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This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.
This course is eligible for Master's loan funding. Find out more.

Overview

As one of the most vibrant and important fields in the world today, International Law influences personal, national and global perspectives in world affairs. Understanding where International Law has come from, why the law is constructed the way it is and the rules around how states should engage with each other, this LLM will explore questions of power, politics and dominance in the world, with the ideological separation of the global North and South and of the East and West.

Along with the foundational doctrines of International Law, you will examine how peoples can seek the right to self-determination, how states are formed and when states can use force against other states or individuals as well. The syllabus incorporates landmark international court cases and their outcomes and effects.

This course will equip you with the academic abilities and employability skills which are relevant for a successful career in international affairs, diplomacy, international governmental organisations or policy thinktanks.

All of our LLM courses blend the following three themes: International, Business, and Social Justice. So whichever of our LLM courses you choose, you’ll benefit from a balanced postgraduate legal curriculum as well as the opportunity to specialise in your area of interest through the bespoke core module and your dissertation. You can find information about all of the modules on this course below.

Key Information

Entry requirements

Entry requirements for this course are normally:

  • An Honours degree (2:2 or above) in any subject.
  • Other experience or qualifications that demonstrate appropriate knowledge and skills at graduate level may be acceptable. Suitability for acceptance onto the course will be assessed through interview.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in writing and no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page. If you have alternative qualifications or do not meet the IELTS requirement we also offer a range of Pre-Sessional English Programmes.

Start dates

22 September 2025

12 January 2026

Duration

1 year full-time

Course Detail

Core modules

[MODULECODE|BML0121

Legal and Academic Skills

This module will provide you with an introduction to legal and academic skills covering research approaches, critical evaluation skills, analysis of both primary and secondary sources of law and an introduction to English and International legal systems. Compulsory for all students joining the LLM programmes and particularly useful if you have not previously studied law or come from a non-common law background, the module will equip you with knowledge of sources and institutions of law, which is essential to allow you to successfully complete the LLM.

International Law

International Law is one of the most vibrant, interesting, and topical fields of study influencing personal, national and global perspectives on how the world works. In this module, you will study where International Law has come from, why the law is constructed the way it is and the rules around how states should engage with each other. Essential to how International Law operates in the Twenty-first Century are questions of power, politics and dominance and the ideological separation of the global North and South and of the East and West. Along with the foundational doctrines in International Law, you will examine how peoples can self-determine, how states are formed and when states can use force against other states or individuals, as well as learning about landmark international court cases and their outcomes and effects in today’s world.

International Environmental Law

The effective management and regulation of the use and consumption of environmental goods and natural resources is a global concern as it is vital to sustainable development and energy justice. In this module, you will critically examine the various legal perspectives of environmental law, natural resources management, energy transitions, net-zero goals and sustainability issues at the domestic, regional and international levels. You will analyse key legal concepts in environmental law, discuss essential elements of environmental protection and sustainable development and consider important issues in global environmental law and regulation. You will also study the concept of environmental rights, the constitutionalisation of environmental rights and the global adoption of environmental rights protection. Lastly, you will examine key stakeholders in environmental protection including the judiciary and corporations and will discuss transnational environmental litigation, its impact on environmental protection and the role of corporations in promoting environmental goals through inclusive capitalism.

International Commercial Arbitration

Commercial transactions are complex in their nature and stretch beyond the national borders. Since the emergence of disputes from these transactions is normal, the stakeholders rely on arbitration to decide these disputes conclusively and this is due to so many very obvious reasons including, skilled and neutral arbitrator, flexible and speedy procedure, privacy and confidentiality, and enforcement of arbitrator’s decision worldwide due to the New York Convention. London is one the most popular seats of arbitration which hosts a large number of arbitrations and its courts entertain a good deal of foreign awards for enforcement. In this module, you will be introduced to all the major legal issues pertaining to arbitration agreement, arbitrator, arbitral procedure and arbitral award which London seated arbitral tribunal and the English courts face. To that end, you will explore the relevant provisions of English Arbitration Act 1996 along with UNCITRAL Model Law and the New York Convention which have made a great impact on the Arbitration Act 1996. Furthermore, you will also evaluate the ICSID regime for the resolution of investment disputes arising between a state and foreign investor.

International Human Rights Law

In this module, you will explore not only legal standards for human rights protection but also the various mechanisms established under international human rights law. You will study the conceptual, historical, and normative developments within this field since the creation of the UN. Besides focusing on the core human rights treaties and their corresponding human rights obligations imposed on States Parties, you will examine the way in which human rights are being understood and monitored by UN treaty bodies as well as the Human Rights Council and Special Rapporteurs. You will not only have the opportunity to apply knowledge of international human rights law to concrete situations of human rights violations but also engage in key debates in the field of international human rights law in light of on-going discussions on improvements and reform.

LLM Dissertation International Law

The LLM Dissertation will enable you to explore the field of International Law deepening your understanding of current problems and exploring new insights in the field. By applying legal research skills and methods acquired during the course of the LLM, you will be able identify and define theoretical concepts, principles and rules relevant to your area of research and the broader social, political, environmental or economic context in which the law operates. You will be expected to select and research an area of law specifically related to International Law. The work undertaken must demonstrate appropriate design, methods and techniques along with interpretation and evaluation of the findings reported to a high professional standard and also within a defined word limit. Your project will be either a literature review of a focused topic using a systematic approach or an empirical study that draws on and makes a contribution to knowledge.

  1. Our teaching staff rank first in England for the proportion with higher degrees and teaching qualifications, as well as being top five for those holding doctorates (HESA 2025). So you’ll learn from some of the best, helping you to be the best.

  2. We are joint first in the country for National Teaching Fellowships, which mark the UK’s best lecturers in Higher Education, winning a total of 23 since 2008 (2024 data).

  3. We won the first Global Teaching Excellence Award, recognising the University’s commitment to world-class teaching and its success in developing students as independent learners and critical thinkers (Higher Education Academy, 2017).

Student support

​At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

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Important information

We will always try to deliver your course as described on this web page. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below.

Changes to a course you have applied for

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment.

Cancellation of a course you have applied for

Although we always try and run all of the course we offer, we may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants to ensure you have a good learning experience. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will contact you to discuss other suitable courses with us we can transfer your application to. If we notify you that the course you have applied to has been withdrawn or combined, and you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

We will always try to deliver your course and other services as described. However, sometimes we may have to make changes as set out below:

Changes to option modules

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have a range of options to choose from and we will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes

We will only make major changes to the core curriculum of a course or to our services if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change in this context is a change that materially changes the services available to you; or the outcomes, or a significant part, of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), classes, type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum.

For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators; to meet the latest requirements of a commissioning or accrediting body; to improve the quality of educational provision; in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback; and/or to reflect academic or professional changes within subject areas. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but this may not always be the case. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation with affected students. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

Termination of course

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed and we will notify you as soon as possible about what your options are, which may include transferring to a suitable replacement course for which you are qualified, being provided with individual teaching to complete the award for which you were registered, or claiming an interim award and exiting the University. If you do not wish to take up any of the options that are made available to you, then you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the course without liability to the University for future tuition fees and you will be entitled to a refund of all course fees paid to date. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by a framework of regulations, policies and procedures, which form the basis of your agreement with us. These include regulations regarding the assessment of your course, academic integrity, your conduct (including attendance) and disciplinary procedure, fees and finance and compliance with visa requirements (where relevant). It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to abide by them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan, where you will also find links to the full text of each of the regulations, policies and procedures referred to. You should read these carefully before you enrol. Please note that this information is subject to change and you are advised to check our website regularly for any changes before you enrol at the University. A person who is not party to this agreement shall not have any rights under or in connection with it. Only you and the University shall have any right to enforce or rely on the agreement.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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