Hi all,

I am considering applying for an LLM in Canada starting in August/September next year.

I have been mainly looking into McGill given the impending application deadline. There seem to be lots of pluses but also a few minuses, so I would be keen to hear your thoughts if you can help.

Advantages: international reputation; in French speaking Canada (I know some French and would like to improve); apparent low cost of tuition and living.

Potential disadvantages: there do not appear to be many courses on offer; from previous threads it seems that you need to do three semesters over 18 months (is this correct)? (If so, this will bring up the cost and may take it out of the affordable price range for me); I have read that it can get as cold as -30 degrees celsius.

I am an international student looking to get an affordable (non-thesis) LLM in North America but am not planning to stay to work. I have a particular interest in IP, IT and media law and would also like to take courses in international trade and business law. I would like to go somewhere with a good international reputation so that it is recognised as a quality degree in my own country.

Given the above, does anyone have any comments on McGill?

Would I be better to wait and apply to U of Toronto or U of Ottawa instead? Are there any other more suitable programs that I don't know about?

Any help appreciated.

Further to writing my comment above, I have since found out that there are many more courses on offer than I had originally thought - they include the 500 level as well as 600 level. It has also become apparent that there are three terms to a year at McGill, meaning the course would be 12 months, not 18.

I am still interested to know if anyone has any comments on the LLM at McGill though?

Have you considered York? That school is generally better known for IP law than the other schools you're looking at.

In general, McGill is a very strong school and has a great reputation in Canada. In terms of international reputation - you should take a look at the law firms operating in your country, and get a sense of where their lawyers did their LLMs. Reputation will vary from country to country, but typically, McGill is fairly well-known, on par with UoT, in many countries.

It can get cold in MTL but days where it gets down to -30 will be the exception.

Hi chicken soup, thanks for your comments. I had not considered York - I will look into it. Thank you!

I have applied for LLM at York University and in addition to the personal statement, they're asking me for WRITTEN WORK. Any idea what it is supposed to include and how long is it supposed to be?

This is just something that they can gauge your writing skills by. It can be either something you produced in school, or a professional publication. You should ask them about length.