International Law of Global Security, Peace & Development (Erasmus Mundus International Master) LLM
The Erasmus Mundus Master in International Law of Global Security, Peace and Development offers you the unique opportunity to study across six partners over two years and gain a joint, double or a multiple Master degree, depending on the combination of three degree-awarding partners. This is an innovative and multidisciplinary programme that equips the next generation of lawyers and policy-makers with the ability to engage with the political context of international law and the holistic approaches that are needed for global security, peace and development. International mobility periods are a key part of the programme.
- Academic contact: ilgspd@glasgow.ac.uk
- Teaching start: September
- LLM: 24 months full-time
Why this programme
- This programme is at the forefront of cutting-edge teaching with its multidisciplinary and comprehensive approach to the international law of global security, peace and development.
- You will be offered mobility opportunities at leading European universities as part of an innovative, multidisciplinary, and integrated team-delivered programme.
- It offers a uniquely comprehensive degree, bringing together all international legal regimes relevant to global security, peace and development, by incorporating specialisms in human rights, migration, peace and security, and sustainable development.
- You will undertake a multifaceted programme of summer schools, guest lectures, legal clinics, work placements, interaction with practitioners, moot courts and language training.
- This degree spearheads an innovative approach to legal education that is urgently needed for our increasingly volatile, interconnected and complex global future, and trains graduates of excellence with leadership potential in international law and global affairs.
Programme structure
The programme is taught over 24 months and includes at least three mobility periods.
The degree-awarding partners are the University of Glasgow, Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals, the University of Tartu, Radboud University, Leuphana University of Luneburg, and the Université libre de Bruxelles.
The programme is structured around mobility periods where students spend:
Semester 1: University of Glasgow
Semester 2: Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals
Semester 3: Radboud University (LLB is an entry requirement), University of Tartu, Leuphana University of Luneburg or Université libre de Bruxelles (LLB and passive knowledge of French are entry requirements).
Semester 4: dissertation - any of the partners.
As such, all students will spend one semester each at the University of Glasgow (to study international law of global security, peace & development) and Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (to study international relations of global security, peace and development).
Semester 3 (year 2), students select one of the semester 3 partners, which offer thematic study track options:
Radboud University has 2 study tracks: i. International and European law advanced; ii. Human rights and migration
University of Tartu: International law and human rights
Leuphana University of Luneburg: International economics, sustainability and governance
Université libre de Bruxelles: Peace and security, security and conflict
Semester 4: you will remain at your semester 3 location to write your dissertation. Supervisor allocation will be based on staff subject background and research interests.
The pedagogical design of this programme will expose students to a broad range of teaching, learning and assessment formats including lectures, discussion-oriented seminars, work placements, project-based teamwork, law clinics, moot court exercises, e-learning, dissertation, written assignments and exams and oral presentations.
Core Courses
University of Glasgow
Semester 1 (September - December)
- International Law of Global Security, Peace and Development
Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (IBEI)
Semester 2 (January - June) International Relations and Politics
- International Relations of Global Security, Peace and Development
Summer School (July - August)
- Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich
- University of Tartu Martens Summer School
- York University (Toronto, Canada)
University of Tartu
Semester 3 (September - December, some exams in January)
Study track choice: International Law and Human Rights
- History and theory of international law
- Human rights law
- Law of international institutions
- Law and practice of the United Nations
Leuphana University Lüneburg
Semester 3 (October - January)
Study track choice: International economics, sustainability and governance
- International economic law
- Sustainability science
- Sustainability, governance and law
Radboud University
Semester 3 (September – January)
Study track choice one: International and European Law Advanced
- EU external relations law
- Public international law advanced
- International arbitration
- Law and society
- Research project
Study track choice two:
Human Rights and Migration
- EU external relations law
- European immigration law
- Law and society
- Protection of human rights in international law
- Research project
Université libre de Bruxelles
Semester 3 (September - December)
Study track choice: Peace and security, security and conflict
- International adjudication and pleadings
- Case studies in public international law
- Methodology of public international law
- Theories of public international law
Semester 4 (January - August)
- Dissertation (20-25,000 words or 80-90 pages)
Optional courses
University of Glasgow
- Advanced introduction to international criminal law
- Advanced introduction to the law of the United Nations
- Clinic: Human rights and humanitarian law in practice
- Foundations of international law
- International and European human rights law
- International courts and tribunals
- Law and development
- Researcher development workshops
- The laws of armed conflict
Please note that optional courses offered vary from year to year and modules are subject to cancellation.
Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals
At IBEI, students must complete three out of five of the prerequisite optional courses identified for each semester 3 study track, in addition to a methodology course.
IBEI methodology courses
- Data analysis for international relations
- Data visualisation
- Methods of qualitative analysis
- Survey and questionnaire design
- Text and content analysis
- Text as data
Electives at IBEI (semester 2) for Study Tracks at Tartu (Human Rights) or Radboud (Human rights and Migration) in semester 3
- Complex governance of global challenges
- Governance indicators
- International relations in humanitarian action
- Politics of international organisations
- War and genocide
Electives at IBEI (semester 2) for Study track at Leuphana (International economics, sustainability and governance) in semester 3
- Development, environment and natural resources
- Global trade governance
- Growth, inequality and poverty
- International business and economic institutions
- International environmental politics
Electives at IBEI (semester 2) for Study Track at Radboud (International and European Law) in semester 3
- Comparative regionalism
- Immigration integration policies
- Minority politics in the Middle East
- Mediterranean and Arab World Studies
- Transnational politics in Europe
Electives at IBEI (semester 2) for Study Track at Brussels (Peace and Security, Security and Conflict) in semester 3
- Gender, security and development
- International security and weapons of mass destruction
- Peace processes and conflict resolution
- Strategy
- War and genocide
University of Tartu (semester 3 electives)
- Cyberspace, technology and international law
- Human rights law practice
- International criminal law
- Russian approaches to international law and human rights
Leuphana University Lüneburg (semester 3 electives)
- Earth systems and climate change
- Macroeconomics
- Public economics
- Sustainability through law
Université libre de Bruxelles (semester 3 electives)
- Law of international organisations and collective security
- Methodology of public international law (French)
- Peace and conflict studies
- Terrorism and international law
Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.
Career prospects
Our Master programme will be a springboard for you to a future career in the fields of law, policy and international relations, having been equipped with unique multidisciplinary and transferable skills, as well as professional experience through internships and work placements. This includes the traditional international legal avenues such as working in legal departments of international organisations such as the United Nations, or in foreign ministries of states, as well as careers in policy and practice both at the international and domestic level.
Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2024-25
LLM
Fees for the 2 year programme:
UK/EU and non-EU programme countries
- Full time fee: £9,000 per annum or €10,178 per annum
All other countries
- Full time fee: £18,840 per annum or €21,305 per annum
The fees charged to students reflect the fee and funding regime established by the European Commission in respect of Erasmus Mundus Joint Masters Degree programmes. This means that, for this programme, fees paid by Programme Country students (EU, EEA [Iceland, Norway, Lichtenstein] and ERASMUS associated countries [Turkey, FYR Macedonia, Serbia]) are the same as those paid by UK students.
The fees listed here cover tuition only. The University of Glasgow can only collect fees in Pound Sterling at the published GBP values and subject to exchange rates at the time of payment. As the programme contains various mobility periods, students (funded and self-funded) will need to cover their own airfares between each chosen partner.
Deposits
All applicants are required to pay a deposit of £1000 within four weeks of an offer being made.
Deposits: terms & conditions
This programme requires some students to pay a deposit to secure their place.
If you are an international student, we will only issue a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) once the deposit has been paid.
Your offer letter will state:
- how to pay the deposit payment
- the deadline for paying the deposit
The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% handling fee will be deducted.
Deposits will be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Where the University is unable to offer you a place.
- Where the applicant has personal circumstances such as illness, bereavement or other family situations that has prevented them coming to the UK. Medical or other proof may be requested.
- Applicant can prove that they have applied for a visa to attend the University of Glasgow, but the VISA has been refused. The applicant must have shown 'real intent' to study at the University of Glasgow but has been unable to obtain their visa.
- Applicant does not meet his / her conditions of offer: this may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide a language test which was taken after the date that the deposit was paid).
Deposits will not be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and credit it against the applicant’s account for securing their place for the following year of entry.
Refund requests must be made within 30 days of the programme start date stated on your offer letter.
Requests made after this date will be subject to discretion.
Additional fees
- Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
- Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
- Registration/exam only fee: £170
Funding opportunities
ILGSPD (Erasmus Mundus International Master) scholarship
Prestigious Erasmus Mundus scholarships are available for well qualified applicants to the International Law of Global Security, Peace & Development. The University of Glasgow is the leading partner in the consortium of universities that have developed this programme. Other degree awarding partners include Université libre de Bruxelles (Belgium), Radboud University (Netherlands), Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals (Spain), University of Tartu (Estonia), Leuphana University of Luneburg (Germany).
Alumni Discount
In response to the current unprecedented economic climate, the University is offering a 20% discount on all Postgraduate Research and full Postgraduate Taught Masters programmes to its alumni, commencing study in Academic session 2024/25. This includes University of Glasgow graduates and those who have completed a Study Abroad programme, International Summer School programme or the Erasmus Programme at the University of Glasgow. The discount applies to all full-time, part-time and online programmes. This discount can be awarded alongside most University scholarships.
The scholarships above are specific to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
A 2.1 Honours degree or non-UK equivalent in law.
We will also consider applications from other relevant subjects, such as Politics, International Relations, European Studies or War Studies, if as part of the degree, you have gained a basic understanding of the operation of law in an international context.
Non-law graduates may require a minimum of credits in law depending on their Semester 3 pathway selection. Please see below.
Entry requirements of partner universities:
In order to select Université libre de Bruxelles in semester 3, you have to:
- Hold an undergraduate or Master’s degree (or equivalent), representing at least 240 ECTS credits (or 4 years of studies) in law, political science, or other relevant subjects;
- Have passive knowledge of French; including a degree awarded from a Higher Education Institution in a French-speaking community or hold a minimum of a SCQF level 8 (equivalent to level B2 from the Council of Europe’s Common European Framework of Reference CEFR) in French (all assessments can be undertaken in English).
In order to select Radboud University in semester 3, you have to:
- Have an undergraduate degree in law with 150 ECTS in legal courses.
In order to select the University of Tartu in semester 3, you have to:
- Have a minimum of 60 ECTS credits in law or law-related courses.
English language requirements
For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic module (not General Training)
- 6.5 with no subtests under 6.5
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Common equivalent English language qualifications
TOEFL (ibt, my best or athome)
- 79; with Reading 19; Listening 20; Speaking 20; Writing 24
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements , this includes TOEFL mybest.
Pearsons PTE Academic
- 59 with no subtest less than: Listening 59;Reading 60; Speaking 59; Writing 74
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)
- 176 overall, no subtest less than 169
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Oxford English Test
- Oxford ELLT 7
- R&L: OIDI level no less than 7 with Reading: 25-26 and Listening: 18-19
- W&S: OIDI level no less than 7
Trinity College Tests
Integrated Skills in English II & III & IV: ISEII Distinction with Distinction in all sub-tests.
University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses
Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.
Alternatives to English Language qualification
- Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have studied for a minimum of 2 years at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have complete their degree in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years.
- Undergraduate 2+2 degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have completed their final two years study in that majority-English speaking country and within the last 6 years.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.
For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form
International students
We are proud of our diverse University community which attracts students and staff from over 140 different countries.
How to apply
For information on applications and to apply, please see the consortium website:
Apply to programme (consortium website)
