Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) - Institute for European Studies (IES)

Check out this Youtube video to see what professors, alumni and students have to say about the program!

Why this LLM?

LLM in International and European Law is a postgraduate LL.M. Program renowned since 1971 for its outstanding quality, international character, and a carefully developed curriculum that combines international and European law, on the one hand, and academic excellence and the latest practical insights, on the other. It thereby excels in preparing students for international legal career paths for a sustainable global society.

In a nutshell, the Program offers the following key advantages:

- Central location in Brussels, the heart of the EU: excellent research, networking and job possibilities;
- Demanding, exclusively advanced master (i.e. post-graduate) level curriculum;
- Experience: 46 years of excellence with an alumni network of over 1,250 lawyers of 108 nationalities;
- Perfect for the global work market: the curriculum covers the essential areas of international and European law in parallel;
- Part of the IES which, as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, constitutes a hub of cutting edge research and activities on EU in the international context and is currently presided by former trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht;
- The Chairs are nominated exclusively for this Program;
- The Chairs are an international mixture of high-ranking practitioners and leading academics;
- Limited class size ensures high interaction and close contacts among students and with the professors, helping create true bonds that last;
- brings together students of truly versatile international backgrounds and of outstanding quality;
- An affordable tuition fee
- State-of-the art facilities and educational tools;
- Special career development and job application workshops with the staff and the alumni ensure outstanding employability: 50 % of our alumni received a job within a month, 95 % within 6 months of completing the program (Alumni survey 2011-2013).

We accept and review applications on a rolling basis.

COURSE STRUCTURE

The LLM in International and European law is a 60 ECTS Advanced Master's degree obtained in one academic year (from end September until early July).
The program offers a balanced, versatile package that consists of compulsory and optional courses as well as a Master thesis:
- Compulsory courses (30 credits);
- Optional courses on either Business Law, Public law, or Data Law (12 credits)
- Master Thesis (18 credits).

The compulsory courses give a broad overview of the main topics of international and European law, and serve as an introduction/refresher. In preparation for the Thesis writing and to gain experience in teamwork in an international context, the students write a short research paper in multinational groups of three to four students.
For a full overview of courses (compulsory as well as the Public Law, Business Law, and Data Law options), please visit https://www.llminbrussels.eu/academics/

The writing of the Master Thesis continues in multiple steps throughout the year and culminates in an oral defence of the thesis at the end of June. Thesis writing offers students a further element of choice: the wide expertise of all the supervising LL.M. Professors as well as that of the Institute's research staff allows for specializing in numerous issues of international or European law, including in topics not covered by the Program curriculum itself.

Located at the heart of the European Union in Brussels, the Institute for European Studies (IES) is exceptionally positioned for students in European and international law.

Our campus is only a few metro or tram stops away from the EU institutions, NATO headquarters, the Commission's outstanding library as well as dozens of think tanks, law firms and corporate headquarters. Our location offers the possibility to study the EU not just through courses, but also through the living lab of scores of policy related events and a maze of contacts in the Brussels policy hub.

The Program is located at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel's (VUB) green and leafy campus, which reflects the international atmosphere and diversity of Brussels itself. On the campus there is a full range of amenities including extensive sport and leisure facilities, banks, libraries and a cafeteria.

www.vub.ac.be/en/

The Institute for European Studies at
Pleinlaan 5, 1050 Brussels

The home of the program is at the Institute for European Studies (IES). The IES was named by Study International as one of the 5 leading European law schools (June 2016): http://bit.ly/2jvFYAh

The IES is a thriving Jean Monnet Center of Excellence in European Studies, located from February 2011 onwards in brand new facilities at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB). The students join the international staff at the IES, which comprises more than 80 people from over 25 nationalities, over 20 of whom are doctoral researchers in international and EU affairs. The extended family of the IES also includes the 40 post-graduate students of the IES’s sister program, the Advanced Master in European Integration. In addition, the students are linked to the staff and students of the program’s co-organizers, the Law faculty of the VUB.

https://www.llminbrussels.eu/about/
llm@ies.be

The LLM is organized in cooperation with the Faculty of Law and Criminology of the VUB. The teaching staff is a unique mixture of renowned EU scholars, top-level EU practitioners and practicing lawyers that combine academic rigor with the latest practical insights and cultural diversity.

Orientation day

The Master in International and European Law is in the terminology of the Bologna European educational area a post-graduate “Master after Master” programme. Our courses are not a part of the regular Master degree programmes of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel, of which the Institute for European Studies is a part. Each year we make a careful selection of maximum 40 students from all over the world, based on the following requirements:

Academic requirements

• Students are eligible to apply when they have completed their study of law and have received, in accordance with the requirements in their host country, a final law degree that provides access to the legal profession or to the qualifying exams for admission to the Bar. The equivalence of foreign degrees will be decided by the Academic Board of the Programme.
• Students are selected by the Academic Board of the Programme on the basis of an overall assessment of their profiles, including their academic qualifications, work and other relevant experience, motivation as well as the required level of proficiency in English (see below).

Language requirements

The Programme’s language of instruction is English. As a starting point, every student who applies must provide recent certified proof of proficiency in English, by means of one of the 5 tests with the required minimum level or score indicated below:

• TOEFL test [min. score 233 (computer-based) min. score 90 (internet-based) min.score 577 (paper-based)]
• Academic IELTS: 7.0
• Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English – CPE
• Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English – CAE (grade B)
• ITACE (at the VUB) – C1

If English is the candidate’s mother tongue or if the candidate has completed his or her entire legal education in English, he or she will be waived from having to produce recent certified proof of proficiency in English. We also reserve the right to assess the level of language skills separately in unclear cases.

Visit our website for an overview of entry requirements:
https://www.llminbrussels.eu/faq/

We accept and review applications on a rolling basis, starting in October. Example: students can apply for the 2020-21 academic year as of October 2019. Before October 2019 they can of course apply for the programme as well, but only for the academic year 2019-20.

We recommend prospective students to apply as soon as possible to maximize the chances of being admitted. You can apply, even if you will receive your degree or English language test certificate only later. You need to have completed all the requirements prior to the start of the Programme.

Applicants who need to apply for a visa (non-EHEA* students) are strongly encouraged to send their application before 1 April, as visa procedures may take several months before the visa is eventually delivered.

Visit our website for details on how to apply:
https://www.llminbrussels.eu/application/

Owing to governmental support our tuition fee represents excellent value. For the academic year 2019-2020 IES is able to cap the tuition fee at EUR 5400 (including e.g. field trip to the European Court of Justice). The cost for study materials is approx. EUR 500. 

In addition to the affordable tuition, the Programme itself offers a number of scholarships that take the form of (partial) tuition fee waivers, which are awarded on the basis of merit and demonstrated need. Students can apply for such a waiver by 15 April 2019 at the latest. They do so by writing a personal statement in the relevant section of the application form, outlining the ways in which they satisfy these criteria. Students must attach evidence of both merit and need as part of the overall application file. For more information visit the LLM website: https://www.llminbrussels.eu/faq/

Brussels voted as best student city in Belgium

Brussels is one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. It is officially bilingual (French and Dutch), although it boasts an astonishing variety of cultures, styles and nationalities. Being the capital of an expanding Europe, Brussels is an international city like no other. 31% of its population is of foreign origin, and this makes for a unique atmosphere in which cultures interact easily with one another. A great many people work in Brussels. It is the headquarters of the European Commission, the European Council, the European Parliament and also plays host to NATO's European headquarters. The reason for this is Brussels' specific advantages: its central location in Europe, the fact that it is a multilingual city, the presence of different cultures and the population mix.

For all questions about accommodation visit the accommodation page of the VUB:

http://www.vub.ac.be/en/practical/housing

IES Summer School on European Policy Making

This intensive two-week programme is held one week in Brussels and one week in Viennafrom Monday 1 to Friday 12 July 2019. The Institute for European Studies joins forces with the Diplomatische Akademie and the University of Vienna to bring you this ‘crash course’ in EU Policy Making.

Packed with interactive seminars and study visits, this programme attracts students and young professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge of the European institutions, European law and the European decision-making process in general.

The first week of the summer school takes place in Brussels and reviews the main EU institutions and decision-making procedures, while theoretically exploring questions of governance, participation and legitimacy. During the second week students learn more about EU foreign relations, while enjoying the beautiful city of Vienna.

Each year, the programme has a central theme. In 2019, this summer school will focus on ‘Analysing human security in today’s EU‘. While touching upon all EU policy fields, we will offer participants insights into several aspects of security, including security in its traditional sense (defense) but also from a societal perspective (migration, environment, development).

For more info visit: https://www.eu-summerschool.eu 

For further questions contact us at: summerschool@ies.be