University of Amsterdam - Amsterdam Law School

The Amsterdam Law School offers the following LLM programmes:

European Private Law
The central aim of the master’s European Private Law is to educate a new generation of internationally oriented private lawyers with a broad, deep and critical understanding of the on-going Europeanisation and globalisation of private law and its dynamics. Our lecturers are internationally renowned experts conducting innovative research at the frontiers of private law.

International Criminal Law - Joint Program with Columbia Law School 
Columbia University School of Law and the Amsterdam Law School offer a joint LLM programme in International Criminal Law. The Master's programme in International Criminal Law  focusses on international criminal law as a distinct field of legal study. The central aim of the programme is to train a new style of international criminal lawyers by offering a broad and deep understanding of relevant issues and supporting the development of academic skills through the analysing of such issues.

International Criminal Law: International and Transnational Criminal Law
This Master's programme in International and Transnational Criminal Law focusses on international and transnational criminal law as distinct fields of legal study. The central aim of the programme is to train a new style of criminal lawyers who are capable of transcending (disciplinary) borders, by offering a broad and deep understanding of relevant issues pertaining to international and cross-border justice and supporting the development of academic skills through the in-depth analysis of such issues.

International and European Law: European Competition Law and Regulation
The track European Competition Law and Regulation is part of the Master's International and European Law. This track allows students to specialize in competition law as well as to study the broader regulatory framework applicable to European economic activities in fast-moving and progressively digitalised markets. The programme combines both theory and practice in a distinct manner and is taught by highly qualified international and European lawyers and lecturers.

International and European Law: European Union Law
The track European Union Law of the Master's International and European Law gives you the tools to unlock the many fields of EU law and to critically reflect on them. This programme provides you with a solid foundation in substantive and institutional EU Law. This programme has been selected as a Top 10 programme for European Union Law by the LLM Guide.

International and European Law: International Trade and Investment Law
This track is part of the Master's International and European Law and is devoted to the study of the two branches of International Economic Law: International Trade Law and International Investment Law. It provides the legal framework for the multilateral trading system and its regional agreements, and the rules governing the protection of transnational investments. You will also learn to practice legal skills through experiential education.

International and European Law: Public International Law
The Public International Law is part of the Master's International and European Law and provides you with a solid understanding of general international law while also allowing specialisation in a particular area. You can tailor the programme to your interests and ambitions by enrolling in elective courses. You will be taught by leading researchers in the field and by people working with international law in practice.

International Tax Law
International Tax Law is an advanced LLM that provides you a thorough grounding in the theoretical and practical issues of international tax law. During the academic year, the students can attend classes on core elements of international tax law, like Tax Treaties and Transfer Pricing. In addition, through elective courses and thesis topic, it is possible for the students to obtain a specialisation in Transfer Pricing, Value Added Tax Law or European Direct Tax Law. International Tax Law is a unique, one-year, full-time programme based in Amsterdam.

Law & Finance 
In the LLM programme Law & Finance, the Amsterdam Law School and the Amsterdam Business School join forces to offer a challenging curriculum. It's unique worldwide because it is offered by two faculties. Therefore, it provides truly interdisciplinary education at the intersection between law, economics and finance. The main goal is to educate students in both fields of law and finance. It has the ambition to set a new and higher standard for what may be expected of financial lawyers, and therefore makes no concessions in its economics curriculum. The relevant subjects will be studied from a combined financial-legal perspective. You will therefore be taught to think and practice in an in-depth interdisciplinary manner. Be prepared for an intensive full-time programme, which includes active in-class participation and written assignments on both law and finance topics..

The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is characterised by a tolerant, open and international academic tradition dating back to 1632. The University of Amsterdam scores highly in the Times Higher Education, Shanghai, Leiden and Centre of Higher Education Development university rankings. The University of Amsterdam (UvA) is consistently ranked among the world’s best universities in global rankings. It is a top 100 university in the THE Rankings, QS Rankings and Leiden Ranking.

Some 10.000 international degree and exchange students from over 100 countries are presently enrolled at the UvA. They are actively supported by UvA staff and fellow students during their time in Amsterdam. The UvA helps with practical matters such as opening a bank account, applying for visas and finding accommodation.

The study programmes at the UvA offer students a high level of autonomy, reflecting the respect for individual opinions and convictions so characteristic of Dutch society. The result is an interactive teaching style that encourages students to develop self-reliance and independent thought. Teaching and research are closely linked in all Bachelor's and Master's programmes at the UvA.

The Amsterdam Law School of the University of Amsterdam has a long standing tradition of offering English taught LL.M. programmes. The programmes draw students from all over the world, which brings a truly international atmosphere to the Law School.

The LL.M. programmes are designed to qualify their graduates for international careers in European and international institutions, international business, law firms, government departments and nongovernmental organizations. They also provide a strong writing and research basis for those seeking to write a Ph.D. in the fields of international and European (public or private) law.

The Amsterdam Law School offers a great variety of specialized courses. Professors of the Law School all participate in the Faculty research institutes and bring current insights and developments into their teaching.

The Amsterdam Law School and Columbia Law School present the LLM in International Criminal Law.

Amsterdam Law School: programmes

The faculty includes lawyers and scholars of international repute. Faculty members are active in various research institutes, while maintaining strong ties with the corporate world. Many staff members are also legal practitioners with experience in cases before national, European and international courts, bringing current and practical insights and developments into their teaching.

The Roeterseiland Campus is an open city campus designed to offer future-proof teaching and research facilities. The Amsterdam Law School and also the Faculties of Economics and Business and Social and Behavioural Sciences are located at the Roeterseiland campus.

Amsterdam Law School alumni are part of a global network of people with a wealth of expertise and experience. The faculty has plenty to offer after you graduate. Through UvA Bridge, the alumni platform for and about UvA alumni, we keep alumni informed about news, events, post academic education and job opportunities in the field of law.  

• An academic level comparable to a Dutch Bachelor of Laws.
• The Amsterdam Law School offers a self-study course in European Law before the Master’s programme starts, followed by an examination in September. This course is compulsory for those students who have not completed a course in European Union Law during their study programme. The course does not count for the 60 ECTS of the Master’s programme.
• In an international environment, sufficient mastery of the English language is critical for academic success. Students must take an English-language proficiency test to demonstrate their ability. The Amsterdam Law School accepts the following tests and test results:
  • TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) - The minimum required TOEFL score is 100 iBT, with a minimum of 24 for subscores reading and writing, a minimum of 22 for subscore listening and a minimum of 25 for subscore speaking. Please make sure to mention our institutional code: 9011 when signing up for the TOEFL test.
  • IELTS (International English Language Testing System) - The minimum required overall IELTS score is 7.0, with a minimum score of 6.5 for each individual component.
  • Cambridge English Language Assessment: minimum grade C1 Advanced with a minimum score of 190.

The Amsterdam Law School only accepts English language proficiency test results that are no more than one year old at the time of application.

For the entry requirements of International Tax Law, check our website.

•          Law & Finance: 15 January early bird deadline and final deadline if you want to apply for a scholarship; 1 April non-EU students + housing; 1 June EU students. A selection procedure applies.

•          International and European Law, tracks PIL & ITIL: 1 April. A selection procedure applies.

•          International and European Law, tracks EU Law & ECLR: 1 April non-EU students + housing; 1 June EU students

•          European Private Law: 1 April non-EU students + housing; 1 June EU students

•          International Criminal Law (ICL-JP + ITCL): 1 April. A selection procedure applies.

For all further detailed information about application procedures check the website of the LL.M. of your choice and look under Application & admission.

No rights can be derived from the deadlines

2023-2024 Full Term Tuition

Students who hold the following nationalities: Dutch, EEA, Swiss and Surinamese: EUR 2,421

All other nationalities: check the LL.M.website

LL.M in International Tax Law: EUR 21,000

Click our website for more information.

The Amsterdam Law School aims to attract talented students with its mix of theoretical ans practical course offerings. Several competitive scholarships including the Amsterdam Merit Scholarship and the Julia Henriëtte Jaarsma-Adolfs Fund Scholarship are available to foreign students. 
For further details please visit our website.

Amsterdam Law School

Nieuwe Achtergracht 166

1018 WV Amsterdam

The Netherlands

Like most Dutch universities, the University of Amsterdam does not have a campus including housing, and demand for student housing in Amsterdam is high. To assist international students in finding appropriate accommodation, the university has signed agreements with various housing corporations. These corporations offer furnished accommodation to students for one or two semesters only.

The university accommodation is located in different areas of Amsterdam and Diemen. Room types and locations can range from a flat with other students to small scale accommodation. All different student buildings can be reached easily from the city centre by public transport or by bike. Although there are student accommodations at different locations and different parts of the city, it is not possible to apply for a specific one.

For more information about housing, visit our website: www.uva.nl/housing 

Watch our student films. 

For more than 50 years, students and professionals from all over the world have joined us in the picturesque Dutch cities of Amsterdam or Leiden for the Columbia Summer Program to learn about all aspects of American Law taught by distinguished Professors from Columbia University, New York.

The Program is held in alternate summers, for the full month of July, in Leiden and Amsterdam.

Recent students - and students from many years past - have given overwhelmingly enthusiastic evaluations of the Program. Former students - who are now distinguished judges, political leaders, senior attorneys, business executives, and law professors - participate in great numbers in formal Program reunions and in smaller informal reunions in many countries.

At the end of the Program, students are awarded a Certificate of Participation. If they wish to take a final examination, they may obtain 6 EC (European credits, ECTS) toward degrees at their home universities

For more information: http://www.columbiasummerprogram.org/