Programme Director Dr Gracia Marin Duran

Since the establishment of the Bretton Woods System in the aftermath of the Second World War, we have seen an extraordinary evolution of international economic relations towards interdependence and integration, and discussions on this process –known as economic globalisation– are commonplace in academic and other fora. This phenomenon of economic globalisation has been accompanied (and supported) by the development of international legal regimes and institutional structures, which have been at the same time the object of much praise and criticism. International Economic Law has thus developed into an increasingly specialised and appealing discipline, deserving the focus of an advanced degree programme in its own right. This LLM programme seeks to provide participants with in-depth knowledge and critical understanding of the institutions, rules and principles of the international economic system, as well as of key legal and policy issues arising from the globalisation of the world economy.

And yet, scholars and practitioners have differing views about the exact meaning of International Economic Law. This is, in part, why the structure of our LLM programme is flexible and interdisciplinary. Through the compulsory courses of the programme, students will gain a theoretical and practical understanding of the core branches of international economic law (i.e. international trade law and international investment law), the underpinning institutional frameworks and dispute settlement mechanisms. The programme is then designed to allow for an individually tailored selection of optional courses, drawing from relevant courses at the Law and other Schools, depending on the personal interests and future career plans of participants.

Programme Objectives:

• To foster an in-depth understanding of the concepts, principles and actors of the international economic system as well as of its evolution and contemporary challenges;
• To develop critical skills for independent analysis of international economic legal and policy issues, and of its interactions with other areas of international law;
• To provide students with the academic skills required to analyse the activities of international governmental and non-governmental organisations and private actors in the field of international economic law;
• To encourage openness to different scholarly approaches within law by offering where appropriate the opportunity to complement specialised law courses with relevant courses offered by the School of Social and Political Science and the School of Economics;
• To provide students with a recognised, advanced-level exit qualification equipping them for work in a variety of positions and institutions or further advanced level study.

Career Prospects:

The LLM Programme in International Economic Law has been conceived as a gateway into a range of employment opportunities and specialised academic work. The Edinburgh University Career Service and the LLM programme teaching staff will be available to support students in identifying employment opportunities. These may include:
   •    Legal practice
   •    Government legal service
   •    Legal advisors to non-governmental organisations and private companies 
   •    International civil servants
   •    Specialised researchers in academic and think-tank institutions
   •    Independent consultants.

The LLM in International Economic Law may be taken over one year (full-time) or two years (part-time). In order to be awarded the LLM degree, students must complete a total of 180 credits: 120 credits from courses and 60 credits for the supervised dissertation (10 000 words). Of the 120 credits, a minimum of 80 credits must be taken from the School of Law courses listed below, including WTO Law and International Investment Law. The remaining 40 credits may be taken from the Law School or from specified courses offered by other Schools. Students are required to take 60 credits in each semester. Please note that 40 credit courses run in both semesters 1 and 2 (and count for 20 credits per semester), including the core course on WTO Law.

Compulsory courses:

• WTO Law (40 credits, semesters 1 and 2)

AND

• International Investment Law (20 credits, semester 2)

Optional 40 credit courses (taught over two semesters):

• Fundamental Issues in International Law
• The Law of International Trade
• Regulation of International Finance: the Law, the Economics, the Politics
  

Optional 20 credit courses (taught over one semester):

• Banking and Finance Law (semester 1)
• International Climate Change Law (semester 1)
• International Commercial Arbitration (semester 1)
• International Intellectual Property System (semester 1, distance learning)
• Principles of International Tax Law (semester 1)
• Corporate Social Responsibility and the Law (semester 2)
• EU External Economic Relations Law (semester 2)

Courses offered by other schools (for a maximum of 40 credits):

• International Political Economy (School of Social and Political Sciences, 20 credits, semester 1)
• Economics for Postgraduates (School of Economics, 20 credits, semester 2)
  

Edinburgh Law School will offer five Tercentenary Awards for Excellence across all the LLM and MSc Programmes in the School starting in 2012, including the LLM in International Economic Law. This award will provide funding of £1,000 towards tuition fees. To find out more about this scholarship, and the other sources of funding available, please consult the link below.

Read more about available funding opportunities

Applications for admission to the 2012-2013 LLM in International Economic Law are now welcome.  Should you wish to discuss any aspect of the LLM degree or your application, please do not hesitate to contact the School Postgraduate Office.

Contact the Postgraduate Office

Apply to the LLM in International Economic Law