The LLM International Commercial and Business Law is designed as a research-led programme for graduates from law and related disciplines who aim to specialise in commercial law, international trade, and cross-border business transactions from a socio-legal perspective. It will help you understand and master the highly dynamic and complex legal and regulatory regimes governing international business and the global economy. If you aim for a career in corporate, financial or commercial law, our programme will equip you with solid knowledge and an advanced understanding of the key principles, rules and practices in areas such as corporate governance, corporate law, competition law, financial law, and trade law. With support from leading academics throughout this LLM, you will be able to develop a broad set of relevant skills that will allow you to contribute to legal problem solving in key areas of commercial and business law.
Thanks to our diverse staff and student body, you will have a unique opportunity to meet lecturers and peers with different experiences and backgrounds, enabling you to expand your own perspective and understanding further. In previous years students have joined the programme from both the UK and around the world, significantly contributing to the discussions in class and group work.
The School’s world-leading academics specialise in a range of relevant areas, including:
- International and Transnational Commercial Law, including international commercial and financial transactions, Conflicts of Law/Private International Law, harmonisation and regionalisation of commercial law, and commercial dispute resolution, including via litigation and arbitration.
- Competition Law, including European Union and Comparative Competition Law.
- International Trade Law, including World Trade Organisation Law, international economic law, dispute settlement, and regional and national trade laws and policies.
- Legal Aspects of Innovation and New Technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain, and smart contracts.
- Corporate Governance and Compliance, including comparative corporate governance and corporate social responsibility.
- International Financial Regulation, including regulatory changes in the aftermaths of the East-Asian Financial Crisis and the Global Financial Crisis, regulating finance in key jurisdictions and in global financial centres and tax havens, deepening financial integration and financial fragmentation, the role of law and technology in finance, and the transition to sustainable and digital finance.
A Connected and Engaged Law School
The Law School and its academic staff are highly connected with institutions outside the higher education sector, enabling us to provide a programme that is vastly relevant for real-world problem solving. We have had cooperation with and inputs to our programme from the UN Conference on Trade and Development, competition authorities across multiple jurisdictions, the international competition network, local and national business law firms, the European Commission, the NI Department for the Economy, and the Bank of England. Law School staff members have been involved in advising various departments on trade laws and policies over recent years. We have also been providing legal training on finance law for the Department for the Economy under its Assured Skills Programme. Some of those co-operations have led to guest lectures in modules, where those external experts shared valuable insights with our students.
Small Group Teaching
The majority of the LLM modules use small group teaching to enhance your engagement with staff and peers in the classroom and to advance your understanding. This setting also maximises cross-cultural exchanges and learning reflecting many of the complexities and varieties in contemporary international business.
Research-led Teaching
Building on the unique research experience and knowledge of staff allows you to gain state-of-the-art insights into the key issues and discussions about socio-legal challenges and solutions related to international business and commerce. We also encourage LLM students to come along to research events at Queen’s and our Law School and we have usually several talks from world-leading experts on commercial and business law topics.
International Commercial and Business Law highlights
Internationally Renowned Experts
The LLM is delivered by academic staff who through their research are currently shaping global, regional and local debates within legal scholarship and related disciplines. They have experience of interacting with leading policy-makers, regulators, businesses, law firms and other key stakeholders, contributing to ongoing developments both in the UK and beyond. Law at Queen's is in the top 150 Law Schools worldwide and we are ranked 18th in the world for international outlook. Research in Law was ranked 8th in the UK in the most recent research assessment exercise (REF 2021). Key areas of commercial and business law and regulation, including corporate governance, competition law, the law of commercial and financial transactions, the law of finance, and trade law are among our key areas of our research strength, reflected in our teaching on this LLM programme.
Student Experience
This Programme has been specifically designed so that our students can emerge with a deeper appreciation of the place law plays in international business and the global economy. Students study within a vibrant international mix of students and staff from all over the world. We focus on your individual career and development needs, building your skills, enhancing your personal experience of the course and thinking of your career path. You will be taught not just abstract theory but also its practical application to legal problems and challenges faced by businesses, regulatory bodies, the profession of business lawyers, and wider society.
At Queen's you will be part of and co-creating a thriving postgraduate culture built on teaching excellence, leading-edge research, innovation, collaboration and active engagement. These components are also woven together in our Graduate School that supports all our LLM students in developing additional skills and increased personal effectiveness that will enable you to stand out in the crowded and increasingly competitive global job market.
Life at Queen's is not just about the degree. We offer and encourage our students to enrich their studies by using the manifold opportunities Belfast and the wider Queen’s community have to offer. Whether you're into student societies, sports, music, dance, or just a coffee with your friends, Queen’s has exceptional facilities to cater for all interests.
Industry Links
Integration with business experts helps our students gain key leadership positions both nationally and internationally. Law was ranked top ten in the UK for graduate prospects (Complete University Guide 2024). Northern Ireland had in recent years the most dynamic inflow of foreign investment in the UK and has become a key UK hub for legal and financial firms, including fintech firms. The Kalifa Review (2021) commissioned by the UK Treasury lists Belfast and Northern Ireland as one of 10 UK fintech clusters with world leading strength in RegTech, InsurTech, and Wealthtech.
World Class Facilities
Our facilities at Queen's include a state-of-the-art Law building with superb teaching facilities, a moot court and study spaces. Queen's has one of the most modern campuses in the UK, including the award winning McClay Library, one of the finest libraries in the world, home to 1.2 million volumes, an amazing digitally-available collection of books and journals from all over the world, and over 2,000 reader places. The University invested considerable resources into further expanding its capacity to enable online learning and engagement, further boosting the student experience. Our Physical Education Centre was used as a training camp for the 2012 Olympics. Our Queen's Elms Student Village and city centre student accommodation (built in 2018) are located within easy walking distance of the University. The One Elmwood Student Centre, home of the Students’ Union and University Services, opened its doors in 2022 as a vibrant new hub for students at the heart of our campus and in close proximity to our School of Law building.
Student Testimonials
“Studying a LLM in International Business Law at Queen’s has opened up fantastic new experiences, including an internship, the London Law Tour and a CMI Project Management and Leadership qualification, which was offered by the Graduate School. Coming from a non-law background, I have received fantastic support from all lecturers, tutors and staff involved. I am delighted to say that while I was stepping out of my comfort zone I have learned a lot about myself and my capabilities. All this has confirmed my decision to pursue a career in law.” Mareike Erika Zackariat
Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) basis.
The Masters is awarded to students who successfully complete all taught modules (120 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).
Course Details
The programme is delivered through a series of taught modules and culminates in the submission of a dissertation on an original topic.
Semester One : Modules
Students choose the following three core modules:
International Competition Law
International Corporate Governance
World Trade Law
Semester Two : Optional Modules
International Commercial Law
International Financial Law
Advanced International Trade Law and Policy
Critical Approaches International Economic Law
Business and Human Rights
Corporate Environmental Law
Please note this is not an exclusive list of the optional modules available. Optional modules are reviewed each year and subject to staff availability/student numbers.
*Note: students who take the module Business and Human Rights may graduate with the award of LLM in International Corporate Governance.
Semester Two : Mini Modules
Approaches to Legal Research (Core)
Platform Regulation: IP Enforcement and Content Moderation (Optional)
(Metaverse Law) Copyright, Trademarks, and Immersive Technologies (Optional)
Summer : Dissertation
Dissertation (Maximum 15,000 words)
(Students who secure a summer work placement of at least 8 weeks can complete a Dissertation in Practice Module including 12,000 word dissertation and 3,000 word reflective journal of the learning experience)
8 (hours maximum) In addition to 6-8 hrs of teaching per week, students should set aside 10-12 hours per module for reading and preparation to engage meaningfully in classroom discussions, group work and other forms of active engagement.
Learning and Teaching
Learning opportunities associated with the course are outlined below:
Learning Opportunities:
During your study with us you will be supported in various ways. For example, each Programme has its own Programme Co-Ordinator—a dedicated member of academic staff who is there to guide and support you throughout your time with us, together with the School's experienced and helpful administrative staff.
Moreover, all our LLM students are able to avail of mentoring and pastoral support of academic staff. We place considerable emphasis on facilitating good communication between staff and students. To this end, a Student Voice Committee, comprised of elected student representatives, the Director of Graduate Studies and other members of academic staff, meet at regular intervals throughout the academic year. This Committee provides students with a forum in which to raise matters of concern to them and also enables the School to keep students informed about matters affecting the School and wider university.
At Queen’s, we aim to deliver a high quality learning environment that embeds intellectual curiosity, innovation and best practice in learning, teaching and student support to enable students to achieve their full academic potential.
We do this by providing a range of learning experiences which enables our students to engage with subject experts, develop attributes and perspectives that will equip them for life and work in a global society and make use of innovative technologies and a world class library that enhances their development as independent, life-long learners.
Assessment
Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:
Assessed coursework for 120 CATS points:
All course modules are assessed by coursework.
Compulsory Research Component:
An LLM Dissertation or Dissertation in Practice topic must be chosen within the area of commercial and business law for the remainder 60 CATS. Your self-directed research on the dissertation is also supported by a supervisor.
What our academics say
Our unique LLM in International Commercial and Business Law facilitates your engagement with law's role in the global economy, into the regulatory dynamics of global firms and into the place that corporations play in global societies. Our socio-legal approach allows students to think about international business in the round and to think about law as a core institution in the construction of our economy. We strive to help our diverse students to grow and to further develop their skills to face challenges of the future.
The information below is intended as an example only, featuring module details for the current year of study (2024/25). Modules are reviewed on an annual basis and may be subject to future changes – revised details will be published through Programme Specifications ahead of each academic year.
What motivates legal research? In addition to the principles and methods that guide the design and implementation of a specific research project, we also ought to have some sense of the broader ‘research programme’ or ‘theoretical framework’ that animates our work. Students will be introduced to several important theoretical frameworks and research programmes from which they might draw some helpful inspiration.
Legal scholarship is no longer limited to the analysis of legal doctrine. Many legal scholars engage in empirically-oriented research that investigates how law interacts with other social phenomena. Legal scholars hope to illuminate the causal connections between law and other aspects of the social world. Legal research of this kind is rewarding but it also comes with special methodological challenges. This module will introduce students to some fundamental principles of research design and methodology, covering both ‘qualitative’ and ‘quantitative’ social science methods.
Learning Outcomes
By the end of this module, students should be able to
• critically evaluate the merits and weaknesses of various theoretical frameworks and approaches to legal scholarship
• critically evaluate empirical academic research in terms of its methodology
Skills
• reading and synthesizing academic work
• academic writing
• social science methodology
• designing an empirical research plan
This module examines the framework relating to international trade law. It will consider its origins, evolution and the principal characteristics of the post-war rules governing international trade, from its origins in the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to its current manifestation in the World Trade Organization Agreement (WTO). The module will assess the legal rules relating to international trade in goods and services and how these impact on various regimes worldwide.
Learning Outcomes
Having completed this module, students will be able to:
- explain and critically assess the history, structure and operation of the WTO and its substantive and procedural rules;
- explain how WTO rules and institutions fit within their political, economic and historical context, with particular reference to the functions they play and the trade-offs they express.
- demonstrate a detailed understanding of the legal frameworks regulating international trade and their application in particular circumstances.
- explain the practical significance of WTO disciplines for a number of specific policy issues including environmental protection and economic development.
Skills
- Legal analysis and problem solving: the doctrinal aspects of the module will challenge students to read and interpret primary legal materials; identify relevant issues; apply relevant concepts, principles and rules; make judgements and reach supported conclusions on the basis of sound and informed reasoning.
- Critical thinking: interdisciplinary approaches will challenge students to think creatively and critically; to evaluate complex policy and legal arguments and evidence; and to expand their methodological perspectives.
- Communication skills: students will be required to participate in seminar discussions and (subject to student numbers) to make presentations during seminars, developing their oral communication skills.
- Academic writing: students will develop their written communication skills.
This module explores the internationalisation of competition law in the context of globalisation and international trade with a particular focus on EU competition law as a leading model, followed by great many states around the globe both in terms of institutional design and substance.
The course will start with general introduction to competition law and policy, its history and aims. During the course of the semester students will be introduced to various aspects of public and private enforcement of competition law, issues related to cartels. Monopolies and mergers, as well as challenges related to transnational violations of competition legislation. The module will also engage with international cooperation in this area of law, in various contexts and on different platforms.
The module critically examines the current regulatory framework governing competition among firms internationally, identifying and analysing the existing limitations and challenges in that regard. It uses the EU model as a comparative benchmark, acknowledging its profound international influence. The course is comparative in nature. No prior knowledge of competition law (antitrust) or international economic law is assumed.
Learning Outcomes
The aims of the module are to engage in a comparative study of competition laws and regimes in an international context with a particular focus on EU competition law as a leading model, followed by great many states around the globe both in terms of institutional design and substance.
At the end of the module students should be able to:
- outline and compare institutional design of the leading competition law regimes around the world,
- identify and explain the main challenges posed by transnational anticompetitive conduct from the perspective of authorities of the affected countries and harmed parties (consumers and competitors),
- distinguish and evaluate national and international responses to the existing challenges (including the role played by international organizations and inter-agency networks),
- account for recent trends in competition law and policy and explain their practical importance in the context of competition law enforcement.
Skills
By taking this module students will be facilitated and expect to develop and practice following academic, legal and transferable skills:
- to identify, access and work with primary (legislation, guidelines etc.) and secondary sources from different countries and different legal and cultural traditions,
- to use various online databases (such us Westlaw, HeinOnline),
- to summarise and synthesise complex doctrines and procedures, and to present them orally (using digital visuals) and in writing in an appropriate manner,
- to write an academic paper of a proper structure, form, and referencing,
- to identify and reflect on faced challenges in the study process and on strategies allowing to address them (also using other available resources at Queen’s).
Researching an approved legal topic under supervision and presenting the results as a dissertation or report of 10,000 to 15,000 words
Learning Outcomes
1. A detailed knowledge and understanding of a chosen subset of the programme themes
2. Capacity to build a detailed and sustained argument around a research question
3. Advanced knowledge of available research methodologies in the study of law and in the social sciences.
4. Understanding of the skills required in order to carry out research in law and the social sciences.
5. Detailed knowledge and understanding of core issues regarding the current challenges for governance.
Skills
• Advanced written skills
• Ability to learn independently
• Ability to use information and communication technologies.
• Ability to think creatively and holistically and to make critical judgements
This module is designed to provide students with an overview of important issues in the field of corporate governance. The study of corporate governance focuses on how, by whom and for whose benefit commercial and other organisations are controlled.
Our primary focus in this module is on public corporations. The limited company is defined in part by the ‘separation of ownership and control.’ That is, that the people who direct and control the corporation and its resources very often do not actually ‘own’ it. Rather, in publicly listed companies at least, a diffuse and diverse body of shareholders are thought to hold a range of property rights. How, so the core corporate governance dilemma goes, is the organisation to be constructed so that the directors do not divert resources to themselves rather than working for the benefit of shareholders? What social role does the corporation have?
Learning Outcomes
• Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the fundamental doctrines, principles and features of corporate governance design and regulatory politics.
• The ability to demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of a wide range of legal and political concepts, values, principles and to explain the relationship between them in the field of financial governance.
• Critical understanding of the wider socio-legal context in which corporations and the markets in which they operate are governed.
Skills
• Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
• An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in corporate governance
• An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, specifically in the area of corporate governance
• An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in corporate governance and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
• An advanced ability to engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
• An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance.
• An advanced awareness of legal and regulatory regimes and of their impact with regard to corporate governance
• An ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
The focus of this module will be the exploration and analysis of the normative framework governing the UK’s external trade relations and the main legal and political challenges the UK faces in developing and implementing this important area of foreign policy.
One consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU is that the competence to carry out an external trade policy, which had hitherto been carried out exclusively by the EU, will be repatriated to the UK. The UK will therefore have to craft its own external trade policy. This will entail, for example, the setting of its own external tariff system, the development of unilateral trade policy measures (e.g., trade defence instruments and preferential treatment systems) and the negotiation of bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. The UK’s trade policy will have to be developed within the context of a normative framework which encompasses international law (including the rules of the World Trade Organisation) as well as a growing body UK trade legislation.
The module will be subdivided into three components. The fist component will deal with the constitutional and legal framework underpinning the UK trade policy. It will look at issues such as the status of the UK’s membership within the WTO, the decision-making process through which the UK can negotiate trade agreements, the role devolved authorities will play in shaping trade policy and the legal effect of international trade rules in the UK’s domestic system. The second component of the module will focus on the substantive aspects of UK external trade policy by examining both how the UK can use such policy to advance and protect economic interests and values. This will include an analysis of the UK’s approach to negotiating trade agreements and how such agreements interact with other policy and regulatory areas, trade with developing countries and tackling unfair trading practices. The third component will examine the legal dimension of the UK’s trade relationship with its biggest trading partner: the EU. It will, in particular, deal with the challenges associated with Northern Ireland’s potentially unique trading status post-Brexit.
Learning Outcomes
At the end of the learning process each student should have acquired:
• an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the constitutional and regulatory framework governing the UK’s external trade relations and the main legal and political challenges the UK faces in developing and implement this area of foreign policy
• a critical awareness of the international legal framework within which UK trade policy is exercised
• an ability to critically asses the UK’s role and actions as an international trade actor in light of contemporary debates relating to globalisation issues
• an ability to conduct independent research and to articulate coherent legal arguments.
Skills
At the end of the module each student will be able to:
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of international and domestic legal framework underpinning UK trade policy
• Engage in critical analysis and evaluation of the interaction between UK trade policy and other policy areas
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Northern Ireland’s distinct trading status within the UK and the EU
• Synthesise relevant and directed readings with independent research, and present findings both orally and in written format.
• Engage in independent study and research and to develop skills around self-directed learning and to exercise initiative in the learning process.
• Show an ability to construct coherent legal arguments orally and in writing
This module introduces students to the foundations of International and Transnational Commercial Law. A wide and varied range of private and public international legal sources underpin and regulate the performance of transnational commercial and financial transactions. We will explore and discuss the main principles and rules of conflict of laws/private international law, the sources of international commercial law, harmonisation and unification of commercial law, the international sale of goods, international payment systems, leasing, e-commerce, and international commercial dispute resolution via litigation, mediation, and arbitration
Learning Outcomes
This course will equip students with a deep, systematic knowledge and understanding of the general framework within which the international commercial law operates, and specific areas of commercial law.
• Provide students with a systematic knowledge and understanding of the moral, social, economic and political context informing international commercial law.
• Students will be introduced to a range of research methodologies, and will learn to apply these appropriately to this specialist area of study.
• The course will promote awareness of the range of specialist resources available for the study and understanding of this area, and will promote the development of advanced research skills and academic writing.
• The course will also develop the analytical powers of students, and the ability to evaluate problems in this area to present their views in a compelling manner.
Skills
• Students will be able to work effectively as part of a team analysing problems at a detailed level, formulating and presenting solutions to the group.
• Work independently to present complex arguments, both orally and in written analysis, engaging confidently in academic and professional communication with others.
• Be able to undertake complex research acting independently, making the best use of a range of available resources, and to present the result of this research in a useful and clear form.
• To reflect on personal performance and to identify take appropriate steps to address gaps in knowledge.
This module will familiarise students with key debates regarding the corporation's role in society. Students will explore work on business and human rights and corporate citizenship, specifically with regard to global corporations and global supply chains.
This course will covers some (but not necessarily all) of the following topics in any given year, and other topics may be added from time-to-time: the human rights obligations of corporations to workers, host countries, other stakeholders, the rise of corporate social responsibility reporting, global initiatives and frameworks, the Ruggie principles, the role of civil society in corporate regulation and self-regulation etc, corporate promotion of labour standards, human rights considerations in international corporate investment.
Learning Outcomes
• Knowledge and understanding of ideas of corporate responsibility.
• Familiarity with legal frameworks regarding the integration of human rights considerations and corporate social responsibility.
• Understanding of the application of the theoretical constructs to “real world” cases and situations.
Skills
• Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
• An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in corporate social responsibility, building on previous work within the programme
• An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, specifically in the area of corporate social responsibility, and an ability to tie those debates to debates encountered in previous modules.
• An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in corporate social responsibility and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
• An advanced ability to engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
• An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance.
• An advanced awareness of legal and regulatory regimes and of their impact with regard to corporate social responsibility building on previous work within the programme
• An ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
Digital technologies have transformed the way that creative content is produced, distributed and used, disrupting long-standing business models and traditional revenue streams, and enabling the emergence of new business models. This module would focus on exploring the legal challenges and opportunities posed by the intersection of copyright law, trademark law, the creative industries, and emerging technologies such as virtual reality, augmented reality, and immersive technologies, including how the Metaverse might impact the traditional creative industries. Three main questions will be investigated in detail:
(i) How do copyright and trademark laws apply to the protection and distribution of creative works in the digital age?
(ii) How are the internet and digital platforms impacting the creative industries and the protection of intellectual property rights?
(iii) How are virtual reality, augmented reality, and immersive technologies impacting the creative industries and the protection of intellectual property rights?
(1) First, this module provides students with the opportunity to explore critically the various policy and doctrinal aspects of contemporary copyright issues as they impact the creation, dissemination and use of creative and cultural goods within the digital environment.
(2) Second, in the trademark context, the impact of emerging technologies, including 3D printing and virtual reality platforms, on traditional legal norms and business models, will be analysed and discussed as well as the impact of the internet and digital technologies on cybersquatting, internet keyword searches, and the resolution of domain name disputes in cyberspace.
(3) Third, the module will consider the challenges of providing high level of protection for right holders within the digital environment, while maintaining an appropriate balance with other public policy goals such as education, research and innovation, access to our shared cultural heritage, and more.
(4) Overall, this module will be also engaged with issues and challenges posed by the Metaverse about how trademark owners, creators and artists can protect and enforce IP rights in this space. For example, the module will review the legal frameworks that apply to virtual property and assets in the Metaverse, including how these frameworks might differ from those that apply to physical property and assets.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module, students will be able to:
• understand trademark and copyright law as it applies to a number of issues relevant to the digital environment within a UK, European, and international content
• differentiate between approaches taken to trademark and copyright policy and doctrine within the pre-digital era, and the adaptation and development of those existing norms within the digital environment
• acquire general knowledge concerning the interface between copyright, trademarks, immersive technologies, virtual reality, augmented reality, and the metaverse
• acquire knowledge of the related legal framework;
• understand the ethical and societal challenges related to immersive technologies and the metaverse;
• master a comparative, cross-jurisdictional understanding of the regulatory framework;
• develop the ability to reflect on the immersive technologies’ disruptive effects on traditional business models;
• develop critical thinking skills in connection to practical problems in metaverse, virtual realities regulations from a global international perspective;
• research, evaluate and criticise constructively recent developments and legal arguments in this domain;
• enhance research and writing skills in formulating arguments to solve new emerging legal problems in a fast-developing technological context.
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
This module is designed to allow students to engage in independent research and to develop independent study, analysis and methodological skills, in the context of a placement or internship with non-governmental, legal, commercial or governmental organisations that operate in arenas that are relevant to their LLM research.
NOTE: students are encouraged to explore internship options independently with relevant entities. Any particular placement must be approved by the module and/or programme convenors.
Learning Outcomes
1. Ability to reflect critically on personal practice/engagement in the fields relevant to the LLM while working in collaboration with relevant host organisations
2. Ability to undertake an extended research Dissertation based on tasks/learning undertaken while on placement;
3. Enhanced communication, presentation and networking skills.
Skills
• Advanced writing skills
• An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in the chosen area of law
• An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, building on scholarship already undertaken in the course of studies
• An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in the area and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
• An advanced ability to design and engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
• Advanced ability to judge critically the merits of methodologies from different disciplines, and to make reasoned choices between different positions and approaches
• Advanced ability to use, present and critically evaluate information, ability to synthesise and identify central issues from a large amount of complex legal information and information from other disciplines and to draw on scholarship encountered in the course of one’s LLM
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of research ethics and ability to mainstream ethical considerations with research as appropriate to the project
• Advanced ability to engage with, manage and respond to supervision
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
This module is designed for students who wish to study and understand the complex discipline of international financial law and regulation. It introduces students to the various financial services, the infrastructure, the products, and financial instruments of contemporary finance and the role of law in regulating this key sector. It examines the international financial architecture and the frameworks of rules, standards and practices that govern international financial markets and transactions; the regulation of and competition between global, regional, and local financial centers; the implementation of global frameworks in the U.S., the EU, and in emerging market economies; the role of law and technology in international finance; and the transition to sustainable and digital finance.
Topics addressed in the course include:
The structure of financial systems and the relations between Central banks, banks, securities firms, financial investors, depositors, and states.
The most important types of finance: equity, debt, sovereign debt, and securities.
The nature of banks, their deposit taking function, and their risks
Bank and securities prudential regulations
Corporate governance of financial institutions
Bank insolvency and resolution
Deposit insurance
Payment systems
Regulation of cross-border banks
Sovereign debt
EU and international financial architecture (including IMF)
Learning Outcomes
A. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the risks affecting the stability of financial systems;
B. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the most important bank regulations in the UK and the EU;
C. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of comparative approaches to financial regulation (with a specific focus on the US);
D. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of currently unaddressed issues in international finance and the various reform proposals on the table;
E. An ability to identify and analyse risks in finance and propose practical legal solutions;
F. An ability to understand and analyse financial transactions and the legal regime applicable to them.
Skills
• Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
• Legal problem solving. An advanced ability to identify relevant issues, apply relevant concepts, principles and rules, make judgements and reach supported conclusions on the basis of sound and informed reasoning;
• An advanced awareness of and ability to understand financial and economic concepts and to critically evaluate them into broader legal concepts
• An advanced capacity to identify economic issues and to propose regulatory and legal solutions to tackle them
• An advanced ability to critically analyse financial regulations
• An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance
• An advanced capacity for a comparative analysis of the law
• Ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
• An advanced ability to structure argument and analysis
• Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity
This module will comprise a critical analysis of the history, institutions and legal/political/theoretical underpinnings of international economic law. This includes: historical accounts of international economic law’s evolution; an exploration of its global and regional institutions such as International Monetary Fund, the World Bank Group and the World Trade Organisation; an examination of the legal/political and theoretical theories which underpin its operation; an engagement with how international economic law interacts with a wide variety of other legal topics such as global health law, the law of the sea, international development law and others. The class will develop a deep and critical understanding of the contemporary and historical operation of international economic law.
Learning Outcomes
• Students will develop an advanced knowledge and understanding of the legal, political and theoretical underpinnings of international economic law.
• Students will develop a deep knowledge and understanding of the legal institutional infrastructures that operate in international economic law and its historical development.
• Students will have detailed knowledge of the primary and secondary sources within international economic law.
• Students will develop the skills necessary to critically analyse how international economic law operates in the global legal order and the critiques that have been applied to it.
• Students will develop their ability to apply theory and knowledge to current topics of debate and be able to analyse international economic law from multiple perspectives.
• Students will develop their skills to synthesise relevant directed readings with independent research and present findings in both an oral and written format.
• Students will engage in independent study and research.
Skills
The module will develop the student’s abilities to:
• Show a critical understanding of the substantive module content
• Utilise a range of legal theoretical and historical analysis to understand the operation of international economic law
• Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in preparing for and engaging with class discussions.
• Further develop their self-directed learning through researching and preparing their assessment.
The focus of this module will be the exploration and analysis of the impact of online platform in modern society, the construction of online markets and its implications for law and regulation. As a lawyer, entrepreneur, or policy maker working at the forefront of Internet and technology industry, you must know whether and when access providers and communications platforms like Google, Twitter and Facebook are liable for their users’ online activities. This is one of the most relevant emerging issue for online businesses and a key factor that effects innovation and free speech.
(1) This course will provide an in-depth exploration of legal, policy and ethical issues facing platforms and online intermediaries from a national and international perspective, focusing on long standing and emerging new legislation, such as the e-Commerce Directive and Regulations, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Communication Decency Act § 230, the GDPR, the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive, the proposed Online Safety Bill, and the newly enacted Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.
(2) In this course, you will learn about novel issues of Internet jurisdiction and innovation regulation.
(3) The course will discuss law and case law dealing with platforms’ intermediate liability for copyright, trademark, and privacy infringement, including data protection obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the right to be forgotten.
(4) Also, this course focuses on the role of Internet platforms and service providers in moderating the speech they carry for customers, including obligations and liabilities for defamation, hate and dangerous speech, revenge porn, and disinformation.
(5) We will also review the tension between innovators and property owners leveraging their hold-out powers to block progress by challenging the legality of innovative technologies under the assumption that they may infringe their intellectual property and other rights.
(6) Finally, we will look into enforcement strategies that governments and private parties around the world adopt to press intermediaries to block their users’ undesirable or infringing online content, such as voluntary agreements, three-strikes policies, blocking orders, and administrative enforcement and extra-territorial enforcement of online intermediaries’ obligations.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of the module students will be able to :
• critically discuss the national and international regulatory and legal frameworks within which platforms develop;
• describe platforms’ obligations and liabilities for IP enforcement and content moderation at large;
• discuss online enforcement strategies for IP and other infringing content, including content infringing privacy, personality rights or public laws;
• discuss the challenges that platform regulation portends, also in terms of innovation and technology policy;
• critically assess claims about the social importance and value of the platform economy
Skills
Presentation Skills
Critical Thinking Skills
Analytical and Application Skills
Research Skills
This module provides a comprehensive review of corporate transactional issues in environmental law. The module examines, in a primarily corporate context, contemporary environmental law debates regarding regulation, liability, and institutional reform. This module evaluates environmental meta-principles and approaches to regulation, including traditional command-and-control, the use of economic incentivisation, and trends towards voluntary regulation. Questions of corporate environmental disclosure are considered and environmental responsibility in project financing. The development of environmental liability in the US and EU is comparatively examined with a view to ascertaining emerging trends and questions of reform. Special case studies consider the oil pollution liability regime and the development of carbon emissions trading schemes.
The aims of the module are to:
[] contribute to the development of environmental law and practice in business, corporate finance and law professionals;
[] critically evaluate principles of environmental accountability, scientific claims, and technological aspects of the environment;
[] assess and analyse how lawyers and corporate professionals play key roles in protecting clients and employers from environmental losses and are also called on to act against those who cause or are accountable for negative environmental impacts;
[] provide an in-depth review and critique of prevailing regulatory approaches to understanding and managing environmental impacts and business opportunities;
[] critically examine approaches to environmental liability;
[] identify and critically assess how corporate environmental responsibility factors impact on a firm’s accounts.
Learning Outcomes
(1) Evaluate the meta-principles of environmental law and their influence in legal development;
(2) Identify and critically assess approaches to regulating corporate conduct with respect to the environment;
(3) Critically assess environmental risk factors influencing corporate entities and corporate responses to environmental risks;
(4) Define the major environmental regulatory trends in the corporate environmental landscape;
(5) Evaluate how changes in the legal and governance landscape interact.
Skills
(1) Ability to apply existing knowledge to new situations;
(2) Develop or substantially enhance skills of independent learning, including the ability to plan, time-manage and execute an independent guided research project;
(3) Synthesise information from legal and non-legal sources so as to contextualise subject specific information;
(4) Use fluent and effective communication and discussion skills in oral and written contexts;
(5) Engage with complex concepts and scrutinise information in critical, evaluative and analytical ways;
(6) Develop or substantially enhance an ethical awareness of global citizenship and, in particular, responsibilities to safeguard ecological, social and economic wellbeing, both in the present and for future generations.
Applicants with a primary Law degree: Normally a strong 2.2 Honours degree in Law (with a minimum of 55%) or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University. Applicants with a 2:2 Honours degree in Law with less than 55% (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) along with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience may be considered.
Applicants with a primary degree in a relevant/cognate subject: Normally applicants with a 2:1 Honours degree or above (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) in Social Sciences, Humanities or a cognate discipline.
Applicants with a minimum of a 2:2 Honours degree (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) along with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience may be considered.
Exemption from these requirements may be considered for those applicants who hold a Master's degree in a relevant subject (or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University.
Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 29th August 2025. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the application portal against the programme application page.
Admission under Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) may be considered for this course. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit the link below for more information. http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicyQUB
International Students
Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.
English Language Requirements
Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required.
*Taken within the last 2 years.
International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.
If you need to improve your English language skills before you enter this degree programme, INTO Queen's University Belfast offers a range of English language courses. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for admission to this degree.
Academic English: an intensive English language and study skills course for successful university study at degree level
Pre-sessional English: a short intensive academic English course for students starting a degree programme at Queen's University Belfast and who need to improve their English.
Our LLM programme will prepare you for a career in law with specialisation in international commerce and business. It also enables students to develop research skills that will prepare you for pursuing a PhD and an academic career in international business law. Students are actively supported by our School’s Employability and Placement Officer and by the University’s dedicated Careers Service which provide students with opportunities to engage with employers and help them to boost their employability:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Graduate plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university; you will have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special. http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/
Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
1EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.
2 EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.
3 EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.
All tuition fees quoted relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.
There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.
All Students
Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.
Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.
Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.
If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.
Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.
There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.
How do I fund my study?
The Department for the Economy will provide a tuition fee loan of up to £6,500 per NI / EU student for postgraduate study. Tuition fee loan information.
A postgraduate loans system in the UK offers government-backed student loans of up to £11,836 for taught and research Masters courses in all subject areas (excluding Initial Teacher Education/PGCE, where undergraduate student finance is available). Criteria, eligibility, repayment and application information are available on the UK government website.
