EU Law & Governance

If you undertake a Masters degree at UCD Sutherland School of Law you will be studying at one of the Top 100 Law Schools in the World. You will be taught by leading academics where class participation and interaction is encouraged. Our innovative teaching and small class sizes will allow you to develop strong analytical skills, and to hone your written and spoken critical insights.



The LLM EU Law & Governance offers a genuine inter-disciplinary approach to European studies allowing students analyse how our understanding of the nature of the European Union is shaped by our particular disciplinary perspectives. You will acquire a number of key skills including how to understand and think critically about the intersections between law, politics and international relations that come to the fore in the study of EU law. You will learn how to apply that knowledge and understanding to real and hypothetical factual situations.

Stage 1 Core Modules

LAW41040 Law and Governance of the EU Autumn 10

POL40970 Politics of European Governance Autumn 10

LAW40290 Dissertation Summer 30



Stage 1 Options - A)4 of:

Choose 4 modules from the list below.

LAW40120 Foundations of Environmental Law Autumn 10

LAW40140 International Economic Law Autumn 10

LAW40150 International Competition Law Autumn 10

LAW40670 Corporate Governance Autumn 10

LAW40780 Law of the ECHR Autumn 10

LAW42230 Natural Resources Law Autumn 10

LAW42280 International Refugee Law Autumn 10

LAW40060 International Commercial Arbitration Spring 10

LAW40360 Advanced Issues in European Competition Law Spring 10

LAW41090 Climate Change Law and Policy Spring 10

LAW41150 Online Regulation Spring 10

LAW41200 Cross-Border Litigation: European and International Perspectives on the Conflict of Laws Spring 10

LAW41790 Data Protection Governance Spring 10

LAW42020 Law of Armed Conflict Spring 10

LAW42310 AI Regulation Spring 10

LAW42320 Equality & Diversity Law Spring 10

POL41030 Theory of Human Rights Spring 10

Degree Requirements

Applicants must hold a Law degree, or an inter-disciplinary degree in which law was a major component. Applicants must have achieved at least an upper second class honours or equivalent.



Applicants holding a Graduate Diploma in Law (60 ECTS Credits) may be considered but will normally be admitted only where they can show an exceptionally strong performance in both their undergraduate degree and diploma.



Exemption from these requirements may be given to those with significant, relevant, practical experience or those with a graduate qualification at Masters level or higher in a relevant discipline. Such applicants should state clearly in their application why they feel their qualifications/experiences are appropriate for admission to the programme.

These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes.



English Language Requirements

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit satisfactory evidence of competence in written and spoken English, i.e. overall IELTS 6.5 (including a minimum of 6.5 in the reading and writing parts and no part below 6.0) or 90 in the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum of 22 (reading) and 24 (writing) and no part below 20.) The test results must be less than 2 years old.



Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/

The School encourages all applicants whose first language is not English to attend the pre-sessional English programme offered by the UCD Applied Language Centre, details of which are available at www.ucd.ie/alc.



International applicants should visit the UCD International Office website (www.ucd.ie/international) for information regarding our campus, location of UCD, visa information, registration and orientation.



Application Procedure

Applicants should indicate which programme they are applying for. All applicants should note:



Official transcripts must be submitted as proof of examination results by all applicants except UCD graduates.



The personal statement is an important component of the application. It should contain information demonstrating your capability to undertake the course successfully. You should detail any relevant research and practical experience including any publications and major essays/projects.



Applicants must nominate two academic referees (name, position, postal address, e-mail address and telephone number). If an applicant has been in employment for more than two years, one of the referees must be your employer.



Please note: If you are offered a place on the LLM programme, accepting that place is a two-part process. You must submit an on-line acceptance and you must also pay a non-refundable deposit (normally €500) within 15 working days of the date of your offer letter.



Letter of Recommendation



http://www.ucd.ie/t4cms/letter%20of%20recommendation%20LLM.pdf



You may be eligible for Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL), as UCD recognises formal, informal, and/or experiential learning. RPL may be awarded to gain Admission and/or credit exemptions on a programme. Please visit the UCD Registry RPL web page for further information. Any exceptions are also listed on this webpage.

https://www.ucd.ie/registry/prospectivestudents/admissions/rpl/

Apply online



Who Should Apply?

Full Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EU) applicants: Yes



Part Time option suitable for:

Domestic(EEA) applicants: Yes

International (Non EEA) applicants: No

1 year full-time

2 years part-time

B822 EU Law & Governance Master of Laws Full-Time

Commencing January 2026

Graduate Taught Closed



B823 EU Law & Governance Master of Laws Part-Time

Commencing January 2026

Graduate Taught



B820 EU Law & Governance Master of Laws Full-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught



B821 EU Law & Governance Master of Laws Part-Time

Commencing September 2026

Graduate Taught

The LLM EU Law & Governance is an ideal starting point for a career in the EU institutions, such as the Commission and Court of Justice of the European Union, and EU agencies such as the Fundamental Rights Agency. It will also be highly relevant for those aiming at a career in law firms specialising in European Union law. Further, graduates will be well equipped to advise law and policy makers in European Union matters, as well as finding opportunities with think tanks and other non-governmental organisations influencing the European Union. It also is an excellent starting point for an academic career.



Masters students in UCD Sutherland School of Law can benefit from engaging both with the UCD Careers Network and the Head of Career Development in the School. There are careers events hosted through the academic year and a specific Law Fair every October where Domestic and International Employers come on campus to meet with students.