LLM in International Banking Law and Finance
The LLM in International Banking Law and Finance is designed for those who wish to work in or are already working in the areas of global financial markets, financial services regulation, and corporate finance.
Banking and finance underpins global markets that impact on the day to day activities of businesses and individuals around the world. To work in this high paced legal environment the student is expected to have developed a clear understanding of the regulation and practice of banking at national, supranational and international levels. The LLM in International Banking Law and Finance at Edinburgh Law School caters to those needs.
The principal aim of the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance is to provide postgraduate students with the opportunity for specialised advanced learning in certain key areas of banking and financial law and practice. The programme is forward thinking, considering emerging and developing technologies and their implications on the practice of banking and financing transactions.
The length of courses over one or two semesters plays a key role in fostering deep learning, enabling students to explore a wider variety of subjects in greater depth. Students enjoy significant flexibility in their course choices and can tailor their study to their needs and interests. The main programme aims are to develop specialist knowledge in banking and finance law and practice, to foster independence of thought, critical reflection and the development of scholarly writing skills at an advanced level in law.
I'm really happy that I chose to study this programme as it not only provides extensive knowledge of the financial sector but also addresses current issues such as Fintech. All of the lecturers are experts in the field, so you know you're learning from the best.
This highly specialised LLM programme is suitable for ambitious students and professionals who aspire to pursue a successful career in the field of global financial markets and especially in the areas of finance, banking, capital markets, corporate finance, and financial technology and accounting and law firms. It is also suitable for those who wish to pursue a successful career with regulatory authorities, central banks, and other public sector organisations. It will help you position yourself as a highly skilled expert and future leader in the wider area of global financial markets, banking and finance law and regulation.
To enhance and broaden their professional prospects and horizons, some of the seminars in the programme are delivered by leading finance law practitioners/policymakers. This enables the programme to provide the students with a good blend of theory and practical expertise. A successful career in today’s global markets requires an extensive and in-depth knowledge of complex and sophisticated global and domestic finance laws, regulations and practices. This skillset may not be developed without extensive study and a solid understanding of the economic, financial, legal and regulatory theories and practices supporting the operation of global finance.
Based on the University of Edinburgh's strong law and finance expertise, the programme offers interdisciplinary, law and practice-oriented courses examining the legal, economic and political aspects of banking, corporate finance and the relevant regulatory frameworks at national, European and international levels. It also utilises key experience from practice to help you develop practical, problem-solving and drafting skills to handle complex policy, compliance, transaction structuring and completion challenges e.g.
We pride ourselves on delivering intensive, high-quality teaching in small-group settings. This gives you the opportunity to study in detail the topics and subjects above through intellectually rigorous discussions guided by leading academics, including opportunities for feedback. Seminars are challenging and students regularly present on seminar topics as well as engage in real-life or hypothetical case studies. Through frequent group presentations and by means of testing case studies, prepared and presented collectively by programme students, and students’ own study (revision) groups, you will benefit from the cross-fertilisation of different ideas and experiences. This approach facilitates critical discussion, and enables you to hone your problem-solving, presentation, and team-building skills.
Further information concerning the LLM Programme's courses can be found under the tab 'courses'.
With the advent of the financial technology revolution and massive expansion of the regulatory framework applicable to global financial market transactions post-2008, the pursuit of a successful career in today’s global markets requires an extensive and in-depth knowledge of complex and sophisticated global and domestic finance laws including:
- private law of contracts and derivatives;
- the law underpinning key corporate finance transactions such as corporate takeovers;
- private equity deals; and
- banking and capital market regulations and practices.
The acquisition of such an extensive and advanced skillset requires, in addition, knowledge of the law and skills in legal and financial analysis and a solid understanding of economic and regulatory theories supporting the operation of global finance that extends to the disruptive influence of financial technology.
The LLM in International Banking Law and Finance was launched six years ago to address a major gap in law and finance education at the postgraduate level and is addressing in-depth and comprehensively all of the above challenges.
Depending on prior expertise and experience, graduates of the programme go on to excellent careers and this is one of the very few LLM programmes, globally, that prepares students for posts within the wider banking and finance industry and not just in the legal services sectors.
Edinburgh Law School is Scotland’s leading legal research institution, with a reputation for research excellence in the United Kingdom, Europe and across the globe. We take a research-led approach to teaching and you will be taught by Edinburgh Law School's leading experts in this field as well as by leading figures of the industry including senior bankers, law practitioners and experts involved in policy-making.
The LLM in International Banking Law and Finance is closely integrated with the Edinburgh Centre for Commercial Law, also based in Edinburgh Law School. The aim of the Centre is to co-ordinate the research interests of the commercial team of lecturers, strengthening links with practice and interaction with leading banking and commercial lawyers from the UK and further afield. Students on the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance are warmly encouraged to participate in the activities of the Centre, which has a strong community atmosphere.
During the programme, you will benefit from being part of a vibrant intellectual community at the Law School. You will have access to an exciting programme of events, many of which provide a unique opportunity to hear from distinguished speakers from a range of fields.
The programme's core strength rests with its chair and founder, Prof. Avgouleas, whose knowledge, teaching skills, and network of influential guest lecturers is invaluable.
In previous years seminars and guest guest lectures have featured speakers who held leading positions in the fund management industry, banks, and regulators including the Head of the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA), the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England and leading finance lawyer Lee Buchheit.
Research and subject area activities related to the programme include invited speakers to the Edinburgh Commercial Law Centre which students are actively encouraged to attend. Speakers in the past few years have ranged bank chairpersons, the chair of the UK’s Prudential Authority and the Chair of the European Banking Authority to leading financial economists and leading corporate and finance law practitioners and academics.
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If you have any questions about the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance please don't hesitate to contact us.
This programme can be studied full time over one year and is designed to offer advanced and rigorous training in banking and finance law from multiple perspectives and at different levels, namely at national, supranational and international levels.
The programme structure and courses scheduled to be offered in the 2024-25 academic year can be found below.
You must study this course:
Regulation of International Finance: The Law, the Economics, the Politics (40 credits)
Global financial markets have gone through various stages of development since Bretton Woods. In the past two decades, liberalisation, technological advancement, and market innovation have elevated financial markets to a position akin to being the heartbeat of the global economy. However, since 2008 they seem to have fallen into a state of irremediable disrepair. Thus, while global finance was before 2008 either unregulated or its regulation was largely a matter of national regimes (with the exception of the EU), ever since the regulation of International finance has become the subject of extensive reform at the global, regional (EU), and national level. Most of the new regulations target 'too-big-to-fail' institutions and intend to bolster systemic stability. But regulatory reform has not stopped with banks it has been extended to regulation of hedge funds, credit rating agencies, OTC derivatives markets and a host of other interlinked areas.
This course will examine the workings of global finance and the institutional edifice supporting it, based on modern regulatory theory and practice, from an interdisciplinary perspective (law, economics, politics). It will offer in depth insights into the economic, regulatory, and political framework under which financial markets operate in the EU, the USA, and internationally.
You must select between 40 and 80 credits of the following courses:
- Principles of Banking Law (20 credits)
- Financial Transactions and the Law (20 credits)
- Corporate Finance and Law (20 credits)
- Advanced Issues in Capital Markets Law (20 credits)
You can select between 0 and 40 credits of the following courses:
- Company Law (40 credits)
- Insolvency Law (20 credits)
- Comparative and International Trust Law (20 credits)
- Corporation Law and Economics (20 credits)
- Comparative Corporate Governance (20 credits)
- Applied Corporate Law (20 credits)
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 banking law and finance, 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.
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If you have any questions about the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance please don't hesitate to contact us.
Page update: The programme structure and courses scheduled to be offered were updated on 31 october 2024.
You will be taught by Edinburgh Law School's leading experts in this field as well as by leading figures of the industry including Senior bankers and fund managers from leading institutions.
Teaching staff on this programme have excellent connections to the global banking community and regularly contribute to international discourse and debate on topics related to international financial regulation.
Parker Hood is a lecturer in Commercial Law, whose research interests include banking law, company law, the law of obligations and general commercial law. He is the author of a monograph on bank liability, Principles of Lender Liability (Oxford University Press), which was published in October 2012.
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Mr Buchheit, Visiting Professor at Edinburgh Law School, is an internationally renowned finance lawyer and will give a series of seminars during the programme.
Mr Buchheit’s practice focuses on international financial transactions, including sovereign debt management, privatisation and project finance. He is the author of two books in the field of international law and more than 40 articles on professional matters. The legal and business press has repeatedly recognised Mr Buchheit for his work on behalf of clients and leading role in the profession, including the Financial Times, which named him on of its 10 most “Innovative Individuals” of 2012 for his work on the Greek debt restructuring; and the International Financial Law Review, which honoured him with its inaugural Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 for his contributions to international finance.
Before joining the University of Edinburgh in 2023, Andrew was a Lecturer in Law at University College London, where he also served as Co-Director of the UCL Centre for Law, Economics and Society. Andrew holds a PhD in Law from UCL, an LLM in Law and Economics from Queen Mary University of London, and an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Edinburgh.
Andrew’s research interests include antitrust/competition law, corporate finance and corporate governance, financial law and regulation, and the role of economics in legal and regulatory contexts. His research has received recognition and support from the Academic Society for Competition Law, the Antitrust Law Section of the American Bar Association, and the Modern Law Review.
Stephen Phillips is a leading banking and financial lawyer acting as a partner at CMS with over 20 years of experience in a wide range of finance transactions.
External Guest Speaker
Mr Habib Motani joins our programme of distinguished guest speakers. Mr Motani, formerly head of the global capital markets group at Clifford Chance, is one of the leading international financial markets lawyers and has expertise in derivatives, securities lending, repo, netting and collateral and clearing and settlement systems.
External Guest Speaker
Dr Bassani is a senior legal advisor at the European Central Bank (ECB).
Dr. Longjie Lu joined Edinburgh Law School in September 2019. Prior to Edinburgh, Longjie taught law at the Dickson Poon School of Law, King’s College London, and completed her Ph.D. in law at the University of Leeds.
Longjie’s main research interests are in the areas of financial regulation, corporate governance, corporate finance and empirical legal studies.
Professor Emilios Avgouleas is the inaugural holder of the International Banking Law and Finance Chair at the University of Edinburgh and the founding director of the Edinburgh LLM in International Banking Law and Finance. He is a Member of the Stakeholder Group of the European Banking Authority (EBA) elected in the so-called 'top-ranking' academics section.
Emilios is an acknowledged international expert on public policy and financial reform, banking theory, banking and capital markets regulation, law and finance, and global economic governance. He has given keynote lectures, annual lectures, research seminars and conference papers in a plethora of leading academic institutions and in influential public policy organisations such as the Bank of England, the Basel Committee, the European Parliament, US Federal Reserve banks, and Singapore Monetary Authority.
Professor Emilios Avgouleas, Chair in Banking Law, delivered the eighth lecture in the 2015 Our Changing World series, entitled From Speculative Finance to Sustainable Finance.
Emilios' work has frequently been cited and commented upon in major Parliamentary and public policy reports and is often cited by the global media including Reuters, Financial Times, Bloomberg and the Wall Street Journal.
Until 2008 Emilios practised extensively in the broader field of International and European financial law and structured finance. He worked as an Associate at the Derivatives and Financial Institutions Group of Clifford Chance LLP, as a Managing Associate at the Financial Markets Group of Linklaters, and as an equity partner at a large continental Law Firm.
You will also benefit from a series of guest seminars by leading figures of the industry including Senior bankers and fund managers from leading institutions.
The above list of the staff teaching on this programme is indicative. Staff listed as on sabbatical will not be available to teach for the duration of their sabbatical.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance please don't hesitate to contact us.
Find out what it's like to study for an LLM in International Banking Law and Finance at Edinburgh Law School from our current and former students.
Frank, from Italy, studied for an LLM in International Banking Law and Finance during the 2021/22 academic year, graduating in 2022. In this video he talks about his experience of studying for an LLM at Edinburgh Law School, life in Edinburgh and plans for the future.
Nikki, from Nepal, studied for an LLM in International Banking Law and Finance during the 2019/20 academic year, graduating in 2020. In this video she talks about her experience of studying for an LLM at Edinburgh Law School, life in Edinburgh, completing her studies during the Covid-19 pandemic and her plans for the future.
Jingjing studied the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in the 2021-22 academic year graduating in 2022.
"Having studied law in China and worked at two Chinese law firms, I wanted to consolidate my career objectives by pursuing advanced studies at Edinburgh Law School. I was particularly attracted to the programme on international banking law and finance, which applies the law to finance and the market.
During my studies at Edinburgh Law School, I found my lecturers all experts in their respective fields. They gave great lectures. They were patient and responsive to students. I especially liked the case-study courses because they offered good opportunities for me to practice my knowledge and improve my oral presentation skills.
Life in Edinburgh was fun and enjoyable, giving me good exposure to its culture and society. I can say that I made a good decision to have selected Edinburgh Law School to complete my master’s degree in law."Edward, from the UK, studied the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in the 2019/20 academic year, graduating in 2020. In this video he talks about his experience of studying for an LLM at Edinburgh Law School, life in Edinburgh, completing his studies during the Covid-19 pandemic and his plans for the future.
Yvonne, from Germany, studied for an LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in the 2019/20 academic year, graduating in 2020. In this video she talks about her experience of studying for an LLM at Edinburgh Law School, life in Edinburgh and her plans for the future.
Matthew talks about his experience of studying on the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in the 2018-19 academic year, life in Edinburgh and the newly refurbished Old College.
Lisa studied the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in the 2018-19 academic year.
"I studied law at the University of Vienna and graduated in 2014. After some internships in Austria and abroad, I started working for Deloitte. I focused on banking supervisory law and advised clients, which were mainly banks, on topics such as compliance, anti-money laundering, data protection and remuneration.
I wanted to study this particular LLM because the courses and the structure of the program seemed very interesting and I thought that this LLM could help me to broaden my knowledge about financial markets and finance in general.
One of the highlights of this program was to be taught by Prof. Avgouleas, who is very enthusiastic about his subject and has both extensive knowledge as well as experience, which allows him to give his students interesting insights into practice.
I think I benefitted a lot from group presentations and case studies because they helped me to develop my soft skills further and learn how to interact with people with different from different academic and cultural backgrounds.
After finishing my dissertation, I started working in the legal department of an Austrian financial conglomerate where I focus on regulatory affairs. I have the chance to apply my newly acquired skills and knowledge."
Advento, from Indonesia, talks about his experience of studying on the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance, life in Edinburgh and the professional benefits of studying on the LLM.
Maria studied the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in the 2017-18 academic year.
"The LLM in International Banking Law and Finance at the University of Edinburgh is challenging, but highly rewarding and enriching in terms of intellectual development. All three courses were interlinked and provided students with cutting-edge knowledge in the interdisciplinary area of law and finance.
Through structured seminars, speeches by top experts, but also class presentations and real-life case studies, I gained a deep understanding of the financial markets and their regulation. Professor Emilios Avgouleas generously shared his expertise and experience in a well integrated academic and practical way and helped us develop our critical thinking and open our eyes to the real corporate and financial world.
Overall, this programme gave me confidence to pursue a career in the banking industry and enhanced my professional horizons. Thus, I managed to secure a job at the European Investment Bank in Luxembourg.
If you want to gain a strong competitive advantage over your peers and pursue a successful career in the financial sector, the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance is perfectly suited for you!"
Mirka, from Canada, talks about her experience so far on the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance at Edinburgh Law School, the University of Edinburgh.
Hanyu, from China, talks about her experiences so far on the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance at Edinburgh Law School, the University of Edinburgh.
"The LLM in International Banking Law and Finance is genuinely a year-long challenge for any aspiring individual, who opts for a career in the ever-changing environment of the banking industry. I had the opportunity to expose myself to interdisciplinary material and engage in fascinating debates with top experts in their respective fields. I soon realised how the business world operates and why the programme is structured the way it is, since the element of interconnectedness is present throughout the carefully designed and always up-to-date courses.
In terms of career prospects, I secured an offer from a leading bank in Switzerland, where I am currently working as a Financial Crime Compliance Analyst.
Last but not least, being part of a multinational class enriched me as a person and made my year in the beautiful city of Edinburgh truly unforgettable. That said, if managed properly, the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance can give you the best of both worlds."Batmandakh, a lawyer from Mongolia, talks about her experience of studying for the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance at Edinburgh Law School, the University of Edinburgh.
Tammo Hemmen graduated with an LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in 2017. Here he talks about the benefits of studying for an LLM at Edinburgh Law School.
Simon Margesson graduated with an LLM in International Banking Law and Finance from Edinburgh Law School in 2017. Here he talks about his experience of studying for the LLM.
Contact us
If you have any questions about the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance please don't hesitate to contact us.
Please note that the information provided is for entry in the 2024-25 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ.
This programme can be studied full time over one year.
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.
We recommend that you apply as early as possible. This is particularly important for applicants who may need to allow sufficient time to take an English language test, for overseas students who may need time to satisfy necessary visa requirements and/or to apply for University accommodation.
Apply nowWe require a minimum 2:1 honours degree from a UK university, or its international equivalent, in law, finance, accounting, management or business studies. 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.
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.
English language tests
We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:
- IELTS Academic: total 7.0 (at least 7.0 in the writing component and 6.5 in each other module)
- TOEFL-iBT (including Special Home Edition): total 100 (at least 25 in writing and 23 in each other module)
- C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 (at least 185 in writing and 176 in in all other components)
- Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components
- PTE Academic and PTE Academic Online: 70 overall with at least 70 in the writing component and 62 in each other component.
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 was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). The UK Government's website provides a list of majority English speaking countries.
View the UKVI list of majority English speaking countries
We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, or equivalent, that has been taught and assessed in English from a university 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 three and a half years old at the beginning of your programme of study.
View approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries
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.
Find out more about the University's English language requirements
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
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
Deadlines for applicants applying to study the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance in 2024-25 are provided in the table below.
| Round | Application deadline | Decisions 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 |
We monitor application numbers carefully to ensure we are able to accommodate all those who receive offers. It may therefore be necessary to close a programme earlier than the published deadline and if this is the case we will place a four-week warning notice on the relevant programme page.
Please note that the deadline for meeting the conditions of an offer is 18 August 2024.
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.
- 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)
- A reference in support of your application. The reference should be academic and dated no earlier than one year from the start of study on the LLM programme
- 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.
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 18 August 2024. - 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.
If you receive an offer of admission, either unconditional or conditional, you will be asked to pay a tuition fee deposit of £1,500 (within 28 days of receiving your offer) to secure your place on the programme.
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.
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If you have any questions about applying to the LLM in International Banking Law and Finance please don't hesitate to contact us.
