Skip to main content
What types of page to search?

Popular pages: Undergraduate Postgraduate PhD Accommodation Research International students

Alternatively use our A-Z index.

International Business Law LL.M

The International Business Law LL.M is an advanced programme of study delivered in partnership with the Royal University for Women, Kingdom of Bahrain. The LL.M will provide learners with an in-depth knowledge and understanding of the global economy and the interconnected yet distinct legal subjects that underpin international business.

Introduction

At the core of the programme is the required module ‘International Business Law’. This module will serve as an introduction to crucial principles that underpin international business law as a discipline such as personal property, agency, company formation, and corporate legal liability. It will also introduce students to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and their relevance to international business, in particular through the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact as well as enabling students to think critically around the way in which legal and regulatory requirements around unethical conduct shape international business. This module, therefore, serves to embed important threshold knowledge that will support and frame the LL.M Programme in general and aligns with the Bahrain Economic Vision 2030.

Cognisant of the wide range of legal areas of relevance to international business law, the Programme will offer learners a range of optional modules enabling them to gain depth and breadth of knowledge across different areas of international business law including international economic law, the law and regulation of corporates, and the law governing the knowledge economy, creativity and technology.

Who is this course for?

This LL.M is suitable for graduates of Law or a relevant degree subject area such as business, economics, political science, history, criminology, sociology, international relations etc.

What you'll learn

  • Advanced study in a range of subjects within the specialist field of international business law
  • A well-rounded understanding of international business law within the broader context of global relations, history, economics, politics, social policy, and modern society
  • A range of skills required for any professional environment (e.g. communication, problem-solving)
  • Advanced research skills and an ability to resolve complex practical and theoretic issues and debates around emerging and uncertain problems
  • Digital fluency particularly focused on legal research skills

Course content

Semester one

During the course of this LLM, you will complete 180 credits in total, with 120 credits delivered via taught modules.

In Semester One, you will study one compulsory module and two optional modules.

Compulsory module

International Business Law - LAW919 (20 CREDITS)       

This module will introduce students to the core legal principles underpinning international business: corporate structures, legal liability of business organisations, and the importance of conducting business with fairness and integrity. It explores fundamental legal concepts such as personal property, agency, company formation, corporate legal liability, and the way in which legal and regulatory requirements around unethical conduct shape business activity and organisations. The module also introduces students to the UN Sustainable Development Goals and their relevance to international business, in particular through the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact.

Optional modules

International Arbitration - LAW916 (20 credits) 

International Arbitration introduces students to the fundamental principles of international commercial and investment arbitration as reflected in national laws, international law, arbitral rules, and arbitral and national court decisions. It addresses issues around the arbitration tribunal (e.g. appointment, independence and impartiality, conduct) and the arbitral award (e.g. form, content, recognition and enforcement).

Corporate Governance - LAW913 (20 credits) 

Corporate governance remains a critical topic of public interest in the 21st Century, an era which has seen the power of institutional investors increase, governance scandals and executive remuneration dominate headlines, and debates around shareholder activism come to the fore, all whilst the global impact of corporations has grown. In Corporate Governance students will examine a number of highly topical and contested areas of debate in the field of corporate governance. These areas will vary from year to year, based on contemporary developments, however indicatively, the module will focus on areas such as:

•The concept of corporate governance
• The composition and role of the board of directors in corporate decision-making
• The role of shareholders in corporate decision-making
• Directors duties and the Companies Act 2006
• Executive remuneration
• Shareholder activism
• The role of whistleblowing

Semester two

International Law and Foreign Investment - LAW918 (20 credits) 

International Law and Foreign Investment explores investment treaty law and investment arbitration practice. During the course of the module, students will be able to develop a range of fundamental and advanced legal and transferable skills, embedded in the knowledge of international legal rules on the protection of foreign business actors. The module will be delivered via weekly two-hour seminars. The module will be of interest to students wishing to specialise in international business and international economic law as well as to those who would like to deepen their knowledge of international law in general.

Intellectual property law - LAW915 (20 credits) 

This module will introduce students to Intellectual Property Law and offer essential knowledge covering various intellectual property rights in a national, regional and international context. The module will explore a range of important, contemporary issues affecting IP Law, such as intellectual property rights and the public interest; the emergence of patent trolls, and the protection of computer implemented inventions. Completion of the module will enable students to develop a set of intellectual tools necessary to critically engage with current debates at the intersection of law, regulation, and business.  For students who have previously studied any branch of intellectual property law, the module will enhance their existing knowledge, skills and understanding but the module does not presuppose any prior knowledge and is equally suited to students who are new to the subject.

Contract Law - LAW912 (20 credits)

This module will introduce students to the fundamental rules of contract law, with a particular focus on commercial contracts. It explores the fundamental requirements of any contract such as offer, acceptance and consideration and also considers the different types of contractual term and the way in which contracts are interpreted. The module analyses commercial contracts, including that of a sale of goods, alongside discussion of international issues around choice of law, jurisdiction, and the application of international conventions.

Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Legal Services - LAW911 (20 credits) 

This module will introduce contemporary theoretical discourses around innovation and artificial intelligence within a competitive global legal sector. It will explore the fundamentals of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the context of legal services and legal decision-making and also analyse legal, regulatory and ethical constraints on the application of machine learning and artificial intelligence in the legal sector.

Cryptocurrencies and the Law - LAW914 (20 credits)

This module will introduce students to the emerging legal and regulatory frameworks that govern cryptocurrencies. This is a fast-paced and novel area at the intersection of law, regulation and technology and the module will explore the challenges, from a business law perspective, of cryptocurrency. This includes the difficulties posed by a nascent regulatory framework, uncertainties around jurisdiction, and various specific risks stemming from the links between cryptocurrency and criminality.

Dissertation - LAW919 (60 credits) 

This module consists of preparing a dissertation which is researched and written during the Summer. The dissertation is on an approved topic, in the field of the relevant specialism in case of students opting for a specialised LLM (as opposed to the general LLM). The module is worth 60 credits (a third of the entire LLM programme) and is a prerequisite for the award of an LLM. The process of preparing the dissertation is supported by legal research and library training in semester 1, by a dissertation workshop in semester 2, and by individual supervision during the Summer.

Careers and employability

Our LLM programme is designed to enhance your academic profile and to ensure that you leave us with highly marketable skills, whatever you decide that market to be.

An LL.M in International Business Law provides rigorous training in legal analysis and promotes critical thinking, independent research and project management skills. As such, it is excellent preparation for those students seeking to pursue a career in legal practice, and who wish to develop their knowledge base and skills in matters of contemporary importance in international business law.

Graduates will be in a position to pursue careers in areas of trade, investment, financial, or regulatory legal interest, including international organisations, government, or industry.

For those interested in the political and social dimensions of global economic regulation and responsible business, the knowledge base and critical skills developed will support the pursuit of careers in third-sector organizations such as NGOs or charities. The LL.M also serves as an entry into further academic training at the postgraduate level, including doctoral studies.

Fees and funding

International fees      

 Full-time place, per year: £22,000

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching and assessment, operating facilities such as libraries, IT equipment, and access to academic and personal support.

  • You can pay your tuition fees in instalments.
  • All or part of your tuition fees can be funded by external sponsorship.

Entry requirements

Candidates for admission to the LL.M Programme will have an upper second class (or equivalent) first degree in Law (i.e. average marks of 60% or above, or the equivalent in foreign qualifications). Candidates who have a lower second class honours degree will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Candidates whose first degree is in a discipline other than Law may be admitted at the discretion of the Programme Director, e.g. if they have relevant work experience (relevant work experience might include work in the legal or corporate sectors) or a degree in a relevant discipline (such as business, economics, political science, history, criminology, sociology, international relations etc).

In addition, candidates whose first language is not English are required to pass an approved English language test to the required standard (e.g. IELTS band 6.5, with no component less than 6.0)*. This requirement is generally waived if the candidate’s first degree and/or secondary education was obtained at an institution using English as the language of instruction.

* If the academic requirements have been met, but not the language requirements, students can complete a pre-sessional English Language course at the University of Liverpool or RUW.

How to apply

Visit the Royal University for Women website to apply now 

Contacts

Professor Rob Stokes r.stokes@liv.ac.uk

Dr Raed Alnimer ralnimer@ruw.edu.bh