Postgraduate study
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International Economic Law LLM

Awards: LLM

Study modes: Full-time, Part-time

Funding opportunities

Programme website: International Economic Law

The LLM was not only an academically thought-provoking course, but was contemporary and relevant. There was never a dull moment. I credit it for giving me a competitive advantage in my career, and for inspiring me to explore issues of International Law I didn't know about before.

Caroline LLM in International Economic Law, 2019
Caroline               LLM in International Economic Law, 2019

This programme seeks to provide you with in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of:

  • international legal institutions
  • the rules and principles of the international economic system
  • key legal and policy issues arising from the globalisation of the world economy

Combining detailed technical legal and policy analysis with an engagement with history and political economy, it will help you to place the current chapter of globalisation in its larger context, and to understand where it might be heading.

You will take foundational courses in international trade law and international investment law, and select additional subjects from a range of other courses, varying from year to year. These may include:

  • law and development
  • law and sustainable development
  • international monetary and financial law
  • investment arbitration procedure
  • dispute settlement
  • advanced aspects of both trade and investment law

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.

You will experience a range of teaching styles on these courses, led by members of Edinburgh Law School academic community and experienced legal and industry practitioners.

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.

Find out more about compulsory and optional courses

We link to the latest information available. Please note that this may be for a previous academic year and should be considered indicative.

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
LLMInternational Economic Law1 YearFull-timeProgramme structure 2023/24

This programme is designed provide an advanced understanding of the law, institutions and policy concerning international economic relations and their ongoing development by the:

  • United Nations
  • World Trade Organisation
  • World Bank
  • Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development

This programme is suitable for professionally qualified lawyers wishing to practise international law professionally, whether in law firms or at the bar, as legal advisers in foreign ministries, other government departments, international organisations or NGOs.

It may also be of value to anyone seeking to develop a career in global public policy, diplomacy or international relations.

Recent graduates are now working as:

  • attorneys and lawyers in commercial private practice
  • government officials and government lawyers
  • international policy-makers
  • officials in international organisations
  • officials in international non-governmental organisations
  • tax consultants
  • legal analysts

These entry requirements are for the 2024/25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2025/26 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2024.

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in law.

We will also consider candidates with a degree in a related discipline which includes relevant prior study.

In evaluating your application for postgraduate study, greater emphasis may be placed upon results of prior learning in subjects relevant to the intended degree programme.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

Supporting your application

Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.

Relevant professional qualifications will be considered.

Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

Students from China

This degree is Band A.

International qualifications

Check whether your international qualifications meet our general entry requirements:

English language requirements

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies.

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 25 in writing and 23 in all other components.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 185 in writing and 176 in all other components.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • PTE Academic: total 70 with at least 70 in writing and 62 in all other components.

Your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start date of the programme you are applying to study, unless you are using IELTS, TOEFL, Trinity ISE or PTE, in which case it must be no more than two years old.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration:

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries (non-MESC).

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old* at the beginning of your programme of study. (*Revised 05 March 2024 to extend degree validity to five years.)

Find out more about our language requirements:

Deposit

If you receive an unconditional offer of admission, you will be asked to pay a deposit of £1,500 within 28 days or by the start of the orientation period, whichever is sooner, to secure your place on the programme.

Find out more about tuition fee deposits:

Living costs

You will be responsible for covering living costs for the duration of your studies.

Tuition fees

AwardTitleDurationStudy mode
LLMInternational Economic Law1 YearFull-timeTuition fees
LLMInternational Economic Law2 YearsPart-timeTuition fees

UK government postgraduate loans

If you live in the UK, you may be able to apply for a postgraduate loan from one of the UK’s governments.

The type and amount of financial support you are eligible for will depend on:

  • your programme
  • the duration of your studies
  • your tuition fee status

Programmes studied on a part-time intermittent basis are not eligible.

Other funding opportunities

Search for scholarships and funding opportunities:

  • Edinburgh Law School Postgraduate Office
  • Old College
  • South Bridge
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9YL
Programme start date Application deadline
9 September 2024 21 June 2024

Due to high demand, the school operates a number of selection deadlines. We will make a small number of offers to the most outstanding candidates on an ongoing basis, but hold the majority of applications until the next published selection deadline when we will offer a proportion of the places available to applicants selected through a competitive process.

Deadlines for applicants applying to study in 2024/25:

Round Application deadline Places awarded by
1 13 November 2023 14 December 2023
2 04 January 2024 20 February 2024
3 04 March 2024 29 April 2024
4 01 May 2024 25 June 2024
5 21 June 2024 17 July 2024

Please note that the deadline for meeting the conditions of an offer is 18 August 2024.

Please be aware that applications must be submitted and complete, i.e. all required documents uploaded, by the relevant application deadline in order to be considered in that round. Your application will still be considered if you have not yet met the English language requirement for the programme.

You must submit one reference with your application.

Find out more about the general application process for postgraduate programmes:

Further information

  • Edinburgh Law School Postgraduate Office
  • Old College
  • South Bridge
  • Central Campus
  • Edinburgh
  • EH8 9YL