The study of international law includes the network of various fields and how they work in the subject of international relations. Some of these include security and peace, business and trade, telecommunications, navigation, and environmental protection. You will get to learn and understand how the global legal system functions, and how it can affect policies at a national or international level. Taking up a degree in international law helps in having opportunities to have a career in different sectors, such as international organizations, governments, or others that are related to international affairs. With that, take a look at some of the best international law schools in Europe below.
What Can you Become if You Study International Law?
With an International Law degree, you can work as a lawyer specializing in private or public international laws and pursue a lucrative career. International lawyers earn an average of $127,000 annually, according to the US Bureau of Labor and Statistics. Additionally, International Law degree holders can work as corporate lawyers for multinational companies, as policy advisors, and as professional mediators. If you’re ready to start your international law education, check out our Available Law Courses and learn more about how you can apply. Feel free to explore our Open Courses Page for other available courses for international students.
Top International Law Schools in Europe
1. University College London
The University College London, or UCL, is among the best international law schools in Europe. It is known to be the foremost multifaceted university in London, together with the diversity in its community and leading approach when it comes to academics and research.
There is a Master of Laws program offered at the UCL Laws, which includes the specialist program in International Law. It occurs within a ten-month period when taken full-time, two years if it is taken part-time, or a maximum of five years when opting for a flexible program. Students will encounter a broad range of topics that are taught through the modules. Some of the options include the following areas: commercial and corporate law, environmental law, global health governance, human rights, intellectual property, and legal history. To be able to take the specialist degree in International Law, the student must already plan their pathway and specify it in their personal statement. A research essay is also expected to be accomplished to get to take the desired specialist degree. Some of UCL’s graduates in LLM in International Law became workers in governments, international organizations and courts, and practitioners of international law.
2. University of Oxford
Being consistently ranked among the leading universities in different fields all over the world, the University of Oxford is also a top choice for taking up International Law. The program is meant for lawyers and advocates for human rights who aspire to further their studies.
The school offers a master’s program in International Human Rights Law under their Faculty of Law. It has an expected duration of two years, but it is only offered in a part-time setting. As of now, the degree consists of two periods of online distance learning with summer residentials. In the first part, the students are guided through online study. This includes reading periods and seminars with the guidance of tutors. On the latter part, the students must work on their own with conducting research. Dissertation writing also happens at this time, where personal online support is available from their own supervisor. When graduating from this program, students may get work at the International Criminal Court, corporate practice, national governments, and more.
3. University of Edinburgh
The University of Edinburgh is one of the top universities globally, and its Edinburgh Law School is also recognized to be one of the leading law schools with its excellent performance in both education and research. It has been shown to place high consistently in university rankings for the area of law.
This excellent international law school in Europe has an LLM in International Law, which allows the students taking this to learn the foundations of international law and obtain a higher level of knowledge about it. The degree is offered full-time and part-time where it can be completed within a year or two years. It has a list of specialization courses that are focused on issues relevant to contemporary time. Some of the main subjects are Fundamental Issues in International Law, Human Rights and Conflict Resolution, and International Investment Arbitration. The students have the freedom in the flexibility of the courses they take. There are also other optional courses provided that can be seen on the school’s program site.
4. Leiden University
When it comes to the region of Europe, Leiden University is known as it is said to be one of the best international universities in the region. It has also ranked among the top 100 universities all over the world, as seen in four worldwide university rankings. In subject areas, it has high rankings for arts and humanities, health, law, and physical & social sciences.
There is also a Master of Laws program offered by the school, and part of its specializations is Public International Law. Leiden’s master’s program has a distinguished reputation at both international and national levels. For their Public International Law, there is a one-year duration where it can be done part-time or full-time. Through this program, the students will acquire the essentials when it comes to public international law through both practice and theory education. It is centered on the legal framework which administers international relations in the global society. The development of the own perspectives of students will be challenged in studying various topics, such as human rights and international terrorism.
5. Tilburg University
Tilburg University is a specialized university, and it has ranked in university rankings for various subject areas like Arts, Humanities & Communication, Business and Management, and Law and Public Governance. It is recognized for its high-level delivery in teaching and contributions to research. The school also has partnerships at local, regional, national, and international levels, for activities and work in research.
It offers a Master of Laws program in International Law and Global Governance, which has a completion period of a year. Known to be one of the best international law schools in Europe, the curriculum at Tilburg University is centered on the following three main subject areas on international law: International Law and International Relations, Human Rights and Human Security, and Global Sustainability and Environmental Law. The students may decide on their electives depending on the specialization they are interested in. Upon completion of the degree, a master’s thesis on a chosen topic is expected and the students have to defend it in the finals.
We hope that you found this article on the best international law schools in Europe informative and helpful. Make sure to also check out Law Programs for International Students for different law programs around the world!
