The SOAS LLM in International Law provides a diverse and unique range of courses that interrogate critically the theory and practice of international law and explore cutting edge topics of contemporary significance particularly as they relate to the global south: refugee law and the migrant crisis; climate change and natural resources; the rights of women; gender and armed conflict; international criminal law; the law of armed conflict; multinational enterprises and human rights; sustainable development; and conflict resolution, peace-building and transitional justice.
At SOAS you will not only gain fresh insights into the fundamentals of international law; you will have the opportunity to engage with issues that reflect the research specialisms of our expert teaching staff.
How Do We Teach? How Do You Learn?
The LLM in international law adopts an innovative, interdisciplinary, and critical approach to teaching and learning that draws on the wider international community of academics, legal practitioners and NGOs both in London and internationally. The various courses deploy a range of innovative teaching and learning methods including: student-led research conferences, student blogs; meet-the-author book review sessions; film reviews; re-enactments of historic international legal events; international law mooting or pleading; and simulated peace negotiations.
In addition to your chosen courses, as an international law masters student you will join the International Law Master Class. This is a non-assessed course designed to build a research community and nourish your legal research and writing skills, your powers of critical thinking, and your international legal imagination. The Master class meets fortnightly and, in any year, may comprise: a walking tour of the international legal geography of London; an archival tour of the international legal history of London; a classroom tour of critical approaches to international law; a practitioner’s tour of contemporary cases in international law; dissertation speed dating; dissertation boot camp; writing retreats; and, uniquely, the opportunity to shape your own learning by selecting topics and speakers at the cutting-edge of international legal scholarship as part of the Afternoon Teas series of the Centre for the study of Colonialism Empire and International Law.
Why SOAS?
International Law occupies a central place in the SOAS School of Law and the SOAS School of Law occupies a central place in the wider international law community in London and internationally. The School of Law is home to the Centre for the study of Colonialism, Empire and International Law (CCEIL) – a hub for inter-disciplinary collaboration and research on international law and its historical and contemporary relationship to colonialism and empire. The Centre (together with the LSE) is also the institutional home of the London review of international law. As a post-graduate student on the international law masters programme you will become a member of the Centre and join a vibrant research community of international legal scholars and a diverse community of students from all over the world. Together with our Doctoral students, you will play a role in CCEIL’s research and other activities: hosting the Student Salon; assisting with CCEIL’s events; and organising Afternoon Teas as part of the International Law Master Class. You will also benefit from the various collaborations with other research communities in the Law School, at SOAS and beyond.
Why You?
This programme is ideal for LLB graduates or legal professionals with an interest in the theory and practice of international law, particularly as it relates to the global south. You will join an international alumni of graduates from the LLM at SOAS many of whom are now working at the UN, in NGOs, in government, in private practice, in policy work or in academia.
Please note that the LLM is restricted to applicants who hold a LLB. If you do not hold a LLB but are interested in pursuing a masters degree in international law at SOAS see details of the MA here.
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: September intake only
Mode of Attendance: Full-time or Part-time
Entry requirements
- We will consider all applications with 2:ii (or international equivalent) or higher. In addition to degree classification we take into account other elements of the application including supporting statement and references.
- duration:
- One calendar year (full-time)
Two, three or four years (part-time, daytime only)
We recommend that part-time students have between two-and-a-half and three days a week free to pursue their course of study.
Fees 2021/22
- UK fees:
- £16,400
- Overseas fees:
- £23,680
Fees for 2021/22 entrants. This is a Band 7 fee. The fees are per academic year. Please note that fees go up each year. Further details can be found in the Fees and Funding tab on this page or in the Registry Postgraduate Tuition Fees page
Students must take modules to a total value of 180, consisting of a dissertation (60 credits) and 120 credits of taught modules. Taught modules are worth either 15 or 30 credits.
Students who wish to graduate with a specialised LLM are required to take at least 60 credits associated with his or her specialised LLM, a further 30 credits within the School of Law (General Law Postgraduate Taught Module List), and a final 30 unit which can either be taken within the School of Law or from the Language Open Options or Non-Language Open Options pages with the LLM Programme Convenor’s permission. The dissertation topic will be undertaken within the LLM specialisation.
Please note: Not all modules listed will be available every year. Please see the individual module page for information.
Dissertation
Dissertation (12,000 words), on a topic related to the specialism of the degree
Taught Component
Guided Option
Choose modules from the Core Options below to the value of 60 credits
AND
Choose a module(s) from the Core Options or General Law PGT Options below to the value of 30 credits
AND
Choose a module(s) from the List of General Law PGT Options below or from Postgraduate Open Options to the value of 30 credits
List of Modules (subject to availability)
Core Options
General Law Options
Module |
Code |
Credits | Term |
Availability |
Gender, Law and Society in The Middle East and North Africa |
15PLAH056 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Alternative Dispute Resolution |
15PLAC104 |
|
|
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Selected Topics |
15PLAH061 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Gender, Sexuality and Law: Theories and Methodologies |
15PLAH062 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Human Rights and Islamic Law |
15PLAC150 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Commercial Arbitration |
15PLAC153 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Human Rights Clinic |
15PLAC145 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Investment Law |
15PLAH063 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Islamic Law (MA/LLM) |
15PLAC121 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Development in Africa |
15PLAC160 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Society in Southeast Asia |
15PLAH049 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Law and Society in the Middle East and North Africa |
15PLAC130 |
30 |
|
Law, Rights & Social Change |
15PLAH064 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Preliminary Law, Legal Reasoning and Legal Methods |
15PLAC162 |
0 |
Term 1 |
International Migration Law |
15PLAH068 |
15 |
Term 2 |
International Refugee Law |
15PLAH069 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Law and Society in South Asia |
15PLAC129 |
30 |
Full Year |
Mapping International Law in London - International Legal Geography in the Capital of Empire |
15PLAH072 |
15 |
|
Law, Environment and Social Justice |
15PLAH067 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Law and Justice in Contemporary China |
15PLAH071 |
15 |
|
Colonialism, Empire and International Law |
15PLAH025 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Foundations of International Law |
15PLAH021 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Human Rights of Women |
15PLAC112 |
30 |
Full Year |
International Criminal Law |
15PLAH055 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Law and Natural Resources |
15PLAC126 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Policy of International Courts and Tribunal |
15PLAH026 |
|
|
Law and Postcolonial Theory |
15PLAH050 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Multinational Enterprises and the Law |
15PLAC140 |
|
|
The Law of Armed Conflict |
15PLAH022 |
15 |
Term 2 |
World Trade Organisation Law |
15PLAH038 |
|
|
Water Justice: Rights, Access and Movements (Law) |
15PLAH044 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Intellectual Property Law (PG) |
15PLAC182 |
30 |
Full Year |
Law and Global Commons |
15PLAH070 |
15 |
Term 2 |
International Environmental Law I: Principles, Institutions & Enforcement |
15PLAH073 |
15 |
Term 1 |
International Environmental Law II: Biodiversity, Wildlife & Habitats |
15PLAH074 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Water and Development: Commodification, Ecology and Globalisation (Law) |
15PLAH076 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Multinational Enterprises and the Law I |
15PLAH077 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Multinational Enterprises and the Law II |
15PLAH078 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Business and Human Rights in the Global Economy |
15PLAH079 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Comparative Company Law |
15PLAH080 |
15 |
Term 2 |
Israel, Palestine and International Law |
15PLAH081 |
15 |
|
Palestine, Resistance, and the Law |
15PLAH082 |
15 |
|
Alternative Dispute Resolution I |
15PLAH083 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Alternative Dispute Resolution II |
15PLAH084 |
15 |
Term 2 |
International laws on the use of force |
15PLAH020 |
15 |
Term 1 |
Open Options Note
Open options will need approval of deputy PG programme convenor (LLM or MA)
Programme Specification
Important notice
The information on the programme page reflects the intended programme structure against the given academic session. If you are a current student you can find structure information on the previous year link at the top of the page or through your Department. Please read the important notice regarding changes to programmes and modules.
Teaching & Learning
Contact Hours
All Masters programmes consist of 180 credits, made up of taught modules of 30 or 15 credits, taught over 10 or 20 weeks, and a dissertation of 60 credits. The programme structure shows which modules are compulsory and which optional.
As a rough guide, 1 credit equals approximately 10 hours of work. Most of this will be independent study, including reading and research, preparing coursework, revising for examinations and so on. It will also include class time, which may include lectures, seminars and other classes. Some subjects, such as learning a language, have more class time than others. At SOAS, most postgraduate modules have a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar every week, but this does vary.
More information is on the page for each module.
Knowledge & Understanding
- Students will acquire specialist knowledge of international law.
- This includes, but is not necessarily limited to, knowledge and understanding of the following:
- the theoretical and practical underpinnings of international law;
- the context in which law is made, interpreted, adjudicated, and amended;
- the role played by law, particularly international law in different areas;
- the role and function of legal institutions in managing international law
- the weight and significance of different sources and methodologies.
- Students will develop knowledge of how to locate relevant materials and assess their relevance and/or importance.
Intellectual (thinking) Skills
- Students should develop rigor in analysis and assessment of legal arguments.
- Students should develop the ability to understand, summarise and critically assess differing perspectives on theoretical debates.
- Students should develop independence of thought and the confidence to challenge the accepted wisdom.
- Students should learn to identify issues and formulate questions for further research through independent work.
- Students will be encouraged to bring to bear their own previous experience and knowledge in addressing legal issues in an interdisciplinary manner.
Subject-based Practical Skills
The programme will help students develop the ability to:
- Write clear research essays and dissertations.
- Research in a variety of specialised research libraries and institutes and online, and retrieve, sift and select information from a variety of sources.
- Present seminar papers and defend the arguments therein.
- Discuss ideas introduced during seminars.
- Develop essay and dissertation research questions.
- Read legal source materials rapidly and critically.
- Present legal arguments in moots and debates.
Transferable Skills
The programme will enable students to:
- Communicate effectively in writing.
- Structure and communicate ideas and arguments effectively both orally and in writing.
- Read and comprehend significant quantities of reading rapidly and effectively and develop critical faculties.
- Find and use a variety of written and digital materials, especially legal materials, in libraries and research institutes.
- Present (non – assessed) material orally.
- Develop teamwork skills.
Tuition Fees
Full details of postgraduate tuition fees can be found on the Registry's Postgraduate Tuition Fees page.
This is a Band 7 tuition fee.
Fees for 2021/22 entrants. The fees below are per academic year. Fees go up each year, therefore, your tuition fee in your second & subsequent years of study will be higher. Our continuing students, on the same degree programme, are protected from annual increases higher than 5%.
Full-time |
Part-time 2 Years |
Part-time 3 Years |
LLM only 4 Years |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
UK Students |
Overseas Students |
£16,400 |
£23,680 |
£8,200 |
£11,840 |
£5,460 |
£7,890 |
£4,100 |
£5,640 |
Scholarships
Anthony Dicks Memorial Scholarship
Application Deadline: 2021-03-05 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-01-29 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-02-15 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-05-31 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-04-30 00:00
Application Deadline: 2021-03-08 00:00
Application Deadline: 2020-06-05 15:00
For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section