European Law LLM

Why study European Law?

The LLM in European Law at Kent Law School offers postgraduate law as well as non-law students the opportunity to study a wide range of subjects relating to the ongoing development of European legal and political integration. The aim of the Master’s programme is to provide students with a broad as well as advanced understanding of a wide range of European legal topic areas. The overall approach adopted by the Master’s programme in relation to the study of European Law involves considering not only a wide range key legal principles that underpin the evolving framework of European legal integration, but also the impact of European law in its broader social, political and economic context. This complements the Law School’s longstanding association with critical as well as interdisciplinary approaches towards legal scholarship and research.

European Law at Kent

A wide range of modules, covering key aspects of European Law and governance

Very student-centred with interactive learning;
The perfect location to study European Law - located in the beautiful cathedral city of Canterbury, one hour from Central London by high speed train, with Brussels and Paris less than two hours away on the nearby Eurostar
Kent Law School is internationally renowned for its socio-legal and interdisciplinary approach to law. It obtained 6th place among UK law schools according to the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise.

The students have choice between three main streams of modules taught by expert scholars in the fields of European legal and political integration: (a) law of the European Union (EU); (b) European comparative law; and (c) courses on European political governance provided by the Politics and International Relations Department that explore the dynamics of EU policy development. Students also have the opportunity to complement their study of European Law from a wide range of optional law modules.

Kent is Law School is home to the Kent Centre for European and Comparative Law, which organises various guest lecturers and seminars for students. Recent events include a guest lecture given in March 2011 from His Honour Judge Arestis, member of the Court of Justice of the EU and a former postgraduate student at Kent University, and the British Association of Comparative Law (BACL) Postgraduate Workshop on Comparative Law 2010. In May 2011, students from the LLM European Law programme visited the Court of Justice of the EU in Luxembourg (pictured below), attending a specially organised programme in which they were present at a judicial hearing, met with a Judge Arestis, and were given a presentations about the working of the Court.

The University’s Templeman Library is a recognised European Documentation Centre and has extensive online and hard copy access to a wide variety of academic and other documentary sources on European legal and political integration.

This LLM programme is suitable for a wide range of graduate students. Not only does it offer an excellent grounding for those wishing to practise professionally or deepen their professional knowledge as lawyers or administrators in fields concerned with EU law and policy, it also provides an excellent opportunity in particular for those interested in pursuing an academic related career involving research and teaching concerning areas relating to European legal integration. The LLM programme will be of special interest to those prospective students whose first language is not English and who are considering applying for career positions within the European Union institutions, taking into account that English is one of the core working languages of the European Commission.

"My first days at the European Commission were made easier by the good knowledge of the decision making process of the EU acquired at Kent but I think what I learned as far as environmental law and policy is concerned also made me look at my work with a critical eye"

Read about the experience of Kent European Law Alumnus Julien De Cruz

“I followed the European Law LLM at Kent University in 2007. There, I was able to learn in a friendly atmosphere core European Law topics such as the functioning of the internal market, EU competition law and European migration law but was also given the opportunity to choose subjects belonging to other LLM programmes such as international environmental law and international trade law. This enabled me to have a multidisciplinary approach to my subject but also to be able to determine more precisely on which topic I wanted to write for my dissertation. My interested laid more in environmental law and I chose to write about the European Environmental Liability Directive. I was able to discuss thoroughly my choice with my supervisor and I remember the writing of my dissertation as a demanding but very positive experience. I also enjoyed the friendly atmosphere in teaching seminars during which we were encouraged to share critical point of views.

I think this LLM programme, in addition to offer in-depth knowledge of European Law, is also well recognised within European institutions and interest groups as Kent University enjoys a good reputation among employers in Brussels. I thus moved to Belgium shortly after graduating and I was able to follow internships in law firms dealing with environmental, health and safety regulation. I started work when the European industry faced challenges to comply with the EU chemicals legislation (the REACH Regulation.) I am now working at the Environment Directorate General of the European Commission on legal issues concerning the implementation of REACH. I was pleased to see that my first days at the European Commission were made easier by the good knowledge of the decision making process of the EU acquired at Kent but I think what I learned as far as environmental law and policy is concerned also made me look at my work with a critical eye. This creativity, I believe, is always valuable especially in the public sector.”

Programme Structure

The LLM in European Law may be taken either full-time (one academic year), or part-time (typically two academic years). The academic year spans three terms. For full-time students, study is divided between taught modules and supervised dissertation work over the course of the academic year. Specifically, a total of six taught modules must be taken over the first two terms, autumn and spring. At least three of the six modules must be chosen from amongst the European Law ‘core’ modules (see list below). The remaining modules may be chosen from the full and wide ranging list of postgraduate law modules offered on our other taught LLM programmes as well as certain modules relating to European Union governance offered by the Politics and International Relations Department.

Principally during the summer term and summer vacation period, students research and write up a legal dissertation project on a relevant agreed subject. The dissertation is worth one-third of the overall marks for the LLM degree.

'Core' modules for European Law 2010/11

- European Comparative Law
- EU Constitutional and Institutional Law
- EU and International Competition Law: Legal Foundations
- EU Environmental Law and Policy
- EU Migration Law
- European Contract Law
- Foundations of EU Common Market and Economic Law

For 2011/12 we are proposing to run two new European law modules:
-European Human Rights Law
-EU External Relations Law

Examples of other modules of note available to European Law students

- International Protection of Human Rights
- Transnational Criminal Law
- Decision-making in the European Union (offered by the School of Politics and International Relations at Kent)
- European Public Policy (offered by the School of Politics and International Relations at Kent)

Download the 2011-12 Module Guide for more information about taught postgraduate modules offered at Kent Law School in 2010/11.

In addition to the LLM European Law Programme, Kent Law School offers Master’s students the opportunity to read for a combined LLM title involving the study of European Law, including:

LLM European Law and International Commercial Law
LLM European Law and Public International Law
LLM European Law and Environmental Law and Policy
LLM European Law and International Environmental Law
LLM European Law and International Criminal Justice
LLM European Law and Criminal Justice
LLM European Law and Medical Law and Ethics

Admissions criteria

Applicants will normally be expected to have obtained the equivalent of a 2.1 Honours first degree in Law or in a related relevant subject area, such as political science, economics or business studies. Evidence of relevant professional experience in an area of European law or policy will also be taken into account. Accordingly, we welcome applications from both law and non-law graduates fulfilling these key criteria.

Whilst applicants whose first language is other than English are normally expected to fulfil our standard English language entry requirements, serious consideration will be given to strong applicants who have a minimum English language ability of 6.5 in IELTS.

Applications to study on the LLM European Law programme may be submitted for consideration at any point prior to the commencement of the new academic year. However, it is recommended that students apply as early as possible in order to be sure of places still remaining available.

Further Information

Kent Law Staff and the LLM in European Law Programme

At Kent Law School we are fortunate to have a number of members of the academic teaching law staff with excellent research profiles in areas involving European Law. These include notably Professor Geoffrey Samuel, Dr Simone Glanert, Dr Bernard Ryan and Dr Anneli Albi, who have written and researched extensively in a number of areas involving European Law, including on comparative legal scholarship within Europe, EU migration law and on constitutional aspects of the Union. In addition, Professor William Howarth and Martin Hedemann-Robinson have research and legal professional expertise inter alia in the area of EU environmental law and policy.

A number of other members of the academic law staff have strong research links with European Law, including Dr Harm Schepel and Dr Yutaka Arai who have undertaken research projects in relation to the EU common market and European human rights protection. For more details on the profiles of members of the academic law staff at Kent Law School, you may wish to consult the following weblink: www.kent.ac.uk/law/research.

European Law internship possibilities (summer)

By way of complement to their studies, during the summer term or vacation period students may consider undertaking a brief internship with a public or private organisation whose work involves the practical application of European Law. For instance, a number of the institutions and other bodies of the European Union and Council of Europe offer (usually unpaid) short periods of traineeships in particular for graduate students (between 1-3 months typically).

In addition to offering invaluable professional experience, such a research or work placement may well constitute a very useful complement to a student’s research work for their dissertation, depending on the nature of the research and terms of the internship.

Students interested in undertaking such an internship, which is not a formal integral part of the Master’s programme, are advised to contact the Programme Convenor (see contact details below) for further advice and information at an early stage of the academic year. Whilst Kent Law School is unable to guarantee internships, or offer funding or formal accreditation for such a placement, the Programme Convenor is able to offer informal advice to students interested in applying to organisations with applications for an internship in the summer period

General enquiries can be sent to the Kent Law School postgraduate office, academic related issues should be addressed to:

Martin Hedemann-Robinson
Programme Convenor
Kent Law School,
University of Kent,
Canterbury CT2 7NS
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 (0)1227 823331
Email: m.hedemann-robinson@kent.ac.uk

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