National and Kapodistrian University of Athens - Athens Law School

The LL.M. Program in International and European Legal Studies consists of two separate LL.M. Courses: a) Private Law and Business Transactions and b) International and European Law.

It is generally accepted that in today’s globalized world there is no such thing as a purely national private law. Legal practitioners, judges, national and European institutions, as well as public and private entities, are increasingly confronted with rules and doctrines of International and European origin. In this respect, the Private Law and Business Transactions Master’s at the Athens Law School offers students a wide variety of intensive modules which cover the whole range of modern private transactions, with a particular focus on their international and mainly European dimension. This course provides an overview of all contemporary issues in the field of private law, considering especially the developments of EU legislation and case law. It seeks to provide students with a solid doctrinal and practical background which shall allow them to successfully cope with the ever-demanding academic environment, while developing their careers at the highest level of national and international practice.

The specialized LL.M. course International and European Law provides an advanced and comprehensive study in Public International Law (PIL) and/or European Union Law (EUL). Students may choose from a variety of core and optional modules: The core modules (2 modules in each specialisation) aim to provide students with a firm theoretical and practical foundation in Public International Law or European Union Law. The optional modules permit students to pursue a more focused approach in specific areas in both of these fields, according to their interests. When more than 3/4 of their chosen subjects belong to either academic direction, their final degree will have the corresponding specialisation – otherwise, the final degree awarded will be an LL.M. in International & European Studies.

The National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (NKUA) was founded in 1837 with the aim to advance knowledge and educate students in sciences and arts in a way that would best serve the nation and the community. With 43 departments and more than 200 undergraduate and postgraduate programs, the NKUA is the largest higher education institute in Greece and among the largest universities in Europe. With a student body of about 68.500 undergraduate and postgraduate students, over 2.100 members of academic staff and approximately 1.000 administrative and secretarial staff and specialised personnel, the University of Athens aims at excellence in both teaching and research in a significantly varied range of disciplines.

Committed to innovation and academic excellence we seek to infuse each member of our academic community with the passion of research and knowledge gain. We encourage cultivation of creativity, maturation of social and cultural sensibilities as well as critical thinking, by supporting free and open dialogue and a culture of integrity and diversity.

With almost 200 years of history, the Law School of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens is the oldest and largest state institution for the training of young legal scholars in Greece. Our alumni include some of the most influential and important figures of the recent Greek and European history. Our aspiration is to offer our students better, more useful and creative studies, which will equip them with the necessary skills and qualifications to deal with the complex and ever-changing academic, professional, social, cultural and technological realities. The Athens Law School endeavours to spark the students' interest in learning and research via a training curriculum which combines an interdisciplinary theoretical approach with the needs and demands of legal practice.

Thanks to our multifaceted Master’s program and our teaching method, which is oriented both in legal theory and practice, our graduates are problem-solving driven, curious lawyers who can successfully cope with various tasks of legal practice and fulfill a range of functions. Our graduates are highly employable in international law firms throughout the EU, but they could also act as compliance officers and in-house lawyers for financial institutions and other corporations. Moreover, they can take on national and European government functions, join the judiciary bodies or pursue an academic career.

General requirements

To be eligible for admission, prospective students must hold a Bachelor´s Degree in Law. The Steering Committee may also accept a Bachelor’s Degree in a field other than Law, with the condition that it is related to the courses of the LL.M program.

Language proficiency requirements

Prospective students must provide proof of at least a C1 level certificate of the English language, such as a Cambridge Certificate in Advanced English (CAE), an IELTS Academic score of 7.0 and above or a TOEFL iBT score of 94-101 and above.  Students who have a degree from a University program entirely taught in English are exempted from this requirement. Knowledge of French or German is desirable, but not essential for the application process.

Candidates who do not possess a title which proves their competence in one of the previous languages can instead sit a placement examination which will be conducted by one of our academic staff, based on a legal text. For that reason, interested candidates should indicate in their application the language they wish to be examined on.

Admission criteria

The Admissions-Committee will assess each application, based on the following criteria and adhering to our equal opportunities policy:

1. The grade point average (G.P.A.) of the Bachelor’s Degree in Law (or a relevant subject), as demonstrated by a full academic transcript of records.
2. If available, the grade point average (G.P.A.) of a Master’s Degree in Law (or a relevant subject), as demonstrated by a full transcript of records.
3. The applicant’s curriculum vitae (in English).
4. The applicant’s personal statement (max. 400 words), outlining his/her academic achievements and ambitions.
5. The applicant’s proficiency in the English language. If English is not the applicant’s first language, proficiency must be demonstrated by means of an internationally recognized test (corresponding to C1 level) or a University Degree taught entirely in English.
6. The applicant’s skills in the German and/or French language, as evidenced by the respective language certificates.
7. Personal interview with an admissions representative which will take place via Skype during the first two weeks of September. Only candidates who meet the admission requirements will be invited to interview.

Students of the European Law School Network who are selected by the partner Universities according to the admission procedures of their home University, will be admitted to the LL.M program, provided that they meet the eligibility requirements (Bachelor’s Degree and English language skills).

In order to complete the application procedure successfully, prospective students should collect and submit along with their online application, a pdf copy of the following documents:

1. The application form (available here) personally signed by the candidate.
2. Bachelor’s degree.
3. A full academic transcript of records of their bachelor’s degree.
4. Master’s Degree accompanied by a full academic transcript of records (if applicable).
5. Certified copy of Bachelor’s degree accreditation by the Hellenic National Academic Recognition Information Center (Hellenic NARIC or DOATAP), or at least a certified copy of the submitted application to the Hellenic NARIC for the issuance of the above accreditation (only for candidates who have completed their undergraduate studies at a non-Greek University). Further information about the accreditation procedure can be found here.
6. Proof of at least a C1 level certificate of the English language proficiency in English as per the language requirements or a statement indicating that they wish to be examined in English by a member of the academic staff.
7. Proof of knowledge in German and/or French or a statement indicating that they wish to be examined in these languages by a member of the academic staff (if applicable).
8. Copy of passport (only for international students)
9. A curriculum vitae (CV) of no more than 2 pages in English.
10. A personal statement of max. 400 words outlining their academic achievements and ambitions and underlying their motivation to attend the relevant LL.M Course.
11. Official Certificate (only for judges and diplomats)

PLEASE NOTE: The university degrees and the respective transcripts shall be written either in Greek, English or German (provided that they are issued by a competent national authority) or officially translated in English and certified by a competent authority.

International candidates must send the application along with the accompanying documents exclusively electronically in the following email address: protocol@law.uoa.gr. 

Greek candidates shall submit the application and the accompanying documents exclusively in an electronic form through the following address: https://eprotocol.uoa.gr ;(login through taxisnet required).

The tuition fees for the LL.M. program amount to 1.200 € (Euros) and shall be paid in two instalments of 600 € (Euros). The first instalment must be deposited upon enrolment, while the second instalment must be deposited at the beginning of the spring semester.

Thanks to the specialised nature of the LL.M. program, modules take place during the evening, thus allowing students to combine their studies with working obligations. In certain circumstances students might be eligible for a fee waiver.

The Athens Law School is part of the European Law School Network, comprising the Humboldt Universität in Berlin, King’s College, Université Paris 2 Panthéon-Assas, La Sapienza University in Rome, the University of Amsterdam and the Universidade Cattolica Portuguesa in Lisbon.Once a year, students from all the participating U come together in a Summer School held in the premises of one of these Law Schools, in order to practice modern legal skills.