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LLM International Commercial Law and Practice

Discover the varied aspects of business law and regulations in domestic and international contexts, with modules to suit your career aspirations, whether in law, management, exporting, consultancy, or academia.

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Overview

This programme develops your ability to critique international commercial law's core and contemporary areas. Drawing upon De Montfort's research expertise in this area, this course examines the theory and practice of international commercial law and assesses the efficacy of the law's processes to regulate commercial transactions. In addition, the programme equips you with an understanding of the methodologies which can be used to pursue research in international commercial law.

The modules cover contractual relationships in international trade, intellectual property, and regulatory aspects affecting transactions and commercial conduct, such as competition laws and those relating to companies and corporate insolvency, all within the international context.

You will learn to critically appraise aspects of international commercial law, practice and procedure to formulate, evaluate and adapt solutions to contemporary problems. Through various assessments, including presentations, case study analysis, individual exercises, report writing, and essay writing, you will independently develop and present legal arguments with a theoretical and conceptual basis to support positions. In addition, you will deepen your understanding of the methodologies which can be used to pursue a career in international commercial law research. 

Key features

  • You will be taught by legal experts who have a wealth of experience. These will include solicitors, professors and practitioners with specialist knowledge of employment law and practice.
  • You will benefit from the block teaching delivery mode. The block teaching approach widens participation in the context of legal study. A more concentrated weekly schedule allows you to focus on one subject at a time instead of several at once. This means that you will be able to focus closely on each subject and absorb your learning material in more depth whilst working more closely with your tutors and coursemates.
  • In our International Perspectives of Company and Corporate Insolvency Law module, you will have the opportunity to compare the strengths and weaknesses of UK company law against European and international perspectives.
  • You can expand your knowledge of the law in dedicated learning spaces, including access to a crown court – a site of trials since the Middle Ages, a training courtroom and a simulated Judge's Chambers suite. In addition, the university's Hugh Aston Building has a dedicated law library exclusively for law students, allowing you to practise scenario-based learning.
  • You will develop and apply values, skills, knowledge and behaviours that will enable them to contribute to the development of a just, peaceful and sustainable world.

Scholarships:

DMU offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate scholarships and bursaries to help you realise your academic ambitions.

International Scholarships

Find out about available scholarships and country specific fee discounts for international students. 

 

 

 

DMU has been shortlisted for the Postgraduate Award in the 2024 Whatuni Student Choice Awards (WUSCAs), as voted for by students.

  • UK
  • EU/International

Programme code: M20090

Duration: One year full-time

Start date: September 2024

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for UK students: £10,450

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

 

Programme code: M20090

Duration: One year full-time

Start date: September 2024

Fees and funding:

2024/25 tuition fees for EU and international students: £17,950

Find out more about course fees and available funding.

Entry criteria

Entry criteria

Applicants are expected to have background knowledge of law or a discipline related to the LLM (usually an undergraduate degree or professional qualifications). Applicants will normally hold a degree with a minimum pass of 2:2, or equivalent overseas qualification, or an equivalent professional qualification. A degree in law is preferred but is not essential.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.0 overall with 5.5 in each band (or equivalent) when you start the course is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Structure and assessment

 

Course modules

Teaching and assessment

Teaching contact hours

 

Course modules

  • Block 1: Commercial Contracting, Enforcement Practice and Financing for International Trade
  • Block 2: Contemporary Issues in the Management of European and International Intellectual Property Law
  • Block 3: Regulatory Regimes and Market Abuse: Competition Law, Consumer Protection and Enforcement Practice
  • Block 4: International Perspectives of  Company and  Corporate Insolvency Law    
  • Block 5: Dissertation

See detailed module descriptions

 

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

Teaching and assessment

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminars and tutorials, guest lectures and PC labs..

Assessment is through assignments, essays, exams, and projects. Some assessment opportunities will have additional support via groupwork, such as simulations and case studies; and students have access to a personal tutor for mentoring and signposting for additional needs.

Teaching contact hours

This is a full-time course. Most of our courses consist of approximately 2 hours of lectures, 6 hours of workshop and 2 hours of asynchronous activity each week. However, this may differ depending on the course and module choice.

Facilities and features

Hugh Aston Building

You will have access to our purpose-built Hugh Aston Building, equipped with lecture theatres and classrooms, break-out spaces for group work, quiet study zones for individual work and IT labs. Wherever possible, students will be given home access to specialist software.

You’ll also have access to the building’s new £5.5 million extension called The Yard, which provides more than 22,000 square metres of extra space. This is designed to facilitate your learning experience with large and airy breakout spaces, a new Student Advice Centre, and a balcony on the top floor. The Yard also features more comfortable classrooms and self-study spaces, allowing you to carry out independent study as well as group work.

Library services

On campus, the main Kimberlin Library offers a space where you can work, study and access a vast range of print materials, with computer stations, laptops, plasma screens and assistive technology also available. 

As well as providing a physical space in which to work, we offer online tools to support your studies, and our extensive online collection of resources accessible from our Library website, e-books, specialised databases and electronic journals and films which can be remotely accessed from anywhere you choose. 

We will support you to confidently use a huge range of learning technologies, including Learning Zone, Collaborate Ultra, DMU Replay, MS Teams, Turnitin and more. Alongside this, you can access LinkedIn Learning and learn how to use Microsoft 365, and study support software such as mind mapping and note-taking through our new Digital Student Skills Hub. 

The library staff offer additional support to students, including help with academic writing, research strategies, literature searching, reference management and assistive technology. There is also a ‘Just Ask’ service for help and advice, live LibChat, online workshops, tutorials and drop-ins available from our Learning Services, and weekly library live chat sessions that give you the chance to ask the library teams for help.

Learning zones

Our Learning Zones and The Greenhouse also provide space for group or individual work and study.

There are 1,600 study places across all library locations, more than 700 computer stations, laptops to borrow, free wi-fi and desktop power outlets.

You can also book rooms with plasma screens, laptops and DVD facilities for group work and presentations, secure an individual study room with adjustable lighting or make use of our assistive technology.

Opportunities and careers

Find the people who will open doors for you

DMU's award-winning careers service provides guaranteed work experience opportunities DMU Careers Team
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DMU Global

This is our innovative international experience programme which aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons – helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world.

Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as Erasmus+ and international exchanges.

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Graduate careers

An LLM International Commercial Law and Practice will open up a wide range of career opportunities as you develop a broad base of skills that are in great demand with global employers.

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