SOAS, University of London, LLM, Law

The LLM programme is a single subject law programme that may be taken over a period of one year (full-time), or part-time over a period of two, three or four years. Every student will be required to take courses equivalent to four full units.  The assessment of one of the chosen full units (which must be from your chosen specialism) will be by means of a 15,000 word dissertation. The dissertation must be linked to a course offered at SOAS itself, and attendance on the course will be treated as being part of the process of supervision.

With permission of the LLM tutor, students will be entitled to select one complementary subject or the equivalent from comparable Master’s course at SOAS including appropriate language courses. A complementary subject may be chosen in substitution for either a full or a half-subject.

Examinations for all taught courses will be held in May/June of each year and the dissertation will be due for submission by 15th September of the final year of registration. The assessment for each course may vary according to the extent to which the research component of each course is to be stressed.

It is expected that all students will graduate with an LLM in law. It is possible, however, for students wishing to graduate with a ‘specialist’ degree, to do so by way of opting to take three or more courses from the relevant subject groupings below. In each case, the student must undertake a dissertation in that subject grouping.

Who is this course for?

Students with a minimum upper second class honours degree (or equivalent) in law who want to acquire in-depth, specialist and cutting-edge knowledge and understanding of law, legal processes and institutions as offered in a wide and unique range of LLM courses. The LLM (Master in Laws) allows students to create their own programme structure, choosing courses from a wide range of subjects and perspectives, including comparative regional law, trade law, law and development, commercial law (including banking, copyright and patent law), human rights, environmental law, Islamic law, dispute resolution, and international law.

Because of its international and comparative focus students from all parts of the world come to SOAS to study for the LLM, bringing with them a unique range of experience and expertise which frequently enlivens the learning experience and creates an academic environment most conducive to the study of law in a global context.