- Level: Postgraduate Taught
- Starting: September 2021, January 2022
- Study mode: Full Time
- Location: City Centre
Studying with us in 2021/22
It is possible that the 2021/22 academic year may be affected by the ongoing disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Any arrangements put in place by the University for the 2021/22 academic year will be in accordance with the latest government public health advice, pandemic-related/health and safety legislation, and the terms and conditions of the student contract.
The LLM International Business Law meets the current demand for specialist knowledge and skills in a rapidly expanding field. The course provides you with the opportunity to explore the legal regulation of the world of international business, and you will acquire knowledge and understanding of the aspects of substantive and procedural law.
You will study all the key areas of International Business Law:
Core taught modules:
- International Corporate Law
- Transnational Commercial Law
- Corporate Criminality and Tax Evasion
- Advanced Legal Research Methods
Two optional modules from the list below:
- International Intellectual Property Law
- Conflict Resolution in Business
- Global Comparative Competition Law
- Corporate Compliance
- Comparative International Corporate Insolvency Law
LLM Masters Stage:
- Dissertation/Live Project/Placement
Professional Placement option
For our International Law LLM degrees, you will have the opportunity to take the Professional Placement version of the course, which is offered as an alternative to the standard version of the course.
This will allow you to complete a credit bearing, 20 week Professional Placement as an integral part of your Master’s Degree. The purpose of the Professional Placement is to improve your employability and transferable skills. The placement experience will allow you to evidence your professional skills, attitudes and behaviours at the point of entry to the postgraduate job market.
You will be responsible for finding and securing your own placement. The University, however, will draw on its extensive network of local, regional and national employers to support you in finding a suitable placement to complement your chosen area of study, with support from our Careers+ team as well as advice and guidance from your School.
Please note that placements will only be confirmed following a competitive, employer-led selection process, therefore the University will not be able to guarantee placements for students who have registered for the ‘with Professional Placement’ course.
For full details, please click here.
What's covered in the course?
The course will also provide you with the opportunity to critically examine different systems of law at a higher level. The critical analysis skills that you will develop while studying on this course will enhance your employment opportunities in the legal and business sectors, as well as enabling you to acquire a strong basis for progression to doctoral studies.
The course aims to develop your ability in analysing and evaluating the principal features of international business law. You will study the major concepts, values, principles and rules that dictate the discipline.
You will communicate complex and abstract ideas in an articulate and confident manner, as well as learning a host of transferrable skills that will stand you in good stead for when it comes to securing employment.
Why Choose Us?
- You will learn from an outstanding and dedicated teaching team.
- You don’t need a degree in Law to be eligible to study this course.
- The course covers transnational jurisdictions, so it is international in scope
- You will have an opportunity to enhance your employability skills by completing an internship. Placement opportunities are also available at a range of European companies
- Our Law Clinic can give you opportunities to volunteer with local charitable legal advice providers and to work alongside legal professionals undertaking pro-bono work, allowing you to make a genuine difference to the lives of Birmingham residents.
- Birmingham City University has just launched the UK's first Centre for Brexit Studies, researching all aspects of the UK's vote to leave the EU, including the impact it has on domestic law and legislation.
- You will be able to benefit from the newly-introduced postgraduate loans. For more information, visit UCAS.
Find out more
Visit us to find out more
Come along to one of our upcoming events where our staff will be on hand to answer all your questions.
This course is open to International students
Why Take a Postgraduate Placement?
We explore how you can get a head start on your career with a postgraduate placement.
Entry Requirements
Essential Requirements
| Typical Offers (UK Students) | ||
|---|---|---|
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Minimum 2:2 class UK degree or international equivalent in any subject area. |
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Additional information for EU/International students
| Essential | ||
|---|---|---|
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Applications from international applicants with equivalent qualifications are welcome. Please see your country page for further details on the equivalent qualifications we accept. In additional to the academic entry requirements listed above, international and EU students will also require the qualifications detailed in this table. |
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| English language requirements 2020/21 | ||
| IELTS |
6.5 overall with 6.0 minimum in all bands If you do not meet the required IELTS score, you may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English courses. Please note that you must have a Secure English Language Test (SELT) to study on the pre-sessional English course. More information. |
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| Other accepted qualifications | Visit our English language page | |
International Students
Don't meet our entry requirements? You could apply for courses at our International College.
- UK students
- International students
Award: LLM
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £7,700 per year
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £8,500 per year
Award: LLM
Starting: Jan 2022
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 15 Months
- £7,700 per year
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £8,500 per year
Award: LLM
Starting: Sep 2021
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 1 year
- £13,200 per year
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £14,600 per year
Award: LLM
Starting: Jan 2022
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 15 Months
- £13,200 per year
- Full Time
- 18 Months (Professional Placement)
- £14,600 per year
If you're unable to use the online form for any reason, you can complete our PDF application form and equal opportunities PDF form instead. The University reserves the right to increase fees in line with inflation based on the Retail Prices Index or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament up to a maximum of five per cent.
Personal statement
Students are required to submit a personal statement as part of their application for this course.
Your postgraduate personal statement is going to shine a light on your personal experience, academic success, personal skills and any other factors that will support your application for further study.
Here are the key areas you’ll need to address:
Your passion and motivations
Studying a postgraduate course usually means you want to specialise in something. So what’s driving you?
Why this course?
Show that you’ve researched the course offering. What is it about this particular course that appeals to you? Is it the lecturers? The modules? Etc.
What makes you a good postgraduate candidate?
Tutors want to know that you can handle postgraduate study, so show them how your undergraduate experiences or work life has equipped you for a more advanced level of study. Key areas to address are research and group work but this can vary depending on your chosen course.
Relevant academic or work experience
Add anything relevant that relates back to your chosen course and shows how your skills will contribute towards your learning. What extra-curricular activities have you taken part in? What awards have you won? What employment or voluntary experience do you have that has helped you develop transferable skills? How do these specifically relate to the course you are applying for?
You should also mention your future plans and how a postgraduate qualification fits in. Try to look beyond your postgraduate study – do you plan to jump straight into a specific career or follow your studies with a research degree? Lastly, use plain, professional English and, where possible, utilise the language of your chosen industry.
Get more information on writing personal statements.
Additional costs
While there are no additional costs associated with purchasing text books, there may be other costs to you. If you are joining the course which has a professional body accreditation you may be required to pay membership or examination costs. For details of these costs, please click on the link below.
Based on the past experience of our students, you might find it helpful to set aside about £50 for each year of your studies for your personal stationery and study materials. All our students are provided with 100 free pages of printing each year to a maximum total value of £15.
Find additional costs for your course
Accommodation and living costs
The cost of accommodation and other living costs are not included within your course fees. More information on the cost of accommodation can be found in our accommodation pages.
Financial Support
We offer further information on possible postgraduate financial support. This includes the type of loans, grants and scholarships available both from the government and from Birmingham City University.
Did you know that you will soon be able to apply for a postgraduate loan of up to £1,222 for some courses and options?
Modules
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 140 credits):
In order to complete this course a student must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules:
Our LLM is taught by an outstanding team of professionals. You must complete six taught modules and either a dissertation, project or placement.
All modes offer a coherent, staged and progressive learning structure in which you will benefit from teaching which is informed by the research expertise of our academic team. Our approach is experiential and practice-led and will give you opportunities to apply your learning and to develop skills to enhance your employability and career.
This course will support you in becoming an independent learner during the teaching, learning and assessment process. During induction we will support you in developing key study skills. Throughout the course you will have the chance to complete activities which will enable you to practice legal skills including legal research, problem-solving, advocacy and drafting in order to develop and practice.
These activities also enable you to practice transferable skills including structuring and presenting arguments, working independently or in teams to complete tasks, oral and written communication, and time management. These skills will be valuable whatever your final choice of future career.
During the September and January terms you will study three 20-credit modules, thereafter you will study one 60-credit module: the LLM dissertation/placement/project module. The 20-credit Advanced Legal Research Methods module (studied in the January term) is delivered online via the Virtual Learning Environment, providing maximum flexibility.
Throughout the two terms there will be regular facilitated workshops which are interactive sessions designed to develop your knowledge, understanding and critical evaluation of directed pre-reading, with an emphasis on peer-led learning to develop your skills in legal analysis and evaluation.
We expect you to attend all teaching sessions as well as to read and prepare before these sessions. Good preparation will enable you to get the most from your contact time and will help you become an autonomous learner. Advance preparation is also a critical skill which you must develop if you wish to succeed in business or professional practice.
When you progress to the dissertation/placement/project there will be regular one-to-one sessions with your supervisor.
International Opportunities
There is the opportunity to undertake a placement abroad as an alternative to a dissertation.
Further Study
The LLM enables students to progress onto doctoral studies. A number of LLM studies have successfully obtained funding from the Midland 3Cities Doctoral Training Programme.
Campus Tours - Postgraduate
Didn't make it to an Open Day? You still have the opportunity to come and see what our postgraduate courses have to offer. If you would like to enquire about campus tour availability, just drop us an email.
Employment Opportunities
You will have the opportunity to undertake a placement or complete a project as an alternative to a dissertation.
In addition we have active, student-led Legal, Mooting and Debate Societies. Our Student Mooting Society is one of the most successful in England, with our students reaching five finals in the past six years, regularly beating teams from some of the country’s most prestigious universities.
We also have a staff and student led Pro-Bono Unit that provides legal advice to the public.
OpportUNIty
OpportUNIty: Student Jobs on Campus ensures that our students are given a first opportunity to fill many part-time temporary positions within the University. This allows you to work while you study with us, fitting the job around your course commitments. By taking part in the scheme, you will gain valuable experiences and employability skills, enhancing your prospects in the job market.
It will also allow you to become more involved in University life by delivering, leading and supporting many aspects of the learning experience, from administration to research and mentoring roles.
“I cannot say enough how the LLM in Corporate and Business programme at BCU has enhanced my career prospect. Not only were the lecturers very enthusiastic and knowledgeable, the seminar style of the course delivery was both refreshingly engaging and academically stimulating. The programme contributed in no small way to me securing a fully funded studentship for my PhD.”
Mike Ogunmiluyi
The School of Law at Birmingham City University is home to students from a wide number of countries studying on traditional degree programmes and short-term international courses both at undergraduate and postgraduate level.
A legal education at Birmingham City University is widely recognised and many of our international students return to their home country to either pursue legal practice or requisite professional qualifications in their jurisdiction.
As a law student you will not only develop and refine knowledge in discrete areas of English and international law but also develop key transferable skills designed to enhance your employability profile. Many international students have travelled thousands of miles to study at Birmingham City University and the School offers you an engaging and diverse study experience based in the city of Birmingham which is the second largest city in the UK.
Due to our proximity close to the legal and business district of the city we enjoy strong links with Birmingham Law Society and law firms around the West Midlands. The benefit of these links is passed directly onto you so that you can enhance your network of contacts whilst seeking relevant legal practice experience to enhance your employability profile.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Explore some of the good reasons why you should study here
- Find out how to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Find all the information relevant to applicants from your country
- Learn where to find financial support for your studies
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
£1500 Scholarship
Start in January and receive a £1500 scholarship on eligible courses.
Find out moreBirmingham City University International College (BCUIC)
International students who have a serious interest in studying with us but who perhaps cannot meet the direct entry requirements, academic or English, or who have been out of education for some time, can enter Birmingham City University International College (BCUIC) and begin their degree studies.
BCUIC is part of the global Navitas Group, an internationally recognised education provider, and the partnership allows students to access the University’s facilities and services and move seamlessly through to achieving a Bachelor’s degree from Birmingham City University.
Student stories Asma Qureshi
Internship as a Trainee Attorney
I am from Lahore, Pakistan. I attained a Full Bright Scholarship Award for my Bachelors of Law from Quaid-e-Azam Law College, University of the Punjab. The institution is known for its education quality and state-of-the-art facilities.
After graduating, I quickly found an internship as a trainee attorney at ‘Kazmi and Rana Law Chamber’. The firm is renowned for its corporate and banking practices. While training at K&R Law Chamber, I took Punjab Bar Association’s examinations and passed with commendation. This enabled me to become a practising lawyer and appear in many of Punjab’s lower courts. After receiving the Punjab Bars Licence, I gained a position at the nationally renowned ‘Khosa Law Chamber’, working as an Associate.
Popular home countries
Our students come from around the world but our international business law course is most popular with international students from:
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and are currently in the process of spending £260 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at the City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other Law, Business, Social Sciences and English courses
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
The facilities at the Curzon building include two bespoke Law Courtrooms, replicating a Crown court and a Magistrates court. These rooms will play a key part in your learning experience, allowing you to try your hand in mock court cases, whilst also being the venue for our Mooting and Debating Societies.
On top of this, the Curzon building houses an extensive Law library, with books covering every aspect of Law history.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive new library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Brand new, accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Dr Ozlem Ulgen
Reader in International Law and Ethics
Dr Ozlem Ulgen is Reader in International Law and Ethics in the School of Law. She holds a PhD from the University of Nottingham and her research interests lie in the area of regulation of artificial intelligence and robotics.
Dr Ewan Kirk
Senior Lecturer
Ewan Kirk is currently the Senior Personal Tutor on the LLB Programme within the Law School. Ewan currently teaches EU Law and Intellectual Property Law at undergraduate and postgraduate level. His areas of research interest include intellectual property law and internet law.
Suresh Birdi
Senior Lecturer in Law
Suresh Birdi is a Senior lecturer in Law and is the course director for the LLM International Business Law Course. Suresh has taught upon many degree courses including LL.B, B.A, GDL, PGDL, LL.M and other short courses.
Dr Emilie Ghio
Lecturer in Law
Dr Emilie Ghio is a lecturer in Law with sophisticated expertise in business, corporate and commercial law subjects and significant teaching experience at postgraduate and undergraduate level.
Dr Nwanneka Ezechukwu
Lecturer in Law
Dr Nwanneka Ezechukwu holds a PhD in law from the University of Nottingham. Her thesis focused on consumer protection in innovative payment services, particularly mobile payments. Her doctorate was awarded without corrections.