International Dispute Resolution with Dissertation, _LLM

Programme Fees

Semester 1

Compulsory Courses

Compulsory courses. All students must complete:

Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship (LS501T)

This course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which will be required for LLM-Taught courses. The course is delivered as a series of five interactive lectures with two individual assessments designed to encourage critical thinking and provide opportunities for early feedback. It also incorporates a library workshop to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.

Detailed course information

International Commercial Arbitration (LS5083)

30 Credit Points

The course is designed to offer in-depth theoretical insights and practical knowledge essential for navigating the field of international commercial arbitration.

The seminar topics have been selected to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of international commercial arbitration law. The topics include:

1. Arbitration Agreement and Arbitral Jurisdiction
2. The Role of the Seat
3. Applicable Substantive Law
4. The Arbitral Tribunal
5. Arbitral Procedure and Evidence
6. The Arbitral Award

Additionally, the course features a podcast introducing the fundamentals of international commercial arbitration.

Detailed course information

Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5006)

This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.

Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

In addition to the above, candidates must take courses to the value of 60 credit points. At least 30 credit points must be obtained from the courses listed below. The remaining credit points may be obtained from the list below or any LLM 30 credit on-campus course:

International Trade and Finance Law (LS508A)

30 Credit Points

This course considers issues relating to international trade and finance law and addresses the legal and commercial aspects of export-import transactions. It covers trade risks and risk assessment, the law and practice relating to international sale of goods, carriage of goods and insurance matters, international trade finance, digitalisation of international trade and international commercial dispute resolution.

Detailed course information

Semester 2

Compulsory Courses

International Investment Law and Energy Arbitration (LS555L)

30 Credit Points

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines and international investment protection framework, are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century and how best to avoid disputes and manage them.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

In addition to the above, candidates must take courses to the value of 60 credit points. At least 30 credit points must be obtained from the courses listed below. The remaining credit points may be obtained from the list below or any LLM 30 credit on-campus course:

Applied Issues in International Economic Law (LS553T)

30 Credit Points

There is limited appreciation given to the study of the state as a policymaker, legislator, and disputing party in the context of international economic law. Yet, the states have become the “investor of first-resort", while participating in an unprecedented surge of international investment disputes and international economic agreements. The course covers how international investment law interacts with the State’s regulatory powers in different economic sectors.

Detailed course information

Comparative Contract Law (LS555K)

30 Credit Points

This course is aimed to help commercial lawyers working in transnational settings to understand how different legal traditions offer different viewpoints on key contractual challenges that emerge in all commercial contracts: how agreements are formed, interpreted and enforced; what remedies are available to aggrieved parties; under what circumstances can parties avoid liability. Thus, national contract laws will be seen as variations on a theme. The course will cover the main rules and doctrines of a range of legal systems, as well as transnational contract law mechanisms

Detailed course information

Semester 3

Compulsory Courses

Master of Laws Dissertation (LS5904)

60 Credit Points

Between May and mid-August students prepare a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choice related to their specialist LLM programme. Students are instructed through the delivery of a preparatory lecture, two supervisory meetings and a two hour dissertation planning workshop in a small group setting. Students are expected to spend considerable time on independent research throughout the course of the dissertation module, including; preparation of dissertation plan, amendment of plan in accordance with supervisory comments, preparation for the dissertation workshop, and, of course, in the final 10,000 word dissertation itself.

Detailed course information

Programme Fees

Semester 1

Compulsory Courses

All students must complete:

Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship (LS551T)

This course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which will be required for LLM-Taught courses. The course is delivered as a series of five interactive lectures with two individual assessments designed to encourage critical thinking and provide opportunities for early feedback. It also incorporates a library workshop to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.

Detailed course information

International Investment Law and Energy Arbitration (LS555L)

30 Credit Points

The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines and international investment protection framework, are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century and how best to avoid disputes and manage them.

Detailed course information

Getting Started at the University of Aberdeen (PD5506)

This course, which is prescribed for all taught postgraduate students, is studied entirely online, is studied entirely online, takes approximately 2-3 hours to complete and can be taken in one sitting, or spread across the first 4 weeks of term.

Topics include University orientation overview, equality & diversity, MySkills, health, safety and cyber security, and academic integrity.

Successful completion of this course will be recorded on your Transcript as ‘Achieved’.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

In addition to the above, candidates must take courses to the value of 60 credit points. At least 30 credit points must be obtained from the courses listed below. The remaining credit points may be obtained from the list below or any LLM 30 credit on-campus course:

Applied Issues in International Economic Law (LS553T)

30 Credit Points

There is limited appreciation given to the study of the state as a policymaker, legislator, and disputing party in the context of international economic law. Yet, the states have become the “investor of first-resort", while participating in an unprecedented surge of international investment disputes and international economic agreements. The course covers how international investment law interacts with the State’s regulatory powers in different economic sectors.

Detailed course information

Comparative Contract Law (LS555K)

30 Credit Points

This course is aimed to help commercial lawyers working in transnational settings to understand how different legal traditions offer different viewpoints on key contractual challenges that emerge in all commercial contracts: how agreements are formed, interpreted and enforced; what remedies are available to aggrieved parties; under what circumstances can parties avoid liability. Thus, national contract laws will be seen as variations on a theme. The course will cover the main rules and doctrines of a range of legal systems, as well as transnational contract law mechanisms

Detailed course information

Semester 2

Compulsory Courses

Master of Laws Dissertation (LS5904)

60 Credit Points

Between May and mid-August students prepare a 10,000 word dissertation on a topic of their choice related to their specialist LLM programme. Students are instructed through the delivery of a preparatory lecture, two supervisory meetings and a two hour dissertation planning workshop in a small group setting. Students are expected to spend considerable time on independent research throughout the course of the dissertation module, including; preparation of dissertation plan, amendment of plan in accordance with supervisory comments, preparation for the dissertation workshop, and, of course, in the final 10,000 word dissertation itself.

Detailed course information

Semester 3

Compulsory Courses

International Commercial Arbitration (LS5083)

30 Credit Points

The course is designed to offer in-depth theoretical insights and practical knowledge essential for navigating the field of international commercial arbitration.

The seminar topics have been selected to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of international commercial arbitration law. The topics include:

1. Arbitration Agreement and Arbitral Jurisdiction
2. The Role of the Seat
3. Applicable Substantive Law
4. The Arbitral Tribunal
5. Arbitral Procedure and Evidence
6. The Arbitral Award

Additionally, the course features a podcast introducing the fundamentals of international commercial arbitration.

Detailed course information

Optional Courses

In addition to the above, candidates must take courses to the value of 60 credit points. At least 30 credit points must be obtained from the courses listed below. The remaining credit points may be obtained from the list below or any LLM 30 credit on-campus course:

International Trade and Finance Law (LS508A)

30 Credit Points

This course considers issues relating to international trade and finance law and addresses the legal and commercial aspects of export-import transactions. It covers trade risks and risk assessment, the law and practice relating to international sale of goods, carriage of goods and insurance matters, international trade finance, digitalisation of international trade and international commercial dispute resolution.

Detailed course information