Overview
Introduction
This LLM provides the highest quality of teaching by leading international and UK academics. It combines views and experiences from different disciplinary traditions and jurisdictions, ensuring that what you learn is relevant to legal study and practice.
Courses are offered across a broad range of fields, including: arbitration; human rights; international law; corporate; commercial; and financial law.
You can choose to pursue your LLM with a general focus, or pursue a subject specialism. If you take the required number of LLM courses (or more), you can request that your chosen specialism is included on your final certificate.
Should your dissertation topic directly correlate with your nominated specialism, the compulsory Legal Research and Writing Skills course can make up part of your specialism if this is agreed by the LSE Law School. Furthermore, with the relevant approval, and subject to space, you may be able to take up to a full unit course, or two half-unit courses from another LSE department.
The specialisms for 2024/25 were:
- Competition and Innovation
- Corporate and Commercial Law
- Criminal Law and Justice
- Dispute Resolution
- Environment and Energy Law
- European, Comparative and Transnational Law
- Financial Law and Regulation
- Human Rights Law
- Intellectual Property Law
- International Business Law
- IT and Data Law
- Law, Politics and Social Change
- Public International Law
- Public Law
- Taxation Law
Graduates with a legal qualification from their home jurisdictions may be eligible to join a variety of employers in financial and management consulting, subject to re-qualification and visa requirements. Others may continue to progress their careers in national, regional and international law firms, or work in a legal capacity within an NGO or multilateral organisation.
Entry requirements
A very good undergraduate degree in law, LLB or equivalent, (for example, a first or very high upper second in the UK LLB or equivalent).
Applicants with a very good degree in another discipline together with very good grades in an appropriate graduate diploma in law (such as the UK's Graduate Diploma in Law) may also qualify for a place.
Applicants without an educational background in law may apply, but would need to demonstrate a high level of professional or academic experience in areas closely related to the subjects they wish to study in order to be considered for a place.
Please select your country from the dropdown list below to find out the entry requirements that apply to you.
Overseas
English language requirements
The English language requirement for this programme is Law. Read more about our English language requirements.
Competition for places at LSE is strong. So, even if you meet the minimum entry requirements, this doesn't guarantee you an offer of a place.
However, please don’t feel deterred from applying – we want to hear from all suitably qualified students. Think carefully about how you can put together the strongest possible application to help you stand out.
Programme content
This programme is available full-time or part-time. Part-time LLM students take four half-unit courses each year, attending the same sessions as full-time students. Students may also register on an extended part-time basis, taking two half-unit courses each year, and bringing the total duration of the programme to 48 months.
You’ll attend a pre-sessional programme starting in mid-September. This will consist of foundational academic classes, programme information sessions and opportunities to get to know your fellow classmates.
The academic sessions will introduce a range of essential concepts, ideas and terminology, as well as providing core knowledge required for the LLM programme. The academic sessions are designed to give students the principles and reasoning required for the advanced level teaching of the LLM.
You'll take the compulsory course Legal Research and Writing Skills, which is assessed by a 10,000-word dissertation. You'll then select seven LLM courses from the large range on offer, usually around 80.
As noted above, subject to taking the required minimum number of LLM courses (or more) in one of the available specialisms, you can request that your chosen specialism is listed on your final certificate upon graduation, or alternatively your LLM can have a more general focus. The compulsory Legal Research and Writing Skills course can make up a nominated specialism if the topic directly relates to the area of study and upon agreement by the Law School. Furthermore, with the relevant approval and subject to space on your desired course, you may be able to substitute the equivalent of up to two half-unit LLM courses for course/s from another LSE department.
Year 1
Introductory Course for the Master of Law
Courses the value of three and a half units from a range of options
For the latest list of courses, please go to the relevant School Calendar page.
A few important points you’ll need to know:
We may need to change, suspend or withdraw a course or programme of study, or change the fees due to unforeseen circumstances. We’ll always notify you as early as possible and recommend alternatives where we can.
The School is not liable for changes to published information or for changing, suspending or withdrawing a course or programme of study, due to developments in teaching practice, regulatory requirements that require us to comply, lack of demand, financial unviability of a course, or due to circumstances beyond our control, such as the loss of a key member of staff or where a location or building becomes unavailable for use.
Places are limited on some courses and/or subject to specific entry requirements so we cannot therefore guarantee you a place.
Changes to programmes and courses may be made after you’ve accepted your offer of a place – normally due to developments in the discipline or as a consequence of student feedback. We may also make changes to course content, teaching formats or assessment methods but these are made to improve the learning experience.
For full details about the availability or content of courses and programmes, please take a look at the School’s Calendar, or contact the relevant academic department.
Some major changes to programmes/courses are posted on our updated graduate course and programme information page.
For further information on how we comply with UK consumer protection law, see your consumer rights as a student.
Why study with us
Discover more about our students and department.
Meet the department
LSE’s Law School is ranked in the top ten law schools worldwide (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026).
The Law School is one of the largest departments at LSE, bringing together students, alumni and staff from all over the world. As a department, we’ve played a significant role in policy debates, policymaking, teaching and research globally.
Our academics have been trailblazers in exploring new fields of study. Many important subjects were first taught and examined systematically at our Law School. We pioneered the study of banking law, taxation law, civil litigation, company law, labour law, family law, aspects of welfare law and studies of the legal system and profession. We strive to challenge existing ways of thinking and understand the causes of different events and issues.
We offer an LLB undergraduate programme alongside taught postgraduate programmes and research opportunities. Students learn in a lively, inclusive and truly international community – with regular events, public lectures and extracurricular activities, including dedicated law societies, mooting competitions and an annual weekend away.
Our goal is to support students, academics and alumni to achieve their full potential in everything they do.
Learn more about our programmes and our history – spanning more than 100 years of teaching and research.
LSE Law School
Why LSE
University of the Year 2025 and 1st in the UK in 2025 and 2026
Times and The Sunday Times - Good University Guide 2025 and 20261st in London for the 14th year running
The Complete University Guide - University League Tables 20265th in the world for the study of social sciences and management
QS World University Rankings by Subject 20266th in the world for leading the way in social and environmental sustainability
QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2026Your application
Overview
We welcome applications from all suitably qualified prospective students. At LSE, we want to recruit students with the best academic merit, potential and motivation, irrespective of background.
We carefully consider each application and take into account all the information included on your application form, such as your:
- academic achievement (including predicted and achieved grades)
- statement of academic purpose
- two academic references
- CV.
See further information on supporting documents.
You may need to provide evidence of your English language proficiency. See our English language requirements.
When to apply
Applications for this programme are considered on a rolling basis. This means that applications will close once the programme is full.
There is no fixed deadline. However, if you’d like to be considered for any funding opportunities, you must submit your application (and all supporting documents) by the funding deadline. See the fees and funding section below for more details.
Fees and funding
The table of fees shows the latest tuition fees for all programmes.
You're charged a fee for your programme. At LSE, your tuition fee covers registration and examination fees payable to the School, lectures, classes and individual supervision, lectures given at other colleges under intercollegiate arrangements and, under current arrangements, membership of the Students' Union. It doesn't cover living costs or travel or fieldwork.
Home
Home student fee (2026/27)
For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.
Overseas
Overseas student fee (2026/27)
For this programme, the tuition fee is different for home and overseas students depending on their fee status.
At LSE, your tuition fees, and eligibility for any financial support, will depend on whether you’re classified as a home or overseas student (known as your fee status). We assess your fee status using The Higher education (Fee Limit Condition) (England) Regulations 2017.
Fee reduction
Students who have completed and passed an undergraduate degree at LSE and are beginning taught graduate study at the School are eligible for a 10 per cent tuition fee reduction.
Students who have completed and passed two or more Summer School courses are eligible for a five per cent reduction.
If you meet the eligibility criteria for both discounts, the higher 10 per cent discount rate will apply.
Find out more about the LSE alumni discount.
Scholarships and other funding
We recognise that the cost of living in London may be higher than in your home town/city or country and we provide generous scholarships to help both home and overseas students.
We offer some needs-based awards for this programme, including the Graduate Support Scheme and the LSE Excellence Scholarship. Competition for these awards and scholarships is strong. To apply for an award, you must have an offer of a place and submit a Graduate Financial Support application before the funding deadline.
This programme is also eligible for the Marchant Foundation Scholarship and the Margaret Bennett Scholarship.
The funding deadline for needs-based awards from LSE: 23 April 2026.
In addition to our needs-based awards, we offer scholarships for students from specific regions of the world and awards for certain subjects.
You can’t apply for a Graduate Support Scheme or LSE scholarship once you’ve joined the School.
Please note: we do expect students who register for a programme to have sufficient funds for the duration.
Government tuition fee loans and external funding
The UK Government offers a postgraduate loan for eligible students studying for a first master’s programme. This is designed to help with fees and living costs. Some other governments and organisations also offer tuition fee loan schemes.
Find out more about tuition fee loans.
Further information
Learn more about fees and funding opportunities.
Learning and assessment
How you learn
Contact hours and independent study
In half unit courses, on average, you can expect 20-30 contact hours in total. The format of contact hours will vary from course to course but usually takes the form of sessions such as lectures, classes, seminars or workshops. Contact hours vary according to courses and you can view indicative details in the Calendar within the Teaching section of each course guide.
Independent study outside of class time is an essential part of the LSE LLM. The nature of the required independent study varies for each course, but overall, the LLM requires you to manage the majority of your study time yourself, engaging in activities such as reading, note-taking, thinking, class preparation and research.
Teaching methods
The majority of courses on the programme are offered in seminar format with a maximum class size of 30 students, allowing you to be actively involved in class discussions and to interact both with the teacher and fellow students. You can expect a challenging, but also thought-provoking and ultimately rewarding experience.
A limited number of courses are offered through larger lectures which are accompanied by back-up seminars, where the teacher will review and elaborate on issues discussed in the lectures.
Please note that places are limited on all optional courses. Admission onto any particular course is not guaranteed and may be subject to timetabling constraints and/or students meeting specific prerequisite requirements.
Formal study is supported by Convene, a rich programme of events and activities specifically designed for Law students to further enhance the learning experience. LLM students are also encouraged to engage in the many and varied LSE Law School events which run through the academic year, including public lectures and seminars.
LSE is internationally recognised for its teaching and research and therefore employs a rich variety of teaching staff with a range of experience and status. Courses may be taught by individual members of faculty including associate professors and professors. Many departments now also employ guest teachers and visiting members of staff, LSE teaching fellows and graduate teaching assistants who are usually doctoral research students and in the majority of cases, teach on undergraduate courses only. You can view indicative details for the teacher responsible for each course in the relevant course guide.
Academic mentor: you’ll meet with your academic mentor regularly to discuss your work. Your mentor can provide advice and guidance on academic issues and, where appropriate, personal concerns.
Other academic support: at LSE, we offer lots of opportunities to extend your learning outside the classroom.
The Learning Lab is the place to discover and develop the skills you’ll need to reach your academic goals at LSE.
Through the Learning Lab, you can:
- attend practical workshops and one-to-one sessions on essay writing, conducting research, and on managing your reading lists, workloads, and deadlines
- develop your academic writing, reading, and critical-thinking skills to meet degree-level expectations
- work in study groups to strengthen collaboration, cross-cultural communication, and teamwork skills in a supportive environment.
Disability and Mental Health Service: we want all LSE students to achieve their full potential. Students can access free, confidential advice through our Disability and Mental Health Service. This is the first point of contact for students.
How you're assessed
All taught courses are required to include formative coursework which allows the teacher to give you feedback but which is unassessed, in the sense that it doesn't count towards your final grade. Formative coursework is designed to help prepare you for summative assessment which counts towards the course mark and to the degree award. LSE uses a range of types of formative assessment, such as essays, problem sets, case studies, reports, quizzes, mock exams, class presentations and many others. Summative assessment may be conducted during the course or by final examination at the end of the course. An indication of the formative coursework and summative assessment for each course can be found in the relevant course guide.
The majority of taught LLM courses will be assessed by written two-hour examinations, which will be held during Spring Term in May/June. Summative essays are submitted in May and dissertations in August. To prepare for the exams, you will have access to past exam papers from our library website and you will undertake appropriate formative coursework.
The compulsory course is assessed via a 10,000-word dissertation on a topic of your choice and will be supervised by one of our faculty members who is an expert in the relevant area.
Graduate destinations
Overview
The LLM programme provides excellent prospects for graduates seeking to start their career in major commercial centres around the world, with in-house legal departments or government legal services. Some graduates go on to pursue a career at the Bar.
Graduates with a legal qualification from their home jurisdictions and relevant experience may be eligible to join a variety of employers in legal and other sectors such as financial and management consulting, subject to re-qualification and visa requirements within the jurisdiction. Others may continue to progress their careers in national, regional and international law firms, courts or work in a legal capacity within an NGO or multilateral organisation.
The LSE LLM also provides an excellent starting point for those wishing to pursue a PhD and/or a career in academia. Recent employers who have hired graduates from this programme include Clifford Chance, Schoenherr, White & Case, Wolf Theiss, Diageo, Louis Vuitton, Australian Attorney General’s Office, 4 Kings Bench Walk Chambers, PWC and the Human Rights Commission.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
Career support
From CV workshops through to careers fairs, LSE offers lots of information and support to help you make that all-important step from education into work.
Many of the UK’s top employers give careers presentations at the School during the year and there are numerous workshops covering topics such as job hunting, managing interviews, writing a cover letter and using LinkedIn.
See LSE Careers for further details.
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