion of optional modules, together with the dissertation, allow for the development of your ’subject specific knowledge as the course progresses. The development of your skills is achieved mainly through the combination of the compulsory module in Applied Research Methods in Law, taught in Michaelmas term, and your dissertation, supervision for which begins at the start of Epiphany term. Through these modules, you can practise your skills intensely, whilst continuing to acquire a deeper level of specialised knowledge on your chosen topic.

An important objective of the LLM in International Law and Governance course is to provide you with skills that will enable them to thoroughly analyse and interpret legal sources, literature, and cases, and to research and formulate an independent opinion on international legal questions. You will also learn to clearly present your findings both orally and in writing to international legal specialists, to participate actively in academic debate, and to apply this advanced academic knowledge in public international law in a professional context.

As such, an LLM in International Law and Governance will provide you with an excellent foundation to pursue an international law career, whether it is in legal practice, employment in international institutions, or employment in non-governmental organisations. The LLM qualification will also be an excellent vehicle for the further development of research skills and, as such, also offers entry into further postgraduate study and, in particular, doctoral research.

Core modules:

• Fundamentals of International Law (unless a similar module has already been studied)
• Fundamental Issues in International Legal Governance
• Applied Research Methods in Law
• Dissertation (of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 words).

Examples of optional modules

Please note: not all modules necessarily run every year, and we regularly introduce new modules. The list below provides an example of the type of modules which may be offered.

• Advanced Issues in International Economic Law
• Private International Law and China
• Cross Border Commercial Litigation
• Electronic Commerce
• Global Environmental Law
• Global Financial Law
• Global Institutions
• International Co-operation in Criminal Matters in Europe
• International Counter Terrorism: Theory and Practice
• International Investment Law
• International Humanitarian Law
• International Protection of Human Rights
• International Trade Law & Policy
• International Perspectives on Law and Gender
• Introduction to International Criminal Justice
• Introduction to European Union Law
• Law of Oil and Gas Contracts
• Law of the Sea

Information for international students

If you are an international student who does not meet the requirements for direct entry to this degree, you may be eligible to take a pre-Masters pathway programme at the Durham University International Study Centre.

Fees and funding

For further information see the course listing.