Due to the situation surrounding Covid-19, we are currently looking into alternative options for teaching our programme this year. Full details will be announced soon, but in the meantime please get in touch with any questions you may have.
Programme Description
This course provides students with a basic understanding of international law, focusing on foundational structures that are necessary to engage with any international legal issue. In addition students are introduced to a number of contemporary problems of world order that require the application of the foundational rules and structures to develop awareness of both the limitations and potential of international law as a tool for change.
Students will leave the course with the capacity to address international legal problems with confidence as well as awareness of specific contemporary issues and how international law is dealing with emergent and on-going concerns including: the relationship between business and human rights; refugees; technology; feminism; and the use of force outside of the collective security structures.
For more information, please see the course handbook:
International Law Handbook (pdf; 136kb)
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of the course, a student should be able to demonstrate:
- Understanding of the foundations of international law, including the sources of international law, statehood, state immunity, and state responsibility for breaches of international obligations;
- Capacity for critical interrogation of specific regimes within international law, in particular international environmental law; law of the sea; international human rights law; international criminal law; and collective security structures;
- Ability to reflect and engage with the spaces for transformation of international law to address persistent inequalities within the global order.
Credit
This course is worth 15 credits in the UK system. 15 credits is equivalent to 4 credits in the US system and 7.5 ECTS in the European system. If you intend to transfer credit to your home institution, please check the requirements with them before you apply. We will be happy to assist you in any way we can, however please be aware that the decision to transfer credit rests with your home institution.
Current SOAS students selecting this course as an open option module will not be charged the tuition-fee. For further information and assistance, please contact summerschool@soas.ac.uk.
"My experience at SOAS has widened my knowledge in the field of International Law. I also discovered many issues in places in the world that I wasn't aware about." (International Law, 2019)
Enquiries
For more information, please fill out our enquiries form
Venue: Russell Square: College Buildings
Start of programme: 29 June – 17 July 2020
Mode of Attendance: Full-time
Entry requirements
- A university student or a graduate at the time of attending the summer school, and 18+ years of age. Professional experience can be acknowledged as equivalent to a university qualification.
- duration:
- 3 weeks
Tuition Fees 2020
Credit assessed: £1,750
Non-assessed: £1,600
Programme structure:
Week 1: Foundations of international law
- Introduction to international law
- Sources of international law
- Subjects of international law
- Jurisdiction and Immunities
- State responsibility
Week 2: Contemporary issues
- Law of the Sea
- International Environmental Law
- International Human Rights Law
- Self-determination of Peoples
- International Criminal Law
Week 3: Emergent Problems
- Business and Human Rights
- Refugees
- Feminism
- Technology: Drones
- Collective Security – the authorisation of force
In addition to classroom-based lectures and tutorials, students will attend a range of activities and field trips that support and contribute towards the core learning outcomes and objectives.
Sample Reading list:
- Malcolm Evans (ed.), International Law (5th ed., Oxford University Press, 2018)
- Jan Klabbers, International Law (2nd ed., Cambridge University Press, 2017)
Cases and Materials
- David Harris & Sandesh Sivakumaran (eds), Cases and Materials on International Law (8th ed., Sweet and Maxwell, 2015)
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
Course Convenor
Dr Catriona Drew
Contact hours:
50 hours (lectures, tutorials, activities). The course will be delivered Monday - Friday over the 3 weeks.
Core hours:
Monday - Friday, 10am-3pm. In addition to regular lectures and tutorials, each course is composed of a range of activities relating to their academic content (e.g. museum visit, company visit etc).
Assessment
Assessment will be in the form of an essay to be handed in 2 weeks after the end of the course.
If you have opted to study for credit, you will be required to complete all course assessments. Should you complete the assessments with success, you will receive a transcript confirming your marks and credits. If you have not chosen to study for credit, you will be exempt from any course assignments and not receive a mark.
Tuition Fees
Credit-assessed: £1,750
Non-assessed: £1,600
Application fee
A one-off, non-refundable application fee of £40 will be charged to cover administration costs. Please visit the SOAS online store to make your application fee payment.
Discounts
10% early-bird discount when you apply by 31 March
10% discount if you apply for two courses over 6 weeks
15% discount for SOAS Alumni (including Academic Summer School alumni)
20% discount for our partner institutions
Other discounts are available for groups. Please contact us for more information.
Accommodation
For more information, please see our accommodation page.
Scholarships
The SOAS Academic Summer School is delighted to offer six tuition-fee waiver scholarships to passionate students with a desire to make a difference in the world.
The scholarships will cover the tuition-fee for one Academic Summer School course in 2020.
Application Deadline: 2020-03-13 00:00
For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section
How to Apply
Apply now to secure your place on the Academic Summer School.
Once you have paid the £40 application fee and submitted the online application form, you will be informed as to whether you have a place on the summer school within 5 working days. Please do not pay your tuition fee prior to having received your offer letter.
Please see our Ambassador Scholarship page for details regarding scholarship application.
Application Deadline
Applications for the Academic Summer School close on 25th May 2020.
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