Study plan for LLM-EU Master of Laws (LL.M.) Programme in EU and EEA Law, fall 2024

Name of qualification

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in EU and EEA Law

ECTS Credits

The Master of Laws programme in EU and EEA Law is 90 ECTS credits, completable over one and a half year.

The Master of Laws programme in EU and EEA Law provides participating Norwegian and international students with in-depth and comprehensive knowledge of both institutional and substantive aspects of EU and EEA law. The programme is designed to prepare students for a wealth of practical and/or theoretical EU/EEA legal issues that they may encounter in practice, for example when working as private or public lawyers, judges, or when working in other fields - such as academia, journalism and other media, banking and finance, insurance, shipping and many more. In light of its particular focus on EEA issues, the Master of Laws programme in EU and EEA law is unique, and the first of its kind in the world.

The first semester (autumn I): starts off with the course JUS3500 EU and EEA Institutional Law and Policymaking, an interdisciplinary introduction to the institutional and constitutional aspects of both EU and EEA cooperation.

As a gateway to the programme's substantive EU/EEA law modules, the students will here learn about the policies and political integration theories explaining the current legal structures, in combination with traditional legal dogmatic perspectives on the distribution and nature of competences of the EU/EEA/EFTA institutions, the political and legal principles and rules guiding their decision-making, and how they cooperate - both with each other and with the constituent Member States - in practice. The implementation and impact of EU and EEA law in the Member States, and the levels of discretion they enjoy in various fields, will be a central theme here - and a recurring topic throughout the entire programme.

After having completed the introductory course, the remainder of the first semester will focus on the fundamental principles governing the core aspects of EU and EEA cooperation - namely free movement rights and competition law which will be studied through the two courses JUS3501 Free Movement under EU and EEA Internal Market Law and JUS3509 Competition Law.

The second semester (spring): will open for further specialization through various semi-obligatory and elective courses. Students will take three courses (each of 10 ECTS) and at least two of them must be among the three semi-obligatory specialisation courses on the programme which are JUS3502 EU and EEA State Aid Law, JUS3515 EU and EEA Public Procurement Law and JUS330-A EEA Moot Court.

Instead of taking all of the three semi-obligatory courses, students may also choose one of the following elective courses: JUS3503 Privacy and Data Protection - GDPR, JUS3514 EU Copyright Law, JUS3511 International Climate Law, JUS3512 Legal Philosophy or JUS3522 Health and Human Rights.

The courses to be taken in the second semester will build directly on knowledge and skills attained during the first semester and will cover a wide range of substantive legal issues.

Alternative to taking an elective course at the Faculty of Law, students may also choose to study EU/EEA law-related courses abroad, either at one of the Faculty of Law's partner universities or by attending a summer programme and have this accepted in lieu of their 10 ECTS elective course.

The final semester (autumn II): will be devoted to legal research and the writing of a master's thesis (LLM399) on a chosen EU/EEA law topic. Preparatory work with the thesis will nevertheless begin already from the very first weeks of the programme and be followed up throughout in the form of lectures and seminars. The lectures and seminars are designed to teach the students how to conduct and write legal research in the field, including matters such as how to identify and choose a topic, seeking out legal sources, drafting skeletons etc. A supervisor will be made available to each student.

Site visits to certain key national and/or international institutions working with EU/EEA law on a day-to-day basis and optional participation at local seminars and conferences on EU/EEA law related topics throughout the programme, including presentations of ongoing research projects by Law Faculty members, will provide further important insights and context for students admitted to the Master of Laws programme.

Required Learning Outcomes

On completion of the programme the candidate should have the following learning outcomes:

Knowledge

The Master of Laws in EU and EEA Law candidate shall have:

Thorough knowledge and understanding of the core legal principles and rules governing EU and EEA cooperation concerning the internal market, competition law, and certain ancillary policies thereto.
Thorough knowledge and understanding of the relationship between the EU and EEA policymaking and regulatory regimes, and their relationship to the national political and legal systems of the EEA Member States.
Thorough knowledge of the international and national mechanisms ensuring proper surveillance and enforcement of EU and EEA law, and how they interact, in practice.
Awareness of the most recent developments in the case-law of the EU and EFTA Courts and national courts of the EEA states concerning on both institutional and substantive matters
Familiarity with the main theories of European integration, and general knowledge and understanding of the polity, politics, and policies of the EU and EEA.

Skills

The Master of Laws in EU and EEA Law candidate shall have developed:

A strong grounding in various legal research skills and techniques particular to EU and EEA law.
The ability to read and critically analyse and assess various EU/EEA legal texts and academic works in an independent fashion.
Advanced written and oral English skills, including the clear and succinct expression of ideas through presentations and case-studies.
The ability to relate knowledge acquired on the programme to current events and developments within the EU and EEA.
The ability to discuss and reflect on various EU/EEA policies, the institutional arrangements behind them, and their possible legal and policymaking implications both presently and in the future.

General competence

After completing the programme, the Master of Laws in EU and EEA Law candidate can

think critically, independently, and constructively
work independently and in cooperation with others
advise on legal issues presented by factual situations
condense and explain complex legal arguments to a non-specialist audience
communicate reasoning within the field of EU and EEA Law in a clear and precise manner, orally and in writing to the academic community and the public
apply the knowledge and skills acquired in the field of EU and EEA Law to carry out tasks within given timeframes

Admission Requirements

To apply for the Master of Laws Programme in EU and EEA Law you must have obtained a bachelor's degree in law (3- or 4-years' duration) or have completed studies equivalent to a bachelor's degree in law.

You also need to document:

That you have obtained a minimum average grade of Norwegian grade C (The Norwegian grade C equals to the grade C in the ECTS system or to the US grade B.)
Proficiency in English
Your motivation for the programme by submitting a letter of motivation (this applies to all applicants)

Recommended previous knowledge

Prior knowledge in the form of an introductory, undergraduate course on EU/EEA law will be an advantage.

Compulsory units

First semester (Autumn I):

JUS3500 EU and EEA Institutional Law and Policymaking (10 ECTS)

JUS3501 Free Movement under EU and EEA Internal Market Law (10 ECTS)

JUS3509 Competition Law (10 ECTS)

Second Semester (Spring):

Students must choose at least two of the following three semi-obligatory courses:

JUS3502 EU and EEA State Aid Law (10 ECTS)

JUS3515 EU and EEA Public Procurement Law (10 ECTS)

JUS330-A EEA Moot Court (10 ECTS)

Third semester (Autumn II):

Master's Thesis

Specialisation

Second semester (Spring):
Students must choose at least two of the following three semi-obligatory courses:

JUS3502 EU and EEA State Aid Law (10 ECTS)
JUS3515 EU and EEA Public Procurement Law (10 ECTS)
JUS330-A EEA Moot Court (10 ECTS)

Recommended electives

Second semester (spring): Students not choosing to follow all of the three specialization courses must instead choose either:

1) One of the following elective courses:

JUS3503 Privacy and Data Protection - GDPR (10 ECTS)
JUS3514 EU Copyright Law (10 ECTS)
JUS3511 International Climate Law (10 ECTS)
JUS3512 Legal Philosophy (10 ECTS)
JUS3522 Health and Human Rights (10 ECTS)

or:

2) Studies abroad:

Alternative to following one of the elective courses at the University of Bergen's Faculty of Law, students may study EU/EEA law-related courses or a summer programme at one of the Faculty of Law's partner universities abroad.

Sequential Requirements, courses

The courses should be studied in the order of the semester they belong to (that is to say autumn I, spring, autumn II). 60 ECTS should be completed before the writing of the master's thesis.

Under special circumstances and upon application, students may be granted a diverging education plan.

Study period abroad

Students can benefit from the Faculty of Law's wide selection of exchange agreements with partner universities across Europe: https://www.uib.no/en/jur/100219/international-collaboration

Instead of taking an elective course at the University of Bergen's Faculty of Law in the spring semester of the programme, students can choose to study EU/EEA law-related course(s) at a partner university, or in a summer programme abroad and have this accepted in lieu of their 10 ECTS elective course.

Teaching and learning methods

Teaching on the majority of the courses offered on the Master of Laws programme will generally consist of lectures and Master Classes. The latter are workshops designed to integrate the students into the teaching, using flipped classrooms, group and/or individual presentations, debates, or moot court exercises.

Teaching will generally be held in physical spaces, complemented by the use of digital teaching resources (e.g. for open question and answer sessions with teachers, exercises related to identifying and finding various legal resources etc.) Students will have personal teaching (one-on-one sessions) with their assigned supervisor when writing their master's thesis.

Teaching on the courses will be supplemented through optional attendance at internal and/or external conferences and seminars on EU/EEA law related topics throughout the programme, and presentations of ongoing research projects by Law Faculty staff. In addition, students attending the Master of Laws programme will be assigned a personal tutor amongst Faculty staff, with whom they will meet at least twice each semester to follow up their progress.

Assessment methods

Assessment on the individual courses forming part of the Master of Laws programme in EU and EEA law will vary from one course to another, but will generally consist of one or more of the following assessments forms: Written (school) examination, obligatory course work, take-home examination, oral examination and multiple-choice testing.

Grading scale

With the exception of the courses EU and EEA Institutional Law and Policymaking and EEA Moot Court, which are graded pass/fail, all courses on the programme (including the Master's thesis) will be graded A-E for pass and F for fail.

Diploma and Diploma supplement

The diploma will be issued upon completion of the Master of Laws degree.

Access to further studies

Students may qualify to continue onto a career within academia as doctoral students within EU and EEA Law or other research areas. However, the LLM programme does not qualify, on its own, for admission to the PhD programme at the University of Bergen. For more information about admission, please visit the Faculty of Law's webpage about admission to the PhD programme.

Please note that the admission criteria to PhD studies may vary from country to country.

Employability

Completion of the Master of Laws degree in EU and EEA law will be relevant to pursuing a wide variety of professions - primarily in law, but also in other fields where specialist legal knowledge may prove helpful. While some lawyers enter the business world, for example in banking, insurance, trade, industry or shipping, others work in public administration such as tax or social security offices and national competition authorities. National ministries are also popular and important employers for lawyers with specialist knowledge in EU and EEA law, and there are many opportunities in international organizations (EU, EFTA, UN, WTO etc.) One can also work with research and teaching at universities and colleges, and other relevant workplaces are the media industry and organizational life. o Specialist knowledge in EU and EEA law will also be important for anyone considering becoming a judge or enter the legal profession.

Study plan for LLM-EU Master of Laws (LL.M.) Programme in EU and EEA Law, fall 2024

Name of qualification

ECTS Credits

Full-time/Part-time

Language of Instruction

Semester

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