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Maynooth University School of Law and Criminology

Qualification : MASTERS IN LAW

Award Type and NFQ level : TAUGHT MASTERS (9)

CAO/PAC code : MH53J

CAO Points :

Closing Date : 30 August 2025

The LLM in International Business Law enables law graduates to further their legal education by gaining a systematic understanding of the critical issues at the forefront of key areas of global trade. The programme affords students a wide range of interesting and engaging modules, with an international focus, aimed at encouraging critical thinking and developing specialised, detailed knowledge and understanding of global business.

Teaching is delivered by means of small class lectures, in-class simulations, workshops and master classes. In addition to the modules, The School works with leading academics and practitioners who provide seminars in various fields of law throughout the academic year.

We partner with leading international law firms such as Matheson and A & L Goodbody on several initiatives. We also offer students the opportunity to apply for our postgraduate placement module, which gives successful applicants the chance to work part-time for one semester at one of our partner organisations. We have partnerships with a broad range of organisations across the public and private sector, including the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Irish Penal Reform Trust, Forsa, PrivacyEngine and Alcohol Action Ireland.

What our graduates say:

Coming into my postgraduate studies, I was split between wanting to pursue postgraduate research and entering commercial / business legal practice.  I found the LLM in International Business Law struck a perfect balance as a clinically focused programme, giving a hands-on, practical focus to postgraduate study that concurrently allowed me to develop my academic skills and research.

Having studied my undergraduate in law at Maynooth, a key reason as to why I also chose to enrol in this programme was due to the excellent support and resources given by the School’s lecturers and staff, who consistently support and encourage students in engaging with new opportunities and advancing our careers - be that by exploring further into research and academia or pursuing industry practice.  

Importantly, the programme offers a number of opportunities to engage beyond traditional academic studies and engage with active issues/practice in the real world. This included virtual internships giving an insight into the day-to-day work of junior lawyers, specific modules being taught by lawyers from Ireland’s top five law firms giving access and nuanced insight from legal practitioners at the cutting-edge of industry, and a legal-placement opportunity to see how the laws I was studying and researching in class were applied in practice.  

Overall, the LLM provided me with a comprehensive understanding of global business legal frameworks, equipping me with the ability to navigate complex commercial legal scenarios, in multi-jurisdictional contexts. David Rattigan, Legal Intern, Matheson LLP
International Business Law, Class of 2022/23
 

Commences
September

The minimum entry requirement for this programme is a 2:2 overall classification in a Level 8 undergraduate degree. This degree must be in law or a cognate discipline in the humanities, or social/political sciences (including but not limited to business, finance, economics, international relations, sociology, etc).  

Applicants from certain non-EU countries are required to meet different minimum entrance criteria, which can be found here.

The International Office will be able to advise international applicants on the compatibility of their degree with these criteria – [email protected].

Applicants who are required to demonstrate English language proficiency can find the minimum required scores in a variety of accepted tests here.

Meeting the minimum entry requirements does not guarantee an offer of entry onto this programme. Decision on admission to the programme are at the discretion of the Admission Committee.  

Applications by applicants with other types of diplomas or who do not reach this minimum level of qualifications will be determined by the Admissions Committee in line with the University’s policy on recognition of prior experiential learning, which can be accessed here.

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis.

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The International Business Law programme allows students to choose from a range of postgraduate law modules with a focus on trade, enterprise or corporate activity.

Students must complete 90 credits in total – 60 credits from the optional modules, plus the compulsory Professional Development (5 credits) and Dissertation (25 credits) modules.

Professional Development is undertaken in year 1 of the programme, and the Dissertation is undertaken in year 2. Students should then register for 30 credits of optional modules each year, and can elect how to spread these modules across the year.

Not all modules offered will run every year, offerings are dependent upon demand and other potential constraints. Please note that some modules will have prerequisites attached to them.

Students can elect to graduate with a Postgraduate Diploma instead of an LLM, if they find that they are unable to complete the Dissertation.

Course Duration: 2 years part-time. 

More detail in Course Finder.

Course Duration: 2 years part-time

Students who undertake the LLM in International Business Law will have valuable critical analytical and research skills, as well as a deeper knowledge of current issues facing global trade and enterprise. These will be beneficial for a wide variety of careers in which law intersects with the business world. Students who undertook this programme have gone on to work for a range of different organisations, including leading law firms, investment companies and government departments.  The LLM in International Business Law is also excellent preparation for undertaking doctoral studies. The School has strong links with several private and public sector organisations, including several leading Irish law firms. Through these relationships we offer students valuable opportunities for professional development and networking, both as part of the degree and outside of it.    

Applications for postgraduate courses will open mid-October. Further information on how to apply for the course will be provided then. If you have any queries please contact [email protected]

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