The Doctorate in Law
The Law Department offers a four-year programme leading to the doctorate. For the general rules governing admission and the doctoral programme go to the Academic Service webpages. The first year of the doctoral programme leads to the conferring of the Master in Comparative, European and International Laws (LLM). In the first year, researchers in the doctoral programme follow a series of seminars and courses jointly with the LLM researchers. Researchers who benefit from four years of grant will have four years to present their PhD at the Institute and a fifth year during which the defence may take place.
The One-Year LLM Degree (Legum Magister)
Since 1984 the EUI has offered law students a one-year programme leading to the degree of Master in Comparative, European and International Laws (LLM). LLM researchers, counselled and supervised by a professor in the department, participate in departmental seminars and courses along with the PhD researchers and they write an LLM thesis which is the basis for the conferral of the degree.
The LLM/First-Year PhD Programme
The LLM/First-Year PhD Programme aims to provide LLM and doctoral researchers with opportunities for intensive engagement with permanent and visiting faculty, in order to assist in the iterative development of their research design and enhance scholarly literacy. At the opening of the academic year, there are two days of intensive orientation, including an introduction to faculty and basic issues such as the researcher-supervisor relationship. In December, every LLM/First-year researcher will participate in a workshop with faculty and fellows to discuss the researcher's Research Question. In February, all researchers will present their February papers at the Peer Feedback Workshop, and will give and receive peer feedback on their papers
For more information about the LLM/First Year Programme click here.
Courses and Seminars
Our courses and seminars seek to reflect the department’s commitment and profile: European and international in its character, comparative in its approach and contextual in its methods. These three dimensions are represented both in the general programme and within the individual seminars. They have, however, not been codified in a mandatory curriculum. Therefore, researchers enjoy freedom in the planning of their studies, subject to the agreement of their supervisors. Researchers are expected to take an active role in all courses offered; course convenors will expect that researchers have carried out the required readings, and that researchers participate actively in seminar discussions. Each professor will also specify additional requirements for the courses for which they are responsible. Although some short seminars and workshops may be offered, the third term is essentially dedicated to the writing of the LLM thesis or a substantial paper relating to the doctoral project on the basis of which admission to the next year is decided.
For seminars offered each year see the description of each seminar in the Course Catalogue
Linguistic Diversity
The Law Department attaches particular importance to the maintenance and encouragement of linguistic diversity in all of its activities. It therefore encourages both professors and researchers to use languages other than English whenever they can be used by all those concerned. The writing of theses in languages other than English continues to be encouraged wherever this is desired by the researcher and appropriate supervision is available.
Law Working Groups
The Law Department hosts several active Working Groups at the EUI.