LL.M. in International Law and Foreign Affairs

Coursework is divided into mandatory core courses and electives. The program consists of 32 credits, including 26 credits for core courses and six credits for a thesis that must be completed within 12 months, and no more than 18 months, after course commencement.

• The LL.M. curriculum comprises foundational courses, such as International Law, Administrative Law, Research Methods in Law, Advanced Human Rights, and Introduction to International Law and Foreign Affairs, and Global Legal Ethics, which unpack the nature of international law and core principles of foreign policy decision-making in an increasingly turbulent world. They also provide the opportunity for students to reflect on the intricacies of diplomatic work, including the qualities and skills required for a career in international affairs in the 21st century.

• The curriculum also has intensive courses and seminars on international law and global governance that are comparative and built on common law, civil law, and Shari’a traditions.

• The thesis is the cornerstone of the LLM program. In consultation with a faculty advisor, students write a paper on a policy sector of their choice with the aim of analyzing the current legal framework, putting forward reasons for reform by using the skills developed in the methodological courses and making a policy proposal for legislative or regulatory reform.

• Other integral features of the LLM program are professional skills training sessions, internships and placements that focus on such skills as contract drafting, trial advocacy, alternative dispute resolution, and effective negotiation and presentation techniques.

Graduates of this program will be equipped to:

• Engage with themes and ideas that cut across disciplines.
• Demonstrate methodological skills and competency in using various methods to undertake and produce interdisciplinary research in the frontier of the law and social sciences.
• Acquire superior knowledge of professional responsibility issues in the practice of transnational and international law.
• Demonstrate expertise in multiple fields within the law and social sciences.

Admissions to the LL.M. in International Law and Foreign Affairs program requires a bachelor’s degree from a recognized university with a minimum 3.0 GPA (out of 4) in any of the following areas: Law, International Relations, Political Science, History, Economics, Business and Finance, Sociology or Anthropology. A strong preference is given to candidates with at least a 3.3 GPA (out of 4) in Law, International Relations, Political Science, or Economics.

Unless exempt, applicants are required to submit an IELTS score of 6.5 or a TOEFL score of 79 to demonstrate their proficiency in English. Please visit our website admissions.hbku.edu.qa for more details on the language proficiency requirement and the process to seek exemption, where this is an option.