Course Outline

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 online handbook (pdf; 82kb)  

What will I learn?

On successful completion of the course, you will develop:

• An understanding of the foundations of international law, including the sources of international law, statehood, state immunity, and state responsibility for breaches of international obligations;
• The 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;
• The ability to reflect and engage with the spaces for transformation of international law to address persistent inequalities within the global order.

For further information on credits, entry requirements and fees, please visit our Online Learning webpage.

If you have any question, please fill out our enquiries form.

Start of programme: TBC

Mode of Attendance: Full-time

Programme schedule:

A full programme schedule and updated handbook are being developed and will be available soon.

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

Tuition Fees

£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

Save £200 when if apply by 30th April 

10% discount if you apply for two courses over 4 weeks

20% 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.

Scholarships

For further details and information on external scholarships visit the Scholarships section

How to Apply

Apply now to secure your place.

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 course within 5 working days. Please do not pay your tuition fee prior to having received your offer letter.

Application Deadline

We are accepting applications on a rolling basis. Apply now to secure your place.

Quick Links

• Application Form
• Ask a question
• Entry Requirements