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

Why this LLM?

This LLM is one of the oldest LLM programs around, offering 95% employability, a 1,300+ strong alumni network from 108 nationalities, and situated at the heart of Europe. It is 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 excels in preparing students for international legal career paths for a sustainable global society.

Key features:

• 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: offering excellence since 1971
• Perfect for the global job market: the curriculum covers the essential areas of international and European law in parallel
• Taught at the IES which, as a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, constitutes a hub of cutting edge research and activities on the EU in an international context and is currently presided by former trade Commissioner Karel De Gucht
• The Chairs are nominated exclusively for this programme and 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
• Supported by the extensive expertise of our Office for Teaching, Learning and Innovation to accommodate sophisticated blended teaching methods

Course structure:

The LLM in International and European law is obtained in one academic year:

• 8 compulsory courses: they give a broad overview of the main topics of international and European law.
• Optional courses: Business Law, Public law, or Data Law. There is also the opportunity to take a special and exclusive Moot Court course.
• Master Thesis

For a full overview of courses, please visit https://www.llminbrussels.eu/academics/

Talk directly to our students and staff:

On the Contact page of our LLM website, you can submit your questions through a form or by e-mail, but you can also engage in a live chat with our students and staff to get an immediate answer to all your questions about the programme: https://www.llminbrussels.eu/contact/

The Program is located at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel's (VUB) 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

Located at the heart of the European Union, the Institute for European Studies (IES) is exceptionally positioned for students in European and international law. The IES is a thriving Jean Monnet Center of Excellence in European Studies and was named by Study International as one of the 5 leading European law schools (June 2016).

Our campus is only a few tram stops away from the EU institutions, NATO headquarters, the Commission's outstanding library as well as dozens of think tanks and law firms. 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.

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 a post-graduate “Master after Master” programme. 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.
• Students are selected based on 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. Every student who applies must provide recent certified proof of proficiency in English, by means of one of the 5 tests that we accept, with the required minimum level or score. 

Visit our website for a complete 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 2022-23 academic year as of October 2021. 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/

Please check the FAQ section of our LLM website for the latest information on tuition fees: https://www.llminbrussels.eu/faq/

The Programme 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 at the latest. For more information visit the FAQ section of our 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

Packed with interactive seminars, these short programmes attract students and young professionals who wish to broaden their knowledge of the European institutions, European law and the European decision-making process in general.

These intensive two-week Winter & Summer Schools on EU Policy-making consist of 5 ECTS. 

In the Summer School edition, students spend one week in Brussels and one week in Vienna. The Winter School is a separate programme organised fully online. 

Winter School 

From 1 to 12 February 2021, the IES will organise the very first edition of its online Jean Monnet Winter School on EU Policy-Making, in collaboration with its partners the University of Vienna and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. This Winter School will build on the long-standing expertise of the similar (offline) Summer School that the IES and its partners have organised for almost 20 years. Other than being taught online, the second main difference with its 'Summer sibling', is the focus area of the Winter edition, which will be digital rights (competition, freedom of expression, data protection, disinformation resilience), whereas the Summer School focuses on civil rights. 

Summer School

The intensive two-week Jean Monnet Summer School on EU Policy Making, taught on campus, is held one week in Brussels and one week in Vienna from Monday 5 to Friday 16 July 2021. 

The first week of the summer school 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. Each year, the programme has a central theme. The focus area of the Summer edition, which will be civil rights, touching on policy discussions related to human security, migration, anti-discrimination, diversity.

Study visits include the European Commission, European Parliament, Council of the EU, OSCE and the UN!

Website: https://www.eu-summerschool.eu
E-mail: summerschool@ies.be