Course Structure

Students may enrol on a full-time (1 year) or part-time (2 years) basis. Students must complete four core modules (80 CATS points), two optional modules (40 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).

The Masters is awarded to students who successfully complete all taught modules (120 CATS points) and a research dissertation (60 CATS points).

Compulsory Modules	Issues in International Commercial Law Comparative Competition Law World Trade Law Dissertation (Maximum 15,000 words) (Students who secure a summer work placement of at least 8 weeks can complete a Dissertation in Practice Module including 12,000 word dissertation and 3,000 word reflective journal of the learning experience)
Course Details	The programme is delivered through a series of taught modules and culminates in the submission of a dissertation on an original topic.
Methodology Mini-Modules	Approaches to Legal Research Leadership and Innovation Skills Data, Privacy and the Law Regulating Digital Communications
Optional Modules	Governing the Firm Business and Human Rights Copyright in the Digital Environment International Financial Law UK Trade Law and Policy Corporate Environmental Law Artificial Intelligence and the Law Crimes of the Powerful Please note this is not an exclusive list of the optional modules available. Optional modules are reviewed each year and subject to staff availability *Note: students who take the module Business and Human Rights may graduate with the award of LLM in International Corporate Governance.

Contact Teaching Hours

Small Group Teaching/Personal Tutorial 8 (hours maximum) In addition to 6-8 hrs of teaching per week , students should set aside 10-12 hours per module for reading and preparation to engage meaningfully in classroom discussions, group work and other forms of active engagement.

Career Prospects

Introduction
Our LLM programme will prepare you for a career in law with specialisation in international commerce and business. It also enables students to develop research skills that will prepare you for pursuing a PhD and an academic career in international business law. Students are actively supported by our School’s Employability and Placement Officer and by the University’s dedicated Careers Service which provide students with opportunities to engage with employers and help them to boost their employability:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Graduate plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university; you will have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Learning and Teaching

Learning opportunities associated with the course are outlined below:

Assessment

Assessments associated with the course are outlined below:

Modules

• Year 1

  Core Modules

  Dissertation in Practice (60 credits)

  ×

  Dissertation in Practice

  Overview

  This module is designed to allow students to engage in independent research and to develop independent study, analysis and methodological skills, in the context of a placement or internship with non-governmental, legal, commercial or governmental organisations that operate in arenas that are relevant to their LLM research.
  
  NOTE: students are encouraged to explore internship options independently with relevant entities. Any particular placement must be approved by the module and/or programme convenors.

  Learning Outcomes

  1. Ability to reflect critically on personal practice/engagement in the fields relevant to the LLM while working in collaboration with relevant host organisations
  2. Ability to undertake an extended research Dissertation based on tasks/learning undertaken while on placement;
  3. Enhanced communication, presentation and networking skills.

  Skills

  • Advanced writing skills
  • An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in the chosen area of law
  • An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, building on scholarship already undertaken in the course of studies
  • An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in the area and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
  • An advanced ability to design and engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
  • Advanced ability to judge critically the merits of methodologies from different disciplines, and to make reasoned choices between different positions and approaches
  • Advanced ability to use, present and critically evaluate information, ability to synthesise and identify central issues from a large amount of complex legal information and information from other disciplines and to draw on scholarship encountered in the course of one’s LLM
  • Advanced knowledge and understanding of research ethics and ability to mainstream ethical considerations with research as appropriate to the project
  • Advanced ability to engage with, manage and respond to supervision
  • Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  60

  Module Code

  LAW7836

  Teaching Period

  Summer

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Issues in International Commercial Law (20 credits)

  ×

  Issues in International Commercial Law

  Overview

  This module will nclude contemporary commercial law topics such as E-commerce and Green Procurement. These serve as examples of how international commercial law responds to meet relatively more recent and dynamic challenges presented by consumers, businesses, governments, processes such as globalisation, global threats to business such as Covid-19 and the climate emergency. The module will integrate a range of key transferable skills within the scope of independent research by students, and seminar exercises.

  Learning Outcomes

  This course will equip students with a deep, systematic knowledge and understanding of the general framework within which the international commercial law operates, and specific areas of commercial law.
  • Provide students with a systematic knowledge and understanding of the moral, social, economic and political context informing international commercial law.
  • Students will be introduced to a range of research methodologies, and will learn to apply these appropriately to this specialist area of study.
  • The course will promote awareness of the range of specialist resources available for the study and understanding of this area, and will promote the development of advanced research skills and academic writing.
  • The course will also develop the analytical powers of students, and the ability to evaluate problems in this area to present their views in a compelling manner.

  Skills

  • Students will be able to work effectively as part of a team analysing problems at a detailed level, formulating and presenting solutions to the group.
  • Work independently to present complex arguments, both orally and in written analysis, engaging confidently in academic and professional communication with others.
  • Be able to undertake complex research acting independently, making the best use of a range of available resources, and to present the result of this research in a useful and clear form.
  • To reflect on personal performance and to identify take appropriate steps to address gaps in knowledge.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7803

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Comparative Competition Law : the case of the EU as the Leading Model (30 credits)

  ×

  Comparative Competition Law : the case of the EU as the Leading Model

  Overview

  This module explores the internationalisation of competition law in the context of globalisation and international trade with a particular focus on EU competition law as a leading model, followed by great many states around the globe both in terms of institutional design and substance.
  
  The course will start with general introduction to competition law and policy, its history and aims. During the course of the semester students will be introduced to various aspects of public and private enforcement of competition law, issues related to cartels. Monopolies and mergers, as well as challenges related to transnational violations of competition legislation. The module will also engage with international cooperation in this area of law, in various contexts and on different platforms.
  
  The module critically examines the current regulatory framework governing competition among firms internationally, identifying and analysing the existing limitations and challenges in that regard. It uses the EU model as a comparative benchmark, acknowledging its profound international influence. The course is comparative in nature. No prior knowledge of competition law (antitrust) or international economic law is assumed.

  Learning Outcomes

  The aims of the module are to engage in a comparative study of competition laws and regimes in an international context with a particular focus on EU competition law as a leading model, followed by great many states around the globe both in terms of institutional design and substance.
  At the end of the module students should be able to:
  - outline and compare institutional design of the leading competition law regimes around the world,
  - identify and explain the main challenges posed by transnational anticompetitive conduct from the perspective of authorities of the affected countries and harmed parties (consumers and competitors),
  - distinguish and evaluate national and international responses to the existing challenges (including the role played by international organizations and inter-agency networks),
  - account for recent trends in competition law and policy and explain their practical importance in the context of competition law enforcement.

  Skills

  By taking this module students will be facilitated and expect to develop and practice following academic, legal and transferable skills:
  - to identify, access and work with primary (legislation, guidelines etc.) and secondary sources from different countries and different legal and cultural traditions,
  - to use various online databases (such us Westlaw, HeinOnline),
  - to summarise and synthesise complex doctrines and procedures, and to present them orally (using digital visuals) and in writing in an appropriate manner,
  - to write an academic paper of a proper structure, form, and referencing,
  - to identify and reflect on faced challenges in the study process and on strategies allowing to address them (also using other available resources at Queen’s).

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  30

  Module Code

  LAW7839

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Approaches to Legal Research (10 credits)

  ×

  Approaches to Legal Research

  Overview

  What motivates legal research? In addition to the principles and methods that guide the design and implementation of a specific research project, we also ought to have some sense of the broader ‘research programme’ or ‘theoretical framework’ that animates our work. Students will be introduced to several important theoretical frameworks and research programmes from which they might draw some helpful inspiration.
  
  Legal scholarship is no longer limited to the analysis of legal doctrine. Many legal scholars engage in empirically-oriented research that investigates how law interacts with other social phenomena. Legal scholars hope to illuminate the causal connections between law and other aspects of the social world. Legal research of this kind is rewarding but it also comes with special methodological challenges. This module will introduce students to some fundamental principles of research design and methodology, covering both ‘qualitative’ and ‘quantitative’ social science methods.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this module, students should be able to
  • critically evaluate the merits and weaknesses of various theoretical frameworks and approaches to legal scholarship
  • critically evaluate empirical academic research in terms of its methodology

  Skills

  • reading and synthesizing academic work
  • academic writing
  • social science methodology
  • designing an empirical research plan

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  10

  Module Code

  LAW7817

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  4 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  World Trade Law (20 credits)

  ×

  World Trade Law

  Overview

  This module examines the framework relating to international trade law. It will consider its origins, evolution and the principal characteristics of the post-war rules governing international trade, from its origins in the 1947 General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) to its current manifestation in the World Trade Organization Agreement (WTO). The module will assess the legal rules relating to international trade in goods and services and how these impact on various regimes worldwide.

  Learning Outcomes

  Having completed this module, students will be able to:
  - explain and critically assess the history, structure and operation of the WTO and its substantive and procedural rules;
  - explain how WTO rules and institutions fit within their political, economic and historical context, with particular reference to the functions they play and the trade-offs they express.
  - demonstrate a detailed understanding of the legal frameworks regulating international trade and their application in particular circumstances.
  - explain the practical significance of WTO disciplines for a number of specific policy issues including environmental protection and economic development.

  Skills

  - Legal analysis and problem solving: the doctrinal aspects of the module will challenge students to read and interpret primary legal materials; identify relevant issues; apply relevant concepts, principles and rules; make judgements and reach supported conclusions on the basis of sound and informed reasoning.
  - Critical thinking: interdisciplinary approaches will challenge students to think creatively and critically; to evaluate complex policy and legal arguments and evidence; and to expand their methodological perspectives.
  - Communication skills: students will be required to participate in seminar discussions and (subject to student numbers) to make presentations during seminars, developing their oral communication skills.
  - Academic writing: students will develop their written communication skills.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7826

  Teaching Period

  Autumn

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Dissertation (International Business Law) (60 credits)

  ×

  Dissertation (International Business Law)

  Overview

  Researching an approved legal topic under supervision and presenting the results as a dissertation or report of 10,000 to 15,000 words

  Learning Outcomes

  1. A detailed knowledge and understanding of a chosen subset of the programme themes
  2. Capacity to build a detailed and sustained argument around a research question
  3. Advanced knowledge of available research methodologies in the study of law and in the social sciences.
  4. Understanding of the skills required in order to carry out research in law and the social sciences.
  5. Detailed knowledge and understanding of core issues regarding the current challenges for governance.

  Skills

  • Advanced written skills
  • Ability to learn independently
  • Ability to use information and communication technologies.
  • Ability to think creatively and holistically and to make critical judgements

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  60

  Module Code

  LAW7834

  Teaching Period

  Summer

  Duration

  24 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Core

  Optional Modules

  Regulating Digital Communications (10 credits)

  ×

  Regulating Digital Communications

  Overview

  The focus of this module will be the exploration and analysis of the impact of online platform in modern society, the construction of online markets and its implications for law and regulation. As a lawyer, entrepreneur, or policy maker working at the forefront of Internet and technology industry, you must know whether and when access providers and communications platforms like Google, Twitter and Facebook are liable for their users’ online activities. This is one of the most relevant emerging issue for online businesses and a key factor that effects innovation and free speech.
  (1) This course will provide an in-depth exploration of legal, policy and ethical issues facing platforms and online intermediaries from a national and international perspective, focusing on long standing and emerging new legislation, such as the e-Commerce Directive and Regulations, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, the Communication Decency Act § 230, the GDPR, the Copyright in the Digital Single Market Directive, the proposed Online Safety Bill, and the newly enacted Digital Services Act and Digital Markets Act.
  (2) In this course, you will learn about novel issues of Internet jurisdiction and innovation regulation.
  (3) The course will discuss law and case law dealing with platforms’ intermediate liability for copyright, trademark, and privacy infringement, including data protection obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the right to be forgotten.
  (4) Also, this course focuses on the role of Internet platforms and service providers in moderating the speech they carry for customers, including obligations and liabilities for defamation, hate and dangerous speech, revenge porn, and disinformation.
  (5) We will also review the tension between innovators and property owners leveraging their hold-out powers to block progress by challenging the legality of innovative technologies under the assumption that they may infringe their intellectual property and other rights.
  (6) Finally, we will look into enforcement strategies that governments and private parties around the world adopt to press intermediaries to block their users’ undesirable or infringing online content, such as voluntary agreements, three-strikes policies, blocking orders, and administrative enforcement and extra-territorial enforcement of online intermediaries’ obligations.

  Learning Outcomes

  Upon successful completion of the module students will be able to :
  • critically discuss the national and international regulatory and legal frameworks within which platforms develop;
  • describe platforms’ obligations and liabilities for IP enforcement and content moderation at large;
  • discuss online enforcement strategies for IP and other infringing content, including content infringing privacy, personality rights or public laws;
  • discuss the challenges that platform regulation portends, also in terms of innovation and technology policy;
  • critically assess claims about the social importance and value of the platform economy

  Skills

  Presentation Skills
  Critical Thinking Skills
  Analytical and Application Skills
  Research Skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  10

  Module Code

  LAW7849

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  6 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Corporate Environmental Law (20 credits)

  ×

  Corporate Environmental Law

  Overview

  This module provides a comprehensive review of corporate transactional issues in environmental law. The module examines, in a primarily corporate context, contemporary environmental law debates regarding regulation, liability, and institutional reform. This module evaluates environmental meta-principles and approaches to regulation, including traditional command-and-control, the use of economic incentivisation, and trends towards voluntary regulation. Questions of corporate environmental disclosure are considered and environmental responsibility in project financing. The development of environmental liability in the US and EU is comparatively examined with a view to ascertaining emerging trends and questions of reform. Special case studies consider the oil pollution liability regime and the development of carbon emissions trading schemes.
  
  The aims of the module are to:
  [] contribute to the development of environmental law and practice in business, corporate finance and law professionals;
  [] critically evaluate principles of environmental accountability, scientific claims, and technological aspects of the environment;
  [] assess and analyse how lawyers and corporate professionals play key roles in protecting clients and employers from environmental losses and are also called on to act against those who cause or are accountable for negative environmental impacts;
  [] provide an in-depth review and critique of prevailing regulatory approaches to understanding and managing environmental impacts and business opportunities;
  [] critically examine approaches to environmental liability;
  [] identify and critically assess how corporate environmental responsibility factors impact on a firm’s accounts.

  Learning Outcomes

  (1) Evaluate the meta-principles of environmental law and their influence in legal development;
  (2) Identify and critically assess approaches to regulating corporate conduct with respect to the environment;
  (3) Critically assess environmental risk factors influencing corporate entities and corporate responses to environmental risks;
  (4) Define the major environmental regulatory trends in the corporate environmental landscape;
  (5) Evaluate how changes in the legal and governance landscape interact.

  Skills

  (1) Ability to apply existing knowledge to new situations;
  (2) Develop or substantially enhance skills of independent learning, including the ability to plan, time-manage and execute an independent guided research project;
  (3) Synthesise information from legal and non-legal sources so as to contextualise subject specific information;
  (4) Use fluent and effective communication and discussion skills in oral and written contexts;
  (5) Engage with complex concepts and scrutinise information in critical, evaluative and analytical ways;
  (6) Develop or substantially enhance an ethical awareness of global citizenship and, in particular, responsibilities to safeguard ecological, social and economic wellbeing, both in the present and for future generations.

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7852

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Crimes of the Powerful (20 credits)

  ×

  Crimes of the Powerful

  Overview

  This module provides an in-depth examination of crimes of the powerful. It challenges students to re-think traditional conceptions of ‘crime’ and critically reflect on the ways in which our understandings of crime are inherently connected to structures of power. The module is designed to explore both the practical and theoretical components of this area of criminology. Using the typologies of corporate crime, state crime, and state-corporate crime, the class will be introduced to each of these areas and will explore key historical and contemporary cases. Together, the class will critically reflect on the political, societal and legal responses to these each of these types of harmful behaviour and consider potential ways forward.

  Learning Outcomes

  Learning Outcomes
  • Develop advanced knowledge and understanding of crimes of the powerful.
  • Develop advanced knowledge and understanding of the typologies for crimes of the powerful.
  • Develop effective oral and written communication skills.
  • Engage in critical analysis of these types of harms and the political, legal, and societal responses to them.
  • Apply theory and knowledge of the typologies to real-life examples.
  • Synthesise relevant directed readings with independent research and present findings in both an oral and written format.
  • Engage in independent study and research.

  Skills

  Skills
  By the end of the module the students will be able to:
  • Demonstrate a critical understanding of the substantive module content
  • Utilise a range of theoretical and methodological tools in the understanding of crimes of the powerful
  • Demonstrate effective oral communication skills in preparing and delivering a presentation
  • Expand upon student skills related to self-directed learning through researching a case study of crimes of the powerful of the students’ choosing
  • Further develop written communication skills in the theoretical reflection essay

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7866

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Data, Privacy and the Law (10 credits)

  ×

  Data, Privacy and the Law

  Overview

  The focus of this module will be on the interplay of data, privacy and the law. The module will focus on issues such as GDPR; the E-Privacy Directive

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of the learning process each student should have acquired:
  
  • an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the challenges that certain aspects of new technology present, and an appreciation of the legal challenges faced
  • a critical awareness of the national and international regulatory and legal frameworks within which technology develops
  • an ability to critically assess claims about the social importance and value of new technological advances
  • an ability to conduct independent research, articulate coherent legal arguments and present these orally.

  Skills

  At the end of the module each student will be able to:
  
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of some new technological advances and the role of law in regulating them
  • Engage in critical analysis and evaluation of the interaction between law, regulation and technology
  • Develop theoretical understandings of both the implications of technology in terms of democratic values and the strategies for controlling technology
  • Synthesise relevant and directed readings with independent research, and present findings both orally and in written format.
  • Engage in independent study and research and to develop skills around self-directed learning and to exercise initiative in the learning process.
  • Show an ability to construct coherent legal and policy arguments and present these orally and in writing

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  10

  Module Code

  LAW7848

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  6 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Artificial Intelligence and the Law (20 credits)

  ×

  Artificial Intelligence and the Law

  Overview

  This module will explore thorny questions related to Artificial Intelligence (AI), Intellectual Property (IP) and the law by dissecting legal, policy and ethical issues concerning AI impact on creativity and innovation. In particular, after an introduction of AI as a technology and the disruptive effects of AI on society and the market for creativity and innovation, this module will examine multiple roles played by AI in innovative and creative processes. In this context, this module will consider AI as (1) a person, (2) a (machine) learner, (3) a creator, (4) an innovator, (5) an administrator, (6) an infringer and (7) an enforcer.
  In doing so, this module will discuss an emerging debate on intelligent machine and legal personality; legal issues related to data protection in machine learning processes, including a discussion of trade secret, "ownership" of data, rights to personal data; legal issues related to the protection of AI software via copyright, patents or trade secrets; legal issues about the protection and ownership of AI-generated works and inventions; the potential use of AI in facilitating administration of legal processes, with emphasis on blockchain for digital right management, use of AI for patent and trade mark examination and smart contracts; the liability of intelligent machines for damages they might cause, both in the IP and other contexts, such as personalised medicine or autonomous driving; and the use of artificial intelligence for content moderation of miscellaneous rights online, including the enforcement of intellectual property rights.
  The module will review the mentioned legal aspects of AI by providing a comparative review of multiple international jurisdictions with special emphasis on the United Kingdom, the European Union and the United States.

  Learning Outcomes

  After taking this module, students will be expected to:
  • acquire general knowledge concerning the interface between artificial intelligence and law;
  • acquire knowledge of the legal framework related to artificial intelligence and data protection, copyright law, patent law, trade secrets, tort law, content moderation;
  • understand the ethical and societal challenges related to artificial intelligence;
  • understand the challenges that artificial intelligence might pose to fundamental rights, in particular freedom of expression, freedom to access information, right to privacy and due process;
  • understand the market effects of larger availability of AI technologies and robot, with emphasis on the market for creativity and innovation;
  • master a comparative, cross-jurisdictional understanding of the regulatory framework for AI;
  • develop the ability to reflect on how AI’s disruptive effects on traditional business models might force a re-consideration of legal personhood, and the tort and IP legal framework;
  • develop critical thinking skills in connection to practical problems in AI regulations from a global international perspective;
  • enhance research and writing skills in formulating arguments to solve new emerging legal problems in a fast-developing technological context.

  Skills

  Skills
  Presentation Skills
  Critical Thinking Skills
  Analytical and Application Skills
  Research Skills

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7863

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Governing the Firm (20 credits)

  ×

  Governing the Firm

  Overview

  This module is designed to provide students with an overview of important issues in the field of corporate governance. The study of corporate governance focuses on how, by whom and for whose benefit commercial and other organisations are controlled.
  
  Our primary focus in this module is on public corporations. The limited company is defined in part by the ‘separation of ownership and control.’ That is, that the people who direct and control the corporation and its resources very often do not actually ‘own’ it. Rather, in publicly listed companies at least, a diffuse and diverse body of shareholders are thought to hold a range of property rights. How, so the core corporate governance dilemma goes, is the organisation to be constructed so that the directors do not divert resources to themselves rather than working for the benefit of shareholders? What social role does the corporation have?

  Learning Outcomes

  • Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the fundamental doctrines, principles and features of corporate governance design and regulatory politics.
  • The ability to demonstrate critical knowledge and understanding of a wide range of legal and political concepts, values, principles and to explain the relationship between them in the field of financial governance.
  • Critical understanding of the wider socio-legal context in which corporations and the markets in which they operate are governed.

  Skills

  • Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
  • An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in corporate governance
  • An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, specifically in the area of corporate governance
  • An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in corporate governance and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
  • An advanced ability to engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
  • An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance.
  • An advanced awareness of legal and regulatory regimes and of their impact with regard to corporate governance
  • An ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
  • Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7802

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  International Financial Law (20 credits)

  ×

  International Financial Law

  Overview

  This module is designed for students who wish to study and understand the complex discipline of international financial law and regulation. It introduces students to the various financial services, the infrastructure, the products, and financial instruments of contemporary finance and the role of law in regulating this key sector. It examines the international financial architecture and the frameworks of rules, standards and practices that govern international financial markets and transactions; the regulation of and competition between global, regional, and local financial centers; the implementation of global frameworks in the U.S., the EU, and in emerging market economies; the role of law and technology in international finance; and the transition to sustainable and digital finance.
  
  Topics addressed in the course include:
  
  The structure of financial systems and the relations between Central banks, banks, securities firms, financial investors, depositors, and states.
  The most important types of finance: equity, debt, sovereign debt, and securities.
  The nature of banks, their deposit taking function, and their risks
  Bank and securities prudential regulations
  Corporate governance of financial institutions
  Bank insolvency and resolution
  Deposit insurance
  Payment systems
  Regulation of cross-border banks
  Sovereign debt
  EU and international financial architecture (including IMF)

  Learning Outcomes

  A. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the risks affecting the stability of financial systems;
  B. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of the most important bank regulations in the UK and the EU;
  C. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of comparative approaches to financial regulation (with a specific focus on the US);
  D. Detailed knowledge and critical understanding of currently unaddressed issues in international finance and the various reform proposals on the table;
  E. An ability to identify and analyse risks in finance and propose practical legal solutions;
  F. An ability to understand and analyse financial transactions and the legal regime applicable to them.

  Skills

  • Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
  • Legal problem solving. An advanced ability to identify relevant issues, apply relevant concepts, principles and rules, make judgements and reach supported conclusions on the basis of sound and informed reasoning;
  • An advanced awareness of and ability to understand financial and economic concepts and to critically evaluate them into broader legal concepts
  • An advanced capacity to identify economic issues and to propose regulatory and legal solutions to tackle them
  • An advanced ability to critically analyse financial regulations
  • An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance
  • An advanced capacity for a comparative analysis of the law
  • Ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
  • An advanced ability to structure argument and analysis
  • Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7819

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Business and Human Rights (20 credits)

  ×

  Business and Human Rights

  Overview

  This module will familiarise students with key debates regarding the corporation's role in society. Students will explore work on business and human rights and corporate citizenship, specifically with regard to global corporations and global supply chains.
  
  This course will covers some (but not necessarily all) of the following topics in any given year, and other topics may be added from time-to-time: the human rights obligations of corporations to workers, host countries, other stakeholders, the rise of corporate social responsibility reporting, global initiatives and frameworks, the Ruggie principles, the role of civil society in corporate regulation and self-regulation etc, corporate promotion of labour standards, human rights considerations in international corporate investment.

  Learning Outcomes

  • Knowledge and understanding of ideas of corporate responsibility.
  • Familiarity with legal frameworks regarding the integration of human rights considerations and corporate social responsibility.
  • Understanding of the application of the theoretical constructs to “real world” cases and situations.

  Skills

  • Oral and written communication skills, as appropriate to LLM-level scholarship
  • An advanced knowledge of and ability to understand and critically evaluate key theories, concepts, principles, rules and values in corporate social responsibility, building on previous work within the programme
  • An advanced awareness, critical understanding of and engagement with legal and policy debates, specifically in the area of corporate social responsibility, and an ability to tie those debates to debates encountered in previous modules.
  • An advanced capacity to synthesise relevant primary and secondary literatures in corporate social responsibility and to use those literatures to formulate new arguments
  • An advanced ability to engage in self-managed, self-directed and intellectually independent research, to reflect on one’s own learning, to solve problems, make decisions, to develop work both as an individual and in collaboration with others as appropriate and to offer evidenced conclusions addressing complex actual or hypothetical problems.
  • An advanced ability to recognise and rank issues in terms of their relevance and importance.
  • An advanced awareness of legal and regulatory regimes and of their impact with regard to corporate social responsibility building on previous work within the programme
  • An ability to use information technologies for communication, data retrieval and analysis as appropriate to the module
  • Engagement with one’s own personal and professional development and academic integrity

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7807

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Leadership and Innovation Skills for Law Students (10 credits)

  ×

  Leadership and Innovation Skills for Law Students

  Overview

  This course wraps the Graduate School’s ‘Mastering Your Leadership’ programme into the curriculum for International Business Law. The programme focuses on presenting the Graduate School’s ‘five pillars’ through skills training in leadership, project management, group work and other workplace skills. Combined with this students will be introduced to literature on law’s role in business and on the legal profession.

  Learning Outcomes

  Students will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
  
  Explain the 5 leadership practices as outlined in the Kouzes and Posner model and apply to your discipline
  Evaluate personal journey by identifying opportunities for development, both academic and personal, through the creation of a PDP report
  Apply ‘The employer challenge’ to create a group presentation with proposals for implementation
  Critically reflect on law as a profession and as a presence in international business.

  Skills

  Students will develop and demonstrate the:
  Ability to critical analyse and make links between theory and practice.
  Demonstrate key skills in problem solving and creative thinking
  Ability to identify and understanding of the significance of law in its social context.
  Synthesis of materials from diverse sources; exercise of critical judgement; discernment between the merits of particular arguments.
  Ability to write and speak with care and precision on core areas in leadership and law.

  Coursework

  60%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  40%

  Credits

  10

  Module Code

  LAW7827

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  4 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  Copyright in the Digital Environment (20 credits)

  ×

  Copyright in the Digital Environment

  Overview

  Copyright is widely perceived to be vital in fostering creativity in the global marketplace. The fact that protection is available provides an incentive for individuals and businesses to create new literary, artistic and musical works, films, sound recordings, and so on. Moreover, the creative industries contribute enormously to the national economy, with the UK government recently reporting that the creative sector generated £76.9 billion towards the country’s economy in 2013.
  At the same time, over the last 20 years, digital technologies have transformed the way that creative content is produced, distributed and used, disrupting long-standing business models and traditional revenue streams, and enabling the emergence of new business models. But user expectations have also shifted dramatically: most people expect to be able to access digital content whenever and wherever they like.
  In December 2015 the European Commission called for the modernisation of the copyright regime in working towards a modern, more European copyright framework, one that provides a high level of protection for right holders within the digital environment, while maintaining an appropriate balance with other public policy goals such as education, research and innovation, access to our shared cultural heritage, and more.
  This module provides students with the opportunity to explore critically the various policy and doctrinal aspects of contemporary copyright issues as they impact the creation, dissemination and use of creative and cultural goods within the digital environment. In addition, students are invited to consider critically the existing justifications, scope and ambition of the copyright regime within the UK and Europe.

  Learning Outcomes

  By the end of this course students should be able to:
  • identify and reflect upon the various justifications and aims underpinning the copyright regime
  • understand copyright law as it applies to a number of issues relevant to the digital environment within a UK and European content
  • differentiate between approaches taken to copyright policy and doctrine within the pre-digital era, and the adaptation and development of those existing norms within the digital environment
  • evaluate and criticise constructively recent developments and legal arguments in this domain
  • research new developments in this area of the law

  Skills

  By the end of this module students will have developed:
  • oral and written communication skills through participation in seminars, the production of one assessed essay, and a class presentation on a research topic of your choice
  • time management skills, in meeting the requirements of the assessed essay deadline and preparation of seminar presentations
  • research skills, through preparation for seminar discussions, presentations and the assessed essay

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7818

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

  UK Trade Law and Policy (20 credits)

  ×

  UK Trade Law and Policy

  Overview

  The focus of this module will be the exploration and analysis of the normative framework governing the UK’s external trade relations and the main legal and political challenges the UK faces in developing and implementing this important area of foreign policy.
  
  One consequence of the UK’s decision to leave the EU is that the competence to carry out an external trade policy, which had hitherto been carried out exclusively by the EU, will be repatriated to the UK. The UK will therefore have to craft its own external trade policy. This will entail, for example, the setting of its own external tariff system, the development of unilateral trade policy measures (e.g., trade defence instruments and preferential treatment systems) and the negotiation of bilateral, regional and multilateral trade agreements. The UK’s trade policy will have to be developed within the context of a normative framework which encompasses international law (including the rules of the World Trade Organisation) as well as a growing body UK trade legislation.
  
  The module will be subdivided into three components. The fist component will deal with the constitutional and legal framework underpinning the UK trade policy. It will look at issues such as the status of the UK’s membership within the WTO, the decision-making process through which the UK can negotiate trade agreements, the role devolved authorities will play in shaping trade policy and the legal effect of international trade rules in the UK’s domestic system. The second component of the module will focus on the substantive aspects of UK external trade policy by examining both how the UK can use such policy to advance and protect economic interests and values. This will include an analysis of the UK’s approach to negotiating trade agreements and how such agreements interact with other policy and regulatory areas, trade with developing countries and tackling unfair trading practices. The third component will examine the legal dimension of the UK’s trade relationship with its biggest trading partner: the EU. It will, in particular, deal with the challenges associated with Northern Ireland’s potentially unique trading status post-Brexit.

  Learning Outcomes

  At the end of the learning process each student should have acquired:
  
  • an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the constitutional and regulatory framework governing the UK’s external trade relations and the main legal and political challenges the UK faces in developing and implement this area of foreign policy
  • a critical awareness of the international legal framework within which UK trade policy is exercised
  • an ability to critically asses the UK’s role and actions as an international trade actor in light of contemporary debates relating to globalisation issues
  • an ability to conduct independent research and to articulate coherent legal arguments.

  Skills

  At the end of the module each student will be able to:
  
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of international and domestic legal framework underpinning UK trade policy
  • Engage in critical analysis and evaluation of the interaction between UK trade policy and other policy areas
  • Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of Northern Ireland’s distinct trading status within the UK and the EU
  • Synthesise relevant and directed readings with independent research, and present findings both orally and in written format.
  • Engage in independent study and research and to develop skills around self-directed learning and to exercise initiative in the learning process.
  • Show an ability to construct coherent legal arguments orally and in writing

  Coursework

  100%

  Examination

  0%

  Practical

  0%

  Credits

  20

  Module Code

  LAW7842

  Teaching Period

  Spring

  Duration

  12 weeks

  Pre-requisite

  No

  Core/Optional

  Optional

Entrance requirements

Graduate
Normally a 2.1 Honours degree or above or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University in Law, Social Sciences, Humanities or a cognate discipline.

Exemption from these requirements may be considered for those applicants who hold a Master's degree (or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) OR for those applicants with a 2.2 Honours degree (or equivalent qualification acceptable to the University) along with a minimum of 2 years relevant experience.

Admission under Recognition of Prior Experiential Learning (RPEL) may be considered for this course. The University's Recognition of Prior Learning Policy provides guidance on the assessment of experiential learning (RPEL). Please visit http://go.qub.ac.uk/RPLpolicy for more information.

Applicants are advised to apply as early as possible and ideally no later than 11th August 2023 for courses which commence in late September. In the event that any programme receives a high number of applications, the University reserves the right to close the application portal. Notifications to this effect will appear on the Direct Application Portal against the programme application page.

International Students

Our country/region pages include information on entry requirements, tuition fees, scholarships, student profiles, upcoming events and contacts for your country/region. Use the dropdown list below for specific information for your country/region.

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English Language Requirements

Evidence of an IELTS* score of 6.5, with not less than 5.5 in any component, or an equivalent qualification acceptable to the University is required. *Taken within the last 2 years.

International students wishing to apply to Queen's University Belfast (and for whom English is not their first language), must be able to demonstrate their proficiency in English in order to benefit fully from their course of study or research. Non-EEA nationals must also satisfy UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) immigration requirements for English language for visa purposes.

For more information on English Language requirements for EEA and non-EEA nationals see: www.qub.ac.uk/EnglishLanguageReqs.

Career Prospects

Introduction
Our LLM programme will prepare you for a career in law with specialisation in international commerce and business. It also enables students to develop research skills that will prepare you for pursuing a PhD and an academic career in international business law. Students are actively supported by our School’s Employability and Placement Officer and by the University’s dedicated Careers Service which provide students with opportunities to engage with employers and help them to boost their employability:
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Graduate plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university; you will have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.
http://www.qub.ac.uk/directorates/sgc/careers/

Additional Awards Gained(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Prizes and Awards(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)

Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award for extra-curricular skills

In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Graduate Plus/Future Ready Award. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.

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Entry requirements

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Fees and Funding

Tuition Fees

Northern Ireland (NI) 1	£6,980
Republic of Ireland (ROI) 2	£6,980
England, Scotland or Wales (GB) 1	£8,360
EU Other 3	£19,100
International	£19,100

¹ EU citizens in the EU Settlement Scheme, with settled status, will be charged the NI or GB tuition fee based on where they are ordinarily resident. Students who are ROI nationals resident in GB will be charged the GB fee.

² EU students who are ROI nationals resident in ROI are eligible for NI tuition fees.

³ EU Other students (excludes Republic of Ireland nationals living in GB, NI or ROI) are charged tuition fees in line with international fees.

All tuition fees quoted are for the academic year 2023-24, and relate to a single year of study unless stated otherwise. Tuition fees will be subject to an annual inflationary increase, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

More information on postgraduate tuition fees.

Additional course costs

All Students

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs which are not covered by tuition fees, which students will need to consider when planning their studies.

Students can borrow books and access online learning resources from any Queen's library. If students wish to purchase recommended texts, rather than borrow them from the University Library, prices per text can range from £30 to £100. Students should also budget between £30 to £75 per year for photocopying, memory sticks and printing charges.

Students undertaking a period of work placement or study abroad, as either a compulsory or optional part of their programme, should be aware that they will have to fund additional travel and living costs.

If a programme includes a major project or dissertation, there may be costs associated with transport, accommodation and/or materials. The amount will depend on the project chosen. There may also be additional costs for printing and binding.

Students may wish to consider purchasing an electronic device; costs will vary depending on the specification of the model chosen.

There are also additional charges for graduation ceremonies, examination resits and library fines.

International Commercial and Business Law costs

There are no specific additional course costs associated with this programme.

How to Apply

Apply using our online Postgraduate Applications Portal and follow the step-by-step instructions on how to apply.

Apply now

Terms and Conditions

The terms and conditions that apply when you accept an offer of a place at the University on a taught programme of study.
Queen's University Belfast Terms and Conditions.

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Download Postgraduate Prospectus