LLM in European Law

You must select between 80 and 120 credits of the following courses:

• Citizenship in Europe (20 credits)
  This aim of this course is to explore the multi-level governance framework for citizenship in Europe, looking at the national, sub-national and international/European levels at which law operates. The aim is to understand the classic notion of national citizenship in the context of developments such as European Union citizenship and the impact of supranational and international norms such as the ECHR, placing the law throughout in its wider political context.
   
• Current issues in the Case Law of the European Court of Human Rights (20 credits)
  This course will look at a number of recent high profile decisions of the European Court of Human Rights in the context of ongoing debates on the role, functions and limits of the Strasbourg court's jurisdiction and of the European Convention on Human Rights system more generally.

• EU Criminal Law (20 credits)

  The course is aimed to provide the students with the foundations of EU Criminal Law. They will engage in discussion on primary and secondary sources, as well as analysis of the centrepieces of the area. Through the involvement of practitioners, they will be exposed to different approaches and address the topics from a theoretical, and practical, points of view.

• EU Immigration and Asylum Law (20 credits)

  The course is aimed to provide the students with the foundations of EU Immigration Law. They will engage in discussion on primary and secondary sources, as well as analysis of the centrepieces of the area. Through the involvement of practitioners, they will be exposed to different approaches and address the topics from a theoretical, and practical, points of view.

• Europe, Empire and the Law (20 credits)
  This course explores the past and present entanglement of law and empire in Europe. The course focuses primarily on the role of colonialism, imperialism, and decolonisation in the history of European integration and their ongoing influence on the law of the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights.

• Fundamentals of EU Competition Law 1 (20 credits)

  The course will examine the concept of competition in economic literature and in the structure of the EU treaties covering common concepts: 'undertaking', effect on trade' and 'appreciable' effect, Articles 101 and 102. It will also cover competition law and intellectual property rights and digital markets, artificial intelligence and the enforcement of competition law.

• Fundamentals of EU Competition Law 2 (20 credits)

  The course examines three selected issues arising from the interplay between the rules on competition, contained in Articles 101 and 102 TFEU, and the principles governing the single market, especially the freedom of movement of goods and services. It will include:
  - From the notion of restriction of freedom to trade to the concept of restriction of competition: the evolution in the approaches to the interpretation of Article 101 TFEU in light of the evolution of the single market;
  - Parallel trade restrictions under the single market principles and under the EU competition rules;
  - Intellectual property rights and the EU Treaties: from patent exhaustion to 'abusive' refusals to license; reconciling effective competition, free movement of 'valuable' inventions and the genuine incentive to invest and innovate.

• The Law of Integration: understanding the EU Legal System (20 credits)

  What are the basic components and features of the European Union's legal system? How does it interact with national legal systems? What makes it distinct from international law on the one hand and national law on the other? Finally, what do we mean by legal integration, what purpose does it serve and how is it achieved? This course aims to provide answers to these questions. It analyses the legal system of the European Union, understood as a system of legal integration. European Union law is something distinct from international law. It creates its own legal system with its own autonomous law-making apparatus and a relationship with national legal systems characterised by supremacy and direct effect. This course will explore this legal system, identifying what makes it distinct from international law, analysing its relations with national legal systems and how it contributes towards the process of European integration.

   

You will have the option to take between 0 and 40 credits of courses from different subject areas offered by the Law School, depending on availability and with the express permission of the Programme Director. Depending on demand, space on courses outside the core courses may be limited.

Full programme details, including core and optional courses is available on the University Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website.

View 2025-26 programme and course information for the LLM in European Law

Having successfully completed 120 credit points of courses within the LLM, you will be ready to move onto a single piece of independent and in-depth research. The 10,000 word dissertation allows you to focus on a preferred topic from within the field of European law normally based on a subject you have studied in one of your courses during the programme.

You will be assigned an academic dissertation supervisor who will provide you with support and guidance while you prepare and write your dissertation.

The dissertation is a challenging but rewarding endeavour, asking you to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the relevant literature and an ability to engage critically with a range of sources, drawing on the skills and knowledge you have developed during the course of the programme. Students are encouraged to show originality and evidence of independent thinking, whether in terms of the material used, or the manner in which it is presented.

The dissertation is written in the summer months (April to August) after the taught courses are successfully completed.

Arianna is on sabbatical for the 2024-25 academic year

Arianna Andreangeli's research interests lie in the area of EU and domestic competition law, both substantive and procedural. She is especially interested in exploring how the competition rules can be effectively applied so as to safeguard genuine rivalry in the market while safeguarding the concerned actors' economic freedom and incentive to innovate and invest.

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Elisenda Casanas Adam is Lecturer in Public Law and Human Rights and Associate Director of the Edinburgh Centre for Constitutional Law. Her main research interests lie in the comparative analysis of public law, focusing on plurinational constitutionalism, referendums and self-determination, devolution and federalism, and judicial review and the protection of human rights in multi-level systems. She has a special interest in the public law of Scotland and the United Kingdom, and of Catalonia and Spain.

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Stephen Coutts is a Lecturer in European Union Law. He is a member of the editorial board of European Papers and formerly on the editorial board of the Irish Journal of European Law. He is on the Advisory Board of the Irish Centre of European Law and a former President and current Council member of the Irish Association of Law Teachers. 

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Dr Leandro Mancano is Senior Lecturer in EU Law at Edinburgh Law School, Head of EU Law Subject Area and Programme Director of the LLM in European Law.

Leandro’s main research interests lie in EU constitutional Law, EU fundamental rights Law, the law and policy of the EU Area of Freedom Security and Justice. He teaches and is course organizer of courses in EU Law, EU Criminal Law, EU Asylum and Immigration Law.

Leandro’s publications focus on the interaction amongst different areas of European law and policy, such as crime, migration, and human rights. His first monograph analyses the legislative and judicial approach of the EU to deprivation of liberty in the fields of substantive and procedural criminal law, immigration, citizenship and free movement.

Before joining the University of Edinburgh, Leandro received his PhD from Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (Pisa). He has been visiting researcher at Queen Mary University of London, Université Libre de Bruxelles and the University of Copenhagen. Leandro is UK’s Deputy Contact Point for the European Criminal Law Academic Network (ECLAN).

Leandro is regularly involved in public engagement, has drafted policy papers and provided evidence to Scottish institutions.

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Bob Roth is an Early Career Fellow in European Union law. He lectures and teaches on EU law, focusing especially on its constitutional dimensions. 

Bob’s research interests include constitutional law and theory, (public) law and political economy, as well as legal and political theory more broadly. His current work critically explores the historical and conceptual evolution of the rule of law in EU law, its relationship to the political-economic and administrative dimensions of European integration, and the implications of EU constitutional discourse for democratic practice and legitimacy. He also contributes to the ‘Taming the Dark Energy of EU Law’ project funded by the Leverhulme Trust and led by Professor Niamh Nic Shuibhne.

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Niamh Nic Shuibhne is Professor of European Union Law. She is one of the Joint Editors of the Common Market Law Review. She was Joint Editor of the European Law Review from 2009-2014, and remains a member of its Editorial Board. She is a Visiting Professor at the College of Europe (Bruges), where she introduced the first compulsory course on EU citizenship law in 2013.

Her research examines questions of substantive EU law from a constitutional perspective, with a particular focus on principle-based analysis of free movement law and European Union citizenship. Themes that underpin that work include the values of coherence, fairness and integrity; the respective commitments, and responsibilities, of the Union and of the Member States; and the quality of EU legal decision-making, with particular emphasis on the role of the judiciary.

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Jo Shaw has held the Salvesen Chair of European Institutions in the School of Law since January 2005. Since 2018, she has also held a part time visiting position in the New Social Research programme of Tampere University in Finland.

Since 2017, she has been working on a set of related projects on citizenship regimes: what they are and how they work. Her work has been supported by a EURIAS Fellowship at the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies (2017-2018) and a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2018-2020). She is also co-Director of the Global Citizenship Observatory. Her current work builds on research previously funded by the European Research Council and the Nuffield Foundation.

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A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in law or European Studies. We may also consider a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in a social science subject.

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. Prior study of EU law or European institutions is desirable.

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.

International qualifications

You can check whether your degree qualification is equivalent to the minimum standard before applying.

Check your degree

Students from China

This degree is Band A.

Find out more about our postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

Postgraduate study in the field of law requires a thorough, complex and demanding knowledge of English, so we ask that the communication skills of all students are at the same minimum standard.

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

If you have already met our English language entry requirements for your programme at the time you apply, your application may be considered more competitive in selection than applications where you still need to take an English language test. 

English language tests

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

Two year expiry

• IELTS Academic / IELTS Academic for UKVI and IELTS Academic Online: total 7.0 (at least 7.0 in the writing component and 6.5 in each other module)
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 (at least 25 in writing and 23 in each other module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components
• Oxford ELLT (Global and Digital): 8 overall with at least 8 in the writing component and 7 in each other component

Three and a half year expiry

• C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): 185 (at least 185 in writing and at least 176 in the other modules)
• C2 Proficiency, formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE): 185 (at least 185 in writing and at least 176 in the other modules)

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins, unless you are using CAE/CPE, in which case it must be no more than three and a half years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, that has been taught and assessed in English, either:

1. In a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

UKVI Majority English speaking countries

or

2. On our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

Approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries

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 start of the month in which your programme of study begins.

Full details of the University's English language requirements are available on the University's website

Visit the University's English language requirements web page to find out more

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes

We also accept satisfactory completion of our English for Academic Purposes programme as meeting our English language requirements. You must complete the programme no more than two years and one month before the start date of the degree you are applying to study.

Find out more about the University's Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes

Your application may not be successful if you do not currently satisfy any of these requirements; alternatively, you may be offered a place conditional on your reaching the satisfactory standard by the time you start the degree.

English language support

The University runs a series of programmes for English Language Education, including a pre-sessional English Language Programme intended to strengthen your English Language skills before you start your programme of study.

Find out more about English language support offered by the University

Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.

Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we will make as many offers as possible to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline. We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding or a visa. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.

Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the application deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including your transcripts. If you already have evidence that you meet the English language entry requirements, such as via an approved English language test, please upload this evidence at the time of your application. If you have not already met your English language requirements, we will still review your application and issue a decision providing it is otherwise complete.

Selection deadlines

After Round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open. As this is not guaranteed, however, you are advised to apply by the application deadlines above.

Please note that the deadline for meeting the conditions of an offer is 14 August 2026.

Applications are made online via the University Application Service, EUCLID.

Please follow the instructions carefully and make sure that you have included the following documentation with your application:

• You will need to submit a personal statement of around 500 words, outlining your academic history and relevant experience. 
  Guidance on writing your personal statement.
• If you have any other relevant experience, for example paid or voluntary work experience or additional qualifications not stated elsewhere, then please include this information in your personal statement, or you can add it to the “Relevant knowledge/training skills” field in the application form.
• Degree certificates showing award of degree.
• Previous academic transcripts for all past degree programmes (please upload the full transcript showing results from all years of study). If you haven’t yet graduated, you may be asked to upload an interim transcript for any degrees that you are currently studying.
• Evidence of English language proficiency, if required.

If you are currently studying for your degree or you are not in a possession of an English test result you may still apply to the programme. Please note that it is your responsibility to submit the necessary documents.

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.

View full detailed application guidance

Students at this University must not undertake any other concurrent credit bearing studies in this (or in any other) institution, unless the College has granted permission. The College must be satisfied that any additional credit-bearing studies will not restrict the student’s ability to complete their existing programme of study. Students will not be permitted to undertake concurrent degree programmes in any circumstances.

If you are studying at this or another institution just prior to the start of your postgraduate studies you must have finished these studies before the start of the programme to which you have an offer.

After your application has been submitted you will be able to track its progress through the University's applicant hub.

Application processing times will vary, however the admissions team will endeavour to process your application within four to six weeks of submission. Please note that missing documentation will delay the application process.

You will be informed as soon as possible of the decision taken. Three outcomes are possible:

• You may be offered a place unconditionally
• You may be offered a conditional place, which means that you must fulfil certain conditions that will be specified in the offer letter. Where a conditional offer is made, it is your responsibility to inform the College Postgraduate Office when you have fulfilled the requirements set out. 
  Please note that the deadline for meeting the conditions of an offer is 14 August 2026.
• Your application may be unsuccessful. If your application has not been successful, you can request feedback from us or refer to our guidance for unsuccessful applicants, which explains some of the common reasons we why we reach this decision.
  View the University's guidance for unsuccessful applicants

Deferring your offer

We do not normally offer deferrals, however, we may be able to make a very limited number of offers for deferred entry in exceptional circumstances.

View full guidance on deferral requests

The University’s terms and conditions form part of your contract with the University, and you should read them, and our data protection policy, carefully before applying.

University of Edinburgh admissions terms and conditions