International Law and Global Governance LLM

Course overview

This course will enhance your understanding and challenge preconceptions of the complex legal and political nature of international law-making and governance.

Taking a dynamic and responsive approach to contemporary global challenges, it aims to explore the often-competing concepts that infuse the subject of international law. You’ll develop a clear and specialised knowledge of the most pressing and challenging aspects of this area of law.

You’ll examine topics such as the use of force, climate change, global migration, and international justice. You’ll also explore the right to development, which raises urgent questions about the effectiveness of current governance and regulatory regimes worldwide. You’ll have the opportunity to:

• critically examine and apply the policies, theories, principles, and provisions of international law to novel problems, real-world, and hypothetical scenarios

• consider the impact of legal and political institutions, such as the UN Security Council and the International Court of Justice

• investigate the dynamics of power relations among states and between states and non-state actors.

International law is increasingly a concern for a wide range of stakeholders, whether public or private bodies, international or national organisations and institutions.

Given contemporary and future global challenges – such as protecting human rights and security and conserving natural resources – the significance of global governance, as well as its contestation, is growing in a multipolar world.

You’ll benefit from the expertise of leading academics in a stimulating research environment. Our research groups include:

• Centre for Business Law and Practice (CBLP)

• Centre for Criminal Justice Studies (CCJS)

• Centre for Law and Social Justice (CLSJ)

• Centre for Innovation and Research in Legal Education (CIRLE)

Applying

Entry requirements

A bachelor degree with a 2:1 (hons) or equivalent in law or a relevant social science subject.

We accept a range of international equivalent qualifications.

English language requirements

IELTS 6.5 overall, with no less than 6.0 in all components. For other English qualifications, read English language equivalent qualifications.

Improve your English

International students who do not meet the English language requirements for this programme may be able to study our postgraduate pre-sessional English course, to help improve your English language level.

This pre-sessional course is designed with a progression route to your degree programme and you’ll learn academic English in the context of your subject area. To find out more, read Language for Law (6 weeks) and Language for Social Sciences and Arts: Law (10 weeks).

We also offer online pre-sessionals alongside our on-campus pre-sessionals. Find out more about our six week online pre-sessional and our 10 week online pre-sessional.

You can also study pre-sessionals for longer periods – read about our postgraduate pre-sessional English courses.

Career opportunities

From day one, we encourage you to think beyond your time at Leeds and reflect on a meaningful career. 

Graduates have chosen careers that centre on or involve understanding and applying international law and developing policies at an organisational level. Further training is required but many also go on to practise as lawyers or legal advisors.

Recent graduates have gone on to work in a range of sectors and professions, including law firms, the government, higher education institutions and beyond. Many also pursue further study by commencing PhD research.

Our other alumni are working at the European Commission, United Nations, non-governmental organisations and in the government sector.