At the time of its establishment in 1991, the primary focus of the International Business Law Program at the Department of Legal Studies was on transition towards market economy. In two decades’ time this emphasis has shifted and the curriculum has become more diversified. It is focusing on the legal setting of business transactions in a transnational environment, on the players, and on the regulatory framework of international business. The courses are dealing with present-day issues and practical problems. Special attention is devoted to various methods and techniques of dispute settlement. The Program is also a certified course provider for the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators. The LL.M. degree in International Business law remains highly attractive to applicants holding a law degree, who wish to continue an international career in legal practice or in academia.
In order to enable graduate students from all over the world to cope with such increasingly interdisciplinary and cross-border legal challenges, the curriculum of the International Business Law Program rests on several building blocks rather than on a single specialization. These include dispute resolution (e.g., international commercial arbitration, conflict of laws), international business law (e.g., GATT & WTO, EU law or drafting and negotiating in the transnational context), regulation of business (e.g., capital market and securities regulation, consumer protection) and comparative business law (e.g., comparative national company, bankruptcy and secured transaction laws). Additionally, the program constantly strives to offer courses that deal with contemporary global, regional and local challenges, like doing business in Asia, reform of secured transactions laws in Central and Eastern Europe and elsewhere. Most courses are of comparative nature typically juxtaposing the laws of leading common law and civilian legal systems with those of emerging markets.
For an international student our unprecedentedly diverse student body as well as faculty is a key advantage. Given the high faculty-student ratio and the interactive teaching method, this diverse student body is the key also to learning from each other and understanding that there is more than one way of approaching any legal issue.
The IBL Program is especially proud of the prominent careers of its graduates. The alumni of the IBL Program could now be found not just in offices of leading international and local law firms, as in-house counsels of international corporations, as well as in the positions of university teachers, governmental officials, experts of regulatory bodies or even in the non-profit sector.
Entry Requirements for the IBL LLM Program
In addition to meeting the General CEU Admissions Requirements, applicants to the IBL LLM Program must also fulfill the Program-specific admission requirements.