Where could a law degree take you?
We believe that a degree in law will empower our graduates to make positive contributions and changes within society, and across an array of sectors and professions.
Taught Masters Programmes
Study Routes Explained | Dissertation and Professional Skills Options
Hear from Professor Greg Gordon, Head of School of Law giving insight into the two study options available when considering a postgraduate law degree at the University of Aberdeen.
Do Law Differently with Professional Skills
A selected number of our programmes offer Professional Skills as a practical alternative to the traditional dissertation route.
Online Learning
The School of Law offers a range of online Postgraduate Taught Masters that are flexible and part-time.
Energy & Environment
A current global challenge is the provision of sufficient energy at appropriate prices to promote and sustain growth, whilst accommodating environmental, climate, and social justice concerns. Law has a key role to play at all stages of energy development, transport, and consumption. Energy law regulates relationships between consumers and producers, industry actors, as well as between states trading the resources. Because of its excellence in energy law research, the School is able to offer a range of programmes designed to prepare lawyers in this challenging context.
- LLM Oil & Gas Law with Dissertation
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This programme is highly regarded in the international oil and gas legal community, and as such has been a popular course taught at the University of Aberdeen for over 10 years. The University offers you an incredible depth of expertise from its learning and research in the European energy hub and enables you to be at the heart of regulation.
- LLM Oil & Gas Law with Professional Skills
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Our LLM in Oil and Gas Law with Professional Skills will help you build your practical expertise and gain valuable contacts that will help advance your legal career. Upon completing our Master’s programme, you will have the intellectual, critical and practical skills required to practice as a trained professional in this field.
- LLM Energy Transition Law with Dissertation
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This LLM degree programme seeks to equip students with the necessary knowledge and skills to consult in energy transition law and policy matters. Our staff have expertise and specialisms in environmental and climate change law, as well as in energy law relating both to the fossil fuels sector and renewable energy.
- LLM Energy Transition Law with Professional Skills
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This unique Master’s examines legal aspects of the energy transition: from authorising renewable energy projects to regulating energy markets in the era of decarbonisation. During your studies, you’ll gain an invaluable insight into this fast-developing, highly topical industry, and form a solid basis to forge a successful career in this field.
The courses have been carefully designed collaboratively by teaching staff within the university and a range of key external contacts who have a direct role in the industry. This additional input ensures that the Master’s degree is aligned to industry competencies and needs, and you will benefit from the programme’s specific focus on intensive professional skills courses.
- LLM Energy, Economics and Law
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This unique Masters programme combines the core disciplines of Economics and Law to equip you with the essential skills required to pursue a successful career such as in the global oil and gas industry, legal, financial or in related governmental organisations.
- LLM Natural Resources Law
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Our innovative Masters programme allows students the opportunity to develop the relevant skills and knowledge in managing natural energy resources for future generations. This programme will equip students with the knowledge, and skills, to develop sound governance regimes within areas that raise the most fundamental issues for humanity.
Commercial & Trade Law
The Commercial and Trade Law LLM programmes at the University of Aberdeen present students with an opportunity to mould their study of this ever-developing area. Drawing on the expertise of staff, the School of Law offers a variety of specialist courses which cater for the full spectrum of international commercial law.
- LLM International Commercial Law with Dissertation
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Study a diverse range of areas surrounding the discipline of International Commercial Law with our highly popular postgraduate degree. Gain an in-depth understanding of the subject and enhance your career prospects by delving into topics such as contract law, company law, corporate finance and governance, tax law, international sales and international commercial dispute resolution, and develop academic and research skills by writing a dissertation on a topic of your choice in international commercial law
- LLM International Commercial Law with Professional Skills
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Study a diverse range of areas surrounding the discipline of International Commercial Law with our highly popular postgraduate degree by combining theory and practical skills. Gain an in-depth understanding of the subject and enhance your career prospects by delving into topics such as contract law, company law, corporate finance and governance, tax law, international sales and international commercial dispute resolution, and also develop professional skills in arbitration.
- LLM International Trade Law
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International trade law is an exciting and highly competitive field of law. At Aberdeen we’ve combined the teaching and research strength of our long-established law school and the calibre of our first-class teaching team with our growing international profile and activity to create options for this LLM.
- LLM International Trade Law & Treaty Negotiation with Professional Skills
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The first of its kind, this exciting programme from our highly-rated School of Law equips the next generation of lawyers and civil servants with a unique combination of specialist legal expertise and the practical negotiation skills for a sparkling career in the fast-growing and highly competitive field of international trade.
- LLM Business Law and Sustainable Development
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Equip yourself with the knowledge and skills to become a leading lawyer, barrister or civil servant to build commercial structures and enterprises and enable sustainable development. This highly popular LLM provides an education combining Business Law with acumen in Sustainable Development, Ecological Protection, and Corporate Social Responsibility, and has been carefully designed by our first-class teaching staff to ensure that you receive high quality training that will enhance your employability.
- LLM Corporate Finance and Law
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With both an LLM and MSc exit qualification available, this programme is delivered jointly by the University of Aberdeen's School of Law and Business School, and will provide students with an interdisciplinary learning experience in Finance and Law.
- LLM International Dispute Resolution with Dissertation
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LLM International Dispute Resolution delivers a solid theoretical grounding in international dispute settlements, broad interdisciplinary training across specialist legal areas and the practical tools required to succeed in the field. It provides opportunities for individual study and skills development for the new generation of lawyers to rethink traditional approaches to conflict and its resolution.
- LLM International Dispute Resolution with Professional Skills
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LLM International Dispute Resolution with Professional Skills provides a unique research-lead curriculum for top-quality candidates aiming to break into the field of international dispute resolution and maximise their level of expertise.
Learn about alternative methods to resolve commercial disputes outside of the traditional judicial system, and advance your skills and ability to maintain commercial relationships throughout the legal dispute process.
This LLM is designed to serve a wide range of professionals, including those without a law degree.
Human Rights & Criminal Justice
From the suffering generated by human trafficking to the criminalisation of harm towards civilians during war, many contemporary problems can be viewed through the lens of Human Rights, Criminal Justice or a combination of both. Our Human Rights programme allows you to undertake courses dealing with issues from a human rights perspective alone, studying the problems of creating systems of rights, enforcement, and lawful limitations on human rights. Our Criminal Justice programme also permits a focus on contemporary issues within the criminal justice system, at a domestic and international level, exploring how the obligation to enforce criminal law is balanced against other concerns, such as the rights of the accused. For students interested in both, the Criminal Justice and Human Rights programme allows a mix of courses to be studied, allowing you to focus on issues which engage with human rights and criminal justice from both perspectives.
- LLM Criminal Justice
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Gain a greater understanding and develop your knowledge of the theories and policies underlying criminal procedures, human rights, and the various criminal justice systems alongside out renowned experts in Criminal Justice.
- LLM International Human Rights
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Delve into the fascinating world of Human Rights; an ever-popular branch of law that is both challenging and rewarding. You’ll examine a variety of cases in numerous contexts, including international law and politics, providing you with the opportunity to broaden your knowledge and gain a competitive edge in your career.
- LLM Criminal Justice & Human Rights
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Combine the key specialist topic of criminal justice with some of today’s most powerful human rights issues, studying cases from around the world in a variety of contexts. With our carefully designed LLM, you’ll have the opportunity to further your understanding of how the two areas impact each other whilst expanding your employability prospects.
International Intellectual Property and Information Law
This suite of programmes explores the laws relating to rewarding innovation and creativity, regulation and control of information, and the impact on society as a whole. You will have an opportunity to explore a range of topical, fascinating and multi-faceted legal and societal questions across the globe, and to examine the benefits and challenges within corporate, economic and political frameworks whilst gaining expertise in an area that is extremely valuable to businesses and policy makers.
- LLM International Intellectual Property and Information Law with Dissertation
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Improve your understanding of the legal implications of generating and commercialising innovation, creativity, and brands whilst adding a competitive edge to your legal career. International Intellectual Property and Information Law at Aberdeen provides a challenging and stimulating degree for engaging with a future that lies in innovation, creativity and information technology.
- LLM International Intellectual Property and Information Law with Professional Skills
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This innovative degree blends advanced-level teaching and research in intellectual property and information law with practical and professional skills training to provide you with a valuable basis for a successful career in this field.
Carefully coordinated to align with the competencies required for today's international job market, the professional skills programme provides new insights into the ever-evolving realities of professional and commercial life, placing graduates in very strong positions to gain opportunities and flourish in them. Designed by our academics and expert practitioners, this combined input will enable you to gain unique insights into this area and will advance your understanding of the factors that influence it.
International Law
International Law has become increasingly important in a more globalised, interconnected world. This interconnection makes an understanding of international rules, from those which govern commercial transactions to the law on the use of force, of increasing significance for lawyers. The School of Law has a long tradition of research excellence in International Law, and our programmes reflect our diverse experience in both private and public international law. We also collaborate with the School of Social Sciences to provide interdisciplinary programmes, allowing students to undertake an innovative approach to their studies by combining international law with either international relations or strategic studies. Each of our programmes prepares students for a career in international organisations, international courts and tribunals, and international legal practice more generally.
- LLM International Law
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Our LLM in International Law provides students with a thorough knowledge of public international law while also discussing recent trends and current developments in this area of law. It is designed for candidates who seek the qualification of a general public international lawyer, but with a range of special interests (as in international human rights law, in world trade or in international environmental protection).
- LLM International Law with Professional Skills
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The LLM International Law with Professional Skills offers students a comprehensive understanding of international law, incorporating discussions on recent trends and ongoing developments in the field. Tailored for individuals aspiring to become versatile international lawyers, this programme caters to various special interests such as international human rights law, environmental protection, and negotiation of trade agreements. The Professional Skills route for this degree programme means immersing yourself in an intensive course on international trade agreements designed to teach you negotiation skills.
- LLM International and Comparative Law
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Our LLM in International and Comparative Law offers a range of courses in both public and private international law, which enable you to develop your expertise in your chosen area. The courses allow you to undertake advanced study of international law and the contemporary challenges it engages.
- LLM International Law and International Relations
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This innovative programme combines courses in the theory and practice of International Law and International Relations. You will gain a unique interdisciplinary perspective on a range of contemporary issues related to the transformed nature of global governance. This programme offers the opportunity to study a diverse range of courses in law and politics.
- LLM Peace, Security, and International Law
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With the combined strength of the School of Law and the School of Social Science, this interdisciplinary programme explores the use of force by international and transnational actors to achieve political and security objectives. It allows a focused appreciation of the legal considerations that frame many contemporary conflicts. The programme aligns with the interdisciplinary competencies required for today’s job market in international security.
