Master of Law

Master of Law

The law faculties of KU Leuven and the University of Zurich offer a double degree programme focusing on the areas of law in which each faculty has special expertise. The two-year master's programme is fully taught in English and consists of one year of study in Leuven and one year in Zurich.

About the programme

Students of the Master of Law programme gain experience at two different universities, each with their own expertise. In this two-year master programme you will study one year in Leuven, Belgium and a second one in Zurich, Switzerland. The programme focuses on each institution's individual strengths: International and European Law in Leuven and Arbitration Law, Financial Law and Human Rights Law in Zurich. Switzerland enjoys a world-class reputation as a centre of arbitration and banking, and many international institutions are based in Geneva, just as they are in Brussels, 20 minutes by train from Leuven.

Upon completion of the programme, students receive a double degree - one from KU Leuven and another from the University of Zurich. A double degree from two leading law faculties in Europe will be of enormous added value for your future professional career in the world of business and/or international law. Each partner university will select fifteen students to participate in the programme.

Structure

Students applying for admission to the Master of Law programme at KU Leuven will start the programme in Leuven (60 ECTS) and continue in Zurich during their second year (also 60 ECTS). In Leuven, your curriculum consists of a number of compulsory courses (18 ECTS), a large number of elective courses with a focus on European and INternational law (36 ECTS) and a practical clinic (6 ECTS). In Zurich, you will follow one compulsory course (6 ECTS) and you will also be able to choose from a wide range of electives (36 ECTS). In addition, you write a master's thesis (12 ECTS) and you follow a complementary methodology course (6 ECTS) at the University of Zürich.

The programme consists of day time education and there are no part-time, evening or weekend courses. Each institution applies its own regulations and issues an individual diploma referring to the fact that it is granted in the context of the double degree programme and in conjunction with the other institution's degree. None of the institutions can grant a degree unless the student has also been granted his/her degree at the other institution.

Career perspectives

The Master of Law programme is a stepping stone towards an interesting legal career. As experts in European and international law, our students work in international law firms, a wide variety of public services at all levels of the government and in European and international institutions. Our graduates are also recruited by non-governmental organisations and companies in the private sector.