A Master’s degree in European Law (LL.M.) is an ideal option for those who wish to study Law, but don’t want to remain intellectually confined to only one country.
If you want to work with legal problems surrounding one of the most complex and important socio-economic entities, then a European LL.M. degree is perfect for you.
But what makes a European Law Master’s degree stand out from the rest? Let’s find out!
How is a European Law degree different from a regular Law degree?
Law is a discipline dependent on the place where you wish to study it. If you go to a normal Master’s degree in Law in Germany, you will have to deal with notions from German national law.
Studying an EU Law degree offered by European law schools is different. But that doesn’t mean that a European LL.M. is the lazy way out. If you wish to study the law of a specific country, an European Law degree is not right for you.
However, a European Law degree doesn’t require you to learn the laws of all European states. European Law enables students to familiarize with a series of rules, directives, treaties and rulings, settled by the European Court, which all EU-member countries must abide. It means learning how to safeguard the core principles of the European Union.
Universities offering Masters in European Law
It’s no problem if the countries mentioned above aren’t on your destination list. European Law is a subject that affects all EU citizens, so Master’s degrees on this subject have appeared all over the continent.
To get you started, here are a few universities we recommend for European Law studies:
- Tilburg University, the Netherlands
- Global Campus of Human Rights, Italy
- University of Bonn, Germany
- Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal
- University of Wroclaw, Poland
- University of Nicosia, Cyprus
- Károli Gáspár University of the Reformed Church in Hungary, Hungary
- West University of Timisoara, Romania
Discover other universities offering Bachelors and Masters in European Law.
How is a European Law degree different from an International Law Master’s?
Even if countries have different cultures and economies, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some regulations they all have to abide. Issues like the environment and human rights should be the same everywhere, and that’s the subject on which International Law Master’s degrees focus on.
You will still learn these regulations as an EU Law student, but you will also learn to look beyond the borders and the limits of the national legal systems. You will be trained as a creative problem-solver with broad knowledge and expertise, making you a very valuable potential employee.
Subjects covered by a European Law Master’s degree
The courses of a European Law Master’s programme are very diverse and encompass all aspects of Law, from history to special documents that dictate the continent’s future. Some of the subjects you will be studying in Law School in Europe are:
- The history of the EU
- European Union law
- Competition law
- Structure of the main Institutions
- Legislative process and voting procedures
- European treaties
Overall, you will learn a lot about EU citizen rights, laws regarding free movement and trade, fair trade regulations, rules governing companies and investment as well as environmental law in the EU, criminal law, and much more. By following a career in European Law you will become one of the many heroes protecting the rule of law and human rights, making sure the foundation principles of the European Union are respected.
Check out European Law Masters
Careers for European Law Master’s degree graduates
As a graduate of a European Law Master’s programme, you can apply for a multitude of job positions, in a wide range of locations and organisations. Prove yourself and you'll have the chance to work in prestigious international law firms and courts of justice from all over Europe. The most common career paths European counsellors take are as legal assistants, lawyers, and other types of professional legal practitioners.
Also, graduates take advantage of the cross-border attribute of European Law, choosing to practice in:
- National governments
- European organisations
- Transnational law firms
- Corporations
- Non-governmental organisations
- National courts
- EU member states courts