Hi all. Does anyone have any experience with LLM programs in the Netherlands. If so, which programs are reputable? It is difficult to find any kind of ranking system for Netherland universities. Thanks.

Jack

Hi jack! I dont know of any ranking for Dutch universities either but I am from the Netherlands so I know people at different law schools. Schools that come to my mind with a good reputation are Leiden, the Pallas Program, Utrecht, Erasmus Rotterdam and the Maastricht University. But as we are in Europe the differences between the different institutions in terms of quality is not very big (unilke in the US).M

Thanks for the information. How about Amsterdam Law School?

Hi Jack! Well, I think it should be quite as good as all the other schools here but I think you will not have much time to study if you live in Amsterdam ;-) No seriously, I dont know that much about its reputation as I said all schools are pretty good so hard to say which one is the best.

Hi Jack! Well, I think it should be quite as good as all the other schools here but I think you will not have much time to study if you live in Amsterdam ;-) No seriously, I dont know that much about its reputation as I said all schools are pretty good so hard to say which one is the best.

Hi Star, nice you joined in! Yes, you could say that, a nice peaceful small student city. The thing with NL is that its a really small country so getting from one place to another never takes longer than one hour. People live in Leiden and other cities and go out in amsterdam on the weekend no problem.

Hi people! As I'm going to take a LLM at Tilburg University, does anyone know something about it? Or something about the town? If you have already had this experience, let me know. Thank you friends!
Davide

Hi guys,
just joined. I am a Dutch student and I read on the website of Qanu (the Dutch accreditation organ) that they just accredited the Law Programmes in Holland. The thing is that the text is in Dutch. I will try to make a translation soon about the conclusion parts and try to post it here.
I think all uni's are good here, but you have to make a definite distinction in Holland between the Hogescholen and the Universities. I know that the Hogescholen like to translate their names to Universities as well. The thing is that the Hogescholen cannot grant LL.M.'s! The difference between Hogescholen and Universities is that Universities are academic schools, whereas the Hogescholen are better categorised by 'vocational training', I think. Keep that in mind if you are chosing an LL.M. in the Netherlands.
Good luck searching and deciding. I will do my best for the translation.
Greetings,
Anneke.

Hi, I'm back. I have made the translation of the findings of the Quality Assurance Organ in the Netherlands. Unfortunately the site does not support the tables I used... Hope you can all manage like this. Good luck.
Greetings,
Anneke

***********************************************************************

Assessment scheme quality aspects of the programmes of the Faculties of Law*
In conformity with the protocol Kwaliteitszorg Onderwijs 2000-2005 (Quality Care Education 2000-2005), the visitation commission would like to emphasize that a classification of the programmes on the basis of the average of the figures in this table is not justified.
The assessment is based on the averages of the level of a faculty. This means that within a Faculty with a good score less good programmes can be taught and also the other way around: within a faculty with an insufficient score some of the programmes can have a sufficient score.
Number of programmes
2 3 7 3 2 4 5 3 3 1
VU UU UL UvT EUR UVA RUG KUN UM OUNL
1. Mission, objectives and final attainment level
V G O V V G G V V V
2. Structure and content of the programme
V V M G V V G V V V
3. Educational learning environment
M V O V M V G G G V
4. Intake
V V V V V V V V V V
5. Level of âstudeerbaarheidâ (study quality)
V M V V V V V V V V
6. Flow through and output
M M M M O O M V V n.b.(1
7. Quality of the graduates (2
V V V V V V V V V V
8. Efficiency of the organisation and quality of the staff
G V O V G V V G V V
9. Facilities and services
M G O M G M G G G n.a.
10. Internationalisation and External relations
V G V M M V G G V n.b.(3
11a. Internal quality assurance
G V O V V G G V G V
11b. Self-study
M O M V V G G M M O
*) The assessment deals with the period 1996-2001.
1) Not assessed, there is no reference material available
2) Look at 1.B. paragraph 7 for an explanation of the weighing, âgâ was not used
3) Not assessed, the commission did not have a proper reference for the OUNL on this point.

Abbreviations for the faculties:
VU: Free University Amsterdam (Vrije Universiteit)
UU: University of Utrecht
UL: University of Leiden
UvT: University of Twente (Enschede)
EUR: Erasmus University (Rotterdam)
UVA: University of Amsterdam
RUG: University of Groningen
KUN: University of Nijmegen
UM: University of Maastricht
OUNL: Open University the Netherlands

The assessment concerns specifically the quality aspects that are mentioned in the table. Every aspect was weight on the basis of O (insufficient), M (moderate), V (sufficient) or G (good).

Explanation of the scale:
O (insufficient): The quality level is below the standards set for a university education, as defined in the protocol and frame of reference
M (moderate): The quality level is not completely sufficient, a limited number of aspects deserve some extra attention
V (sufficient): The quality meets the requirements, it is the result of well-considered policy
G (good): The quality is obviously higher than the set standard, it is a good example for other programmes

Hi guys!
just joined. I have a LL.B from Turkey and have been living in Canada. I'd like to do my LL.M in the Netherlands what is the acceptance rate for Int. student (without scholarship) I don't have a high GPA?

Are there any average schools that you could suggest based on my level?
Thanks..

Anneke, thanks for pointing out the difference between Hogescholen and Universities.

This is the link to the Qanu report (in Dutch):
http://www.qanu.nl/?contentid=232

Hi Anneke,

Thanks for the translation and kind advice! That is really nice of you!!

Star

Hi, I found another interesting article about Dutch LLM degrees. here are some excerpts:

Using the title LL.M. in the Dutch context
by Marilyn Warman and Chris Hopley, Nuffic translators

LL.M. (5 July 2004, revised 26 July 2004)

LL.M. is the abbreviation for Legum Magister, the Latin term for Master of Laws. LL.M. is written after the name. Many Dutch meesters in de rechten use this originally British academic title in international contexts. They find it more convenient than the title accorded to them by Dutch law, which is meester, abbreviated to mr. and written before the name.

The education law currently in force, the WHW, which dates from 1993, originally stipulated that if university graduates at doctoraal level prefer, they could also use the letter M. (for Master), followed by an indication of the field. Similarly, hogeschool graduates could use B. (for Bachelor). An amendment that took effect in June 2002 refined the WHW’s stipulations regarding titles for use in international contexts. University graduates could now use either Master of Arts (M.A.) or Master of Science (M.Sc.). The stipulation for HBO remained the same.

These stipulations were supplemented in 2002 by unofficial recommendations issued by the higher education associations. The HBO-Raad drew up a list of abbreviations to be used together with the B. for Bachelor. And the VSNU added the LL.M. as a third possibility for university graduates, alongside the M.A. and the M.Sc. This meant that there were now three possibilities in English that were roughly equivalent to the three Dutch titles at doctoraal level. Nuffic found the use of LL.M. acceptable despite the fact that the term is borrowed from another system, where it is applied to programmes and degrees that are different in terms of both function and content from the Dutch law programmes. For Nuffic, the critical factor was that the levels are the same.

Up to now the WHW has not been amended to include any mention of the LL.M., however. The education ministry has agreed to look into the matter, but at the moment the status of the title LL.M. is not as official as that of the titles M.A. and M.Sc. Nevertheless, its use is widespread and for many meesters in de rechten it remains a useful international option. Some Dutch universities even print the title ‘Master of Laws, abbreviated to LL.M.’ on the diplomas they award to their law graduates.

The lack of equivalence in terms of all but level might be a formal reason for Dutch meesters in de rechten to decide against using LL.M., however, as would its lack of an official status. But there is another reason as well. The abbreviation LL.M. is now being used widely in a different context. Since the introduction of the bachelor’s-master’s degree structure, more and more higher education institutions of various types are offering one-year postgraduate programmes that are concluded with ‘an LL.M. degree’. These programmes—which are offered not only in Europe, but also in the USA and elsewhere—generally have an international orientation and are taught in English in order to attract foreign students.

Dutch meesters in de rechten who place the letters ‘LL.M.’ after their names should be aware of this new development. They should also know that in Britain, very few law students pursue an LL.M. Most earn an LL.B. (Bachelor of Laws) in a highly specialized bachelor’s programme and then prepare for the exam that makes them either a barrister or a solicitor. Academically inclined law graduates go straight for a Ph.D. Even in Britain, the term ‘LL.M.’ is now applied mainly to the great variety of one-year international courses described above. In the USA, the study of law is different again. There, a more general four-year bachelor’s degree is followed by three years of law school for the Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree. Law graduates who want to practise law then sit the bar examination, while law graduates who wish to pursue an academic career enrol in a one-year LL.M. programme. In the USA, as in Britain, the term ‘LL.M.’ is increasingly being applied to one-year courses designed mainly for international students.

http://www.nuffic.nl/pdf/nuffic/glossary/LLMindutchcontext.doc

Hi guys,
good article. If you are looking for LL.M.'s in the Netherlands, you can check www.studyin.nl. There is a whole database of courses and programmes there. You can look at the final qualifications to see with what kind of programme you are dealing with. If it says Master's degree, it might be that it is a not-recognised Master of Laws-degree. Just keep that in mind.
Greetings,
Anneke

Thanks Anneke for information , By the way have heard about University of Groningen, on map it seems to be very far away :>

Utrecht University is currently the highest ranking Dutch university. It is the alma mater of Rene Descartes and lots of Nobel Prize winners. Other Dutch universities like Leiden hire PR firms to market the school. Utrecht doesnt have to. Its Nobel Prize winners speak for the school. The LLM programmes are THE BEST. Ask any United Nations official- Utrecht´s LLM is suited to the times and have a wide variety of degree programmes to choose from. Quality of teaching and moot court seminars are excellent.

Utrecht University and Leiden University are both ranked among the 100 best universties in the world (39. and 63. in the Academic Ranking of World Universities 2004, see http://ed.sjtu.edu.cn/rank/2004/top500list.htm). However, I think Leiden's LLM programme is bigger (?) and more focused on international students. The LLM GUIDE popularity ranking places Leiden in the 7. and Utrecht in the 101. position (according to views).

What about Amsterdam?

I'm still very undecided between Leiden and Utrecht, can anyone help?

Axel

Hi Axel,

Have you solved your dilemma? I am in the same position. I have been admitted to both Utrecht and Leiden for LL.M. programme but it's difficult to decide. There is something sexi about both of them (staff at Leiden University seems to be of very high quality-it is full of professors) but overall ranking of Utrecht seems to be better. If you hear anything interesting, please let me know.
Good luck with deciding!!!
Anna