M1K116 Master of Laws LLM Postgraduate Taught  2016

Course Content

Description

This programme gives you the widest choice of modules. Modules can be selected from those available for students studying in International Trade and Commercial Law, and European Trade and Commercial Law, as well as in areas falling outside those commercial law subjects, such as in International Co-operation in Criminal Law, or International Human Rights.

Having completed your taught modules, you will undertake an extended dissertation of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 words in length, under the supervision of a member of staff who is an expert in your chosen field of research. Teaching is by a mixture of lectures and smaller, student-led, seminars or tutorial groups. The dissertation is pursued by independent research.

Students attending the programme are drawn from a broad range of countries, and their previous academic or professional experiences enrich the programme. The Law School hosts a number of research centres, including the Institute for Commercial and Corporate Law, the Durham European Law Institute, the Centre for Criminal Law and Criminal Justice and the Human Rights Centre. Students are encouraged to participate in all their activities.

Course Structure

Students must study one compulsory module in Applied Research Methods in Law. You must also choose a number of additional taught modules, from a large body of optional modules. Finally, a dissertation must be completed, on a topic chosen by you in consultation with your allotted supervisor.

Core Modules

• Applied Research Methods in Law
• Dissertation (of 10,000, 15,000 or 20,000 words).

Optional Modules

Please note: not all modules necessarily run every year, and we regularly introduce new modules. The list below provides an example of the type of modules which may be offered.

• Advanced Issues in International Economic Law
• Advanced Issues in the Constitutional Law of the EU
• Advanced Issues of International Intellectual Property Law
• Advanced Law of Obligations
• Advanced Research in EU Law
• Carriage of Goods by Sea
• Commercial Fraud
• Comparative and Transnational Law
• Comparative Corporate Governance
• Comparative Insurance Law
• Comparative Private Law
• Corporate Compliance
• Corporate Social Responsibility
• Corporations in an EU Context
• Current Issues in Commercial Law
• Current Issues in Company Law
• Current Problems of International Law
• Domestic Anti-Discrimination Law
• Electronic Commerce
• Environment Law and International Trade
• EU Competition Law
• EU Trade Law
• European Discrimination Law
• Free Speech Problems in International and Comparative Perspective
• Fundamentals of International Law
• International and Comparative Advertising Law
• International and Comparative Corporate Insolvency Law
• International Banking Law
• International Commercial Dispute Resolution
• International Co-operation in Criminal Matters
• International Human Rights Law
• International Human Rights Law, Development and Commerce
• International Investment Law
• International Law of Human Rights
• International Perspectives on Law and Gender
• International Sales Law
• Introduction to Corporate Governance
• Introduction to EU Law
• Introduction to Intellectual Property Law
• Introduction to International Criminal Justice
• Introduction to Media Freedom under the Human Rights Act
• Introduction to the Law of Oil Contracts
• Islamic Law
• Law of the WTO
• Media Freedom under the Human Rights Act
• Mergers and Acquisitions
• Perspectives on Securities Law and Capital Markets
• Principles of Corporate Insolvency Law
• Rights of the Child
• Selected Issues in Competition Law
• Selected Issues in European Law
• Selected Issues of Intellectual Property Law
• Takeover Regulation in the EU
• Tax Law and Policy
• The Community Legal Order
• The European Union and International Trade
• Unjust Enrichment.

Course Learning and Teaching

This programme involves both taught modules and a substantial dissertation component. Taught modules are delivered by a mixture of lectures and seminars. Although most lectures do encourage student participation, they are used primarily to introduce chosen topics, identify relevant concepts, and introduce the student to the main debates and ideas relevant to the chosen topic. They give students a framework of knowledge that students can then develop, and reflect on, through their own reading and study.

Seminars are smaller-sized, student-led classes. Students are expected to carry out reading prior to classes, and are usually set questions or problems to which to apply the knowledge they have developed. Through class discussion, or the presentation of student papers, students are given the opportunity to test and refine their knowledge and understanding, in a relaxed and supportive environment.

The number of contact hours in each module will reflect that module’s credit weighting. 15-credit modules will have, in total, 15 contact hours (of either lectures or seminars); 30-credit modules will have 30 contact hours. Students must accumulate, in total, between 90 and 120 credits of taught modules for the programme (depending upon the length of their dissertation).

In addition to their taught modules, all students must produce a dissertation of between 10,000 and 20,000 words. This is intended to be the product of the student’s own independent research. Each student is allocated a dissertation supervisor, and will have a series of (usually four) one-to-one meetings with their supervisor over the course of the academic year.

Finally, all taught postgraduate students on this programme, are encouraged to attend the various events, including guest lectures and seminars, organised through the School’s research centres, including the Institute for Commercial and Corporate Law, and Durham European Law Institute.

Admissions Process

Subjects required, level and grade

A good 2:1 degree (or its equivalent) in law, or in a degree in which law is a major component.

English Language requirements

Please check requirements for your subject and level of study.

Requirements and Admissions

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply

Fees and Funding

Full Time Fees

Please also check costs for colleges and accommodation.

Scholarships and funding

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/finance

Career Opportunities

Law School

For further information on career options and employability, including the results of the Destination of Leavers survey, student and employer testimonials and details of work experience and study abroad opportunities, please visit our employability web pages. 

Open days and visits

Pre-application open day

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Overseas Visit Schedule

www.durham.ac.uk/international/office/meetus

Postgraduate Visits

www.durham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit/

Department Information

Law School

Overview

Durham Law School is one of the UK’s most distinguished law schools. We ranked joint 1st in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework 2014 and we are one of the leading centres of legal research in the UK with an equally strong commitment to excellence in teaching and learning. Our courses are highly regarded across the world for their quality, intellectual content and rigour, and the School is consistently ranked as one of the top 100 law departments in the world and top 20 law departments in Europe (QS World University Rankings 2015). We have recently expanded and relocated to purpose-built, state-of-the-art facilities. Featuring a moot court, the Harvard-style Hogan Lovells lecture theatre, spacious dedicated work suites with superb views of Durham Cathedral, attractive social areas, and modern wireless and audio-video enabled research spaces, this is one of the most striking and best-equipped law buildings in the UK. With the recent move to our new building, our complement of full-time academic staff has grown to 45, and is comprised of researchers of high distinction as well as a number of promising early career researchers.

Our beautiful city includes the World Heritage site of Durham Cathedral and Durham Castle and Durham University is an enormously popular place to study, providing a wide range of extra-curricular and college-based activities.

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