PMLECLFTT0-2024-5-O - L-Università ta' Malta

Course Title

Master of Laws in European and Comparative Law

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

3 Semesters

90 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-time

Information for International applicants

Applicants must be in possession of:

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

the degree of Doctor of Laws or
a Bachelor degree in Law as the main area of study, obtained with at least Second Class Honours or Category II or
a degree from the University of Malta or any recognised overseas institution which the Board considers to be comparable to any of the degrees indicated in paragraphs (a) and (b).

The Board may consider also applicants in possession of a Bachelor degree in European Studies, Political Science, Economics or in any other area of study it deems appropriate, if the first cycle degree presented for admission is obtained with Second Class Honours or Category II.

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You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

This programme of study is also offered on a part-time basis. Please consult the Registrar's website for more information pertaining to courses offered by the University.

The Master of Laws in European and Comparative Law is in essence a taught course, with teaching based on guided research and teaching and the presentation of a paper by yourself in a teacher-led seminar. The course includes an important dissertation component. The programme aims to:

Provide postgraduate specialization in European Union Law and related comparative law to become a holder of a good first degree in law.

Prepare you for a specialist career, whether in the European Union Institutions, in other international organizations, as an advisor to government and other entities, or in private practice in Malta and abroad.

European Union law is an all-embracing, rapidly developing, and ever more significant and fascinating area of the law. The programme provides an in-depth education in European Union law, establishing a balance between the economic and the constitutional aspects of European law.

The Master of Laws in European and Comparative Law was established within the Department of European and Comparative Law in the Faculty of Laws in 1994. It is in essence a taught course, but the pedagogic method is that of the seminar based on presentation of papers after guided reading rather than that of the lecture, and it includes an important dissertation component. The first aim remains that of providing postgraduate specialization in European Union Law and related comparative law to holders of a good first degree in law. The programme of studies ranges over a large list of subject areas which are sub-disciplines of European Law and often overlap with their counterpart domestic law, and from which the student chooses a number of study units. In principle, the comparative (national law) dimension is worked into most subjects, while also being the principal methodology employed in a number of study units. The level of the degree compares with the level of leading LL.M programmes in other European universities, this being certified on an annual basis by an external examiner from a European university, with this appointment alternating every three years. The second aim is to prepare you for a specialist career, whether in the European Union Institutions, in other international organizations, as advisors to government and other entities, or in private practice in Malta and abroad.

European Union law is an all-embracing, rapidly developing, and ever more significant and fascinating area of the law. A solid and in-depth knowledge thereof is essential in all areas of legal practice today. The programme provides an in-depth education in European Union law. It establishes a balance between the economic and the constitutional aspects of European law, and emphasizes both the increasing complexity of EU law and the context in which it is evolving

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 40 ECTS credits from the elective on offer during the year.

An elective study-unit will ONLY be offered if a sufficient number of students register for it. Consequently, the availability of respective study-units will only be confirmed after the registration period.

TAUGHT COMPONENT


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

ECL5118	The Law of Fundamental Freedom of the European Union (Internal Market)	10 ECTS
ECL5122	Judicial Protection in the EU	10 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

ECL5115	European Union Tax Law	10 ECTS
ECL5116	Intellectual Property Law: Issues and Harmonization in an International and EU Context	10 ECTS
ECL5117	European and Comparative Company Law	10 ECTS
ECL5119	EU and Comparative Competition Law and Policy	10 ECTS
ECL5121	EU Information Technology Law	10 ECTS
ECL5123	E-Commerce Law and Policy in the EU	10 ECTS


Semester 1

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

ECL5100	Labour Law in the European Union	5 ECTS
ECL5101	EU Financial Services Law	5 ECTS
ECL5102	Environmental Legislation and Policy of the European Union	5 ECTS
ECL5103	EU Transport Law	5 ECTS
ECL5105	The Law of the Institutions of the EU	5 ECTS
ECL5110	Gambling Law and Policy in the EU	5 ECTS


Semester 2

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

ECL5104	EU and International Trade Law and Policy	5 ECTS
ECL5106	European Union Constitutional Law	5 ECTS
ECL5107	Fundamental Rights in the European Union	5 ECTS
ECL5108	European Business Private International Law	5 ECTS
ECL5109	European and International Comparative Commercial Law	5 ECTS
ECL5112	Cryptocurrencies, Distributed Ledger Technologies and the Law	5 ECTS


Summer Semester

RESEARCH COMPONENT Compulsory Units (All students must register for this unit)

ECL5054	Dissertation	30 ECTS

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of the Master of Laws - LL.M. - under the auspices of the Faculty of Laws.

The overall learning outcomes as a Master in Laws (LL.M.) in European and Comparative Law include:

A deeper knowledge and understanding of chosen areas of European law and policy, and their interaction with Member State law and policy
Schooling in the academic literature, and trends in the case-law of the European Court of Justice
Acquisition of advanced legal research skills
Advanced ability to communicate the results of research through presentations, debating and writing of term papers and dissertations
Advanced ability to identify and analyse problems from a legal perspective
Advanced ability to read beyond legal doctrine and to evaluate the relevance and importance of other disciplines for legal analysis.

You are able to select study units of your choice and to write a dissertation on a subject of your choice. You are also able to stream your choice so as to focus on particular areas of European Union Law, such as European Public Law, European Commercial Law or European Administrative Law, with guidance in their choice from members of the Department. You will therefore acquire a depth of knowledge and range of skills across the broad area of European Law, with the possibility of grouping subjects so that they develop a particular depth of knowledge across a set of related study units. The knowledge will range over the understanding of the relevant Treaty provisions and the laws and other acts adopted under them through study and critical analysis of the academic literature as well as the caselaw of the European Court of Justice and relevant national legislation and national court judgments. Practitioners' journals are frequently referred to on many of the courses. This approach develops interpretational and applicational skills against the backdrop of sound theoretical knowledge and understanding. The knowledge and skills acquired are applicable in law practice, in adjudication, and in further studies to Ph.D level should the student wish to pursue an academic career in Malta or abroad.

Non EU Applicants:

Total Tuition Fees: Eur 10,800

You are viewing the fees for non EU nationals. Switch to EU nationals if you are a national of any country from within the EU/EEA.

This postgraduate academic programme provides students with an in-depth education in European law. The degree is generally known in Europe as the Master of Laws (LL.M.). It establishes a balance between providing knowledge of the core economic/social and the constitutional/institutional aspects of European law and allows for specialisation in a number of areas of law such as competition law, aspects of the law of the internal market, company law, consumer law, trade law, justice and home affairs law and several others.

LLM European and Comparative Law graduates have privileged access to high level practice, national and international, and to a large number of positions requiring expertise in European Law. Many graduates have gone straight into high level employment with the European Institutions, often directly in the field of specialization on which they focused while on the degree. Many have done the same with Maltese law firms, while others have gone into employment with the government or parastatal bodies, often in their chosen field. Others have found that their already existing career has benefited. A number have found employment with law firms in other Member States. A significant number of the students on the degree take the programme over two academic years on a part-time basis. For those aiming for an academic career, the degree provides an excellent basis for the pursuit of the Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree in law.