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Overview
- Degree awarded
- Master of Laws (LLM)
- Duration
- 1 year
- Entry requirements
-
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent in Law. Candidates should demonstrate a strong background in Law modules relevant to the course, including Public Law and Contract Law and achieve scores of 2.1 or above in relevant modules.
When assessing your academic record, we consider the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
- How to apply
- Apply online
Course options
| Full-time | Part-time | Full-time distance learning | Part-time distance learning | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LLM | Y | N | N | N |
Course overview
- Understand the regulatory and contractual issues in international financial services and transactions.
- Develop your understanding of the current international banking sector.
- Pursue a career in legal practice or the financial services industry.
Open days
These are an opportunity to find out about the course, meet students and staff, and tour the campus and facilities.
If you receive an offer, we will invite you to a visit day where you learn about the School, teaching and learning, study opportunities and student life.
Fees
For entry in the academic year beginning September 2025, the tuition fees are as follows:
-
LLM (full-time)
UK students (per annum): £16,000
International, including EU, students (per annum): £29,500
Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.
The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.
All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.
Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1,000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme
The Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a first-class bachelor's degree and are progressing to a postgraduate taught master's course.
Manchester Humanities International Excellence Scholarship
The University of Manchester is proud to offer scholarship awards to exceptional international students.
Manchester Master's Bursary
The University of Manchester is committed to widening participation in master's study and allocates 75 awards of £4,000 each year.
Postgraduate loans for master's students
If you're coming to Manchester this year to begin postgraduate study, you could qualify for a loan from the UK government.
For more information on our awards, see fees and funding or search the University's postgraduate funding database .
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- School of Social Sciences
- Contact name
- Postgraduate Taught Admissions Team
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 5500
- pg-law@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/law/
- School/Faculty
-
See: School Subjects
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Entry requirements
Academic entry qualification overview
We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second (2.1) classification or the overseas equivalent in Law. Candidates should demonstrate a strong background in Law modules relevant to the course, including Public Law and Contract Law and achieve scores of 2.1 or above in relevant modules.
When assessing your academic record, we consider the grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.
English language
English language test validity
Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.
Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries
If you are a national of a majority English-speaking country (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.
Other international entry requirements
We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our country-specific information page for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.
Application and selection
How to apply
Advice to applicants
As there is a high demand for our courses we operate a staged admissions process with selection deadlines throughout the year. Due to the competition for places and high quality of applications that we receive, we give preference to students from high ranking institutions and with grades above our minimum entry requirements.
Please ensure you submit all supporting documentation with your application before the application deadline to avoid a delay in processing.
Applications for 2025 entry:
Stage 1: Application received by 7th December 2024 ; Application update by 21st February 2025
Stage 2: Application received by 2nd March 2025 ; Application update by 1st May 2025
Stage 3: Application received by 4th May 2025 ; Application update by 5th June 2025
Stage 4: Application received by 1st July 2025 ; Application update by 25th July 2025
Whilst we aim to give you a decision on your application by the deadline date, in some instances due to the competition for places and the volume of applications received, it may be necessary to roll your application forward to the next deadline date.
Applications received after our final selection deadline will be considered at our discretion if places are still available.
Please note: All places are subject to availability and if you apply at one of the later stages, some courses may already be reaching capacity or be closed to further applications. We, therefore, recommend that you apply early in the cycle to avoid disappointment.
Tuition fee deposits
If you are successful in receiving an offer, you will be required to pay a tuition fee deposit of £1,000 by the deadline stated in your offer letter to confirm your place. We ask for the deposit as competition for places is high and there is limited availability. The deposit amount is then deducted from your tuition fees when you register on the course.
Re-applications
Course details
Course description
The LLM in International Financial Law offers you an opportunity to gain specialist knowledge in one of the most topical and high-profile areas of legal studies today.
Taught by experts in the field of financial regulation and securities markets, this course provides you with insights into the different specialist areas of financial law, and a deeper understanding of this complex discipline.
This course introduces the major regulatory and transactional issues in international financial and banking law, and is focused around two mandatory modules that deal with core aspects of international financial law, namely the regulation of financial markets and the law and practice of securities markets.
This LLM strikes an ideal balance between theory and practice to the benefit of both future practitioners and those looking for a career in academia.
Aims
- Provide you with an in-depth understanding of the complex discipline of international financial and banking law.
- Inform you about the current international financial services and banking sector.
- Help you to develop analytical and research skills for the writing of a dissertation based on topics such as: international trade and corporate law, financial services regulation, European law, international economic law, intellectual property law, human rights law, corporate governance, and law and finance in emerging markets.
Special features
The Law School works in partnership with institutions outside the higher education sector to enable you to produce research with a wider relevance and to develop your knowledge and expertise.
We are dedicated to shaping policy-making and practice in diverse areas; from national healthcare guidelines, to influencing police procedures in countries such as Norway, Australia and Brazil.
Teaching and learning
Coursework and assessment
Most course units are assessed by standard methods - either one unseen written examination, or one coursework essay, or a combination of these two methods of assessment. The assessment method of each individual course unit is listed in the course unit description on the website.
The course has a compulsory research component, in which you have to submit a 12,000 word dissertation (60 credits). The research element of the course is supported by weekly research methodology lectures delivered throughout semesters one and two, designed to improve your legal writing and research skills. For specialised streams, your dissertation topic must be within those streams, but for general LLM dissertation topics, they must be within one of the course units you have chosen.
Course unit details
You will be doing 180 credits in total, 120 of which will be taught modules and the remainder 60 credits in the form of a dissertation.
The LLM course will typically offer around 30 different course units in any one year, and will always reflect a wide range of subjects across the legal spectrum.
There will usually be course units offered on such diverse topics as:
- international trade and corporate law;
- financial services regulation;
- European law;
- international economic law;
- intellectual property law;
- human rights law;
- corporate governance;
- law and finance in emerging markets.
Course units are of the value of 15 or 30 credits. You will be required to select course units to a total of 120 credits, and so must choose a minimum of four course units or may be able to choose a maximum of eight course units to make up your course of study. This involves taking one core course unit (International Financial Services Regulation) of 30 credit value, and the remaining 90 credits from an approved list of commercial law options.
The course has a compulsory 12,000 word dissertation (60 credits). The taught element of the degree course will total 120 credits and the research element will total 60 credits, for example, you will study 180 credits for a master's course. The dissertation must be within the area of one unit you have chosen. The research element of the course is supported by weekly research methodology lectures delivered throughout semester one and two, designed to improve your legal writing and research skills.
Course unit list
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Regulation of International Finance | LAWS70352 | 30 | Mandatory |
| LL.M Dissertation | LAWS70990 | 60 | Mandatory |
| International Law and Practice of Securities Markets | LAWS72021 | 30 | Mandatory |
| Academic Skills for Legal Studies | LAWS50000 | 0 | Optional |
| Postgraduate Competition Law in an International Context | LAWS60172 | 30 | Optional |
| International Banking Law | LAWS63071 | 30 | Optional |
| Transnational Corporate & Capital Markets Law | LAWS70081 | 30 | Optional |
| Intellectual Property Law | LAWS70101 | 30 | Optional |
| The Principles and Practice of Corporate Governance | LAWS70362 | 30 | Optional |
| Global Environmental and Climate Change Law | LAWS70442 | 30 | Optional |
| Displaying 10 of 12 course units | |||
| Display all course units | |||
Scholarships and bursaries
The School offers a number of awards for students applying for master's study.
To find our more, please visit our master's funding opportunity search page.
What our students say
Facilities
You will be supported by the first-class resources you would expect from a top law school.
In addition to the networked study spaces, you can access a specialist moot courtroom, enabling you to hone your debating skills in a realistic court setting.
There is also The University of Manchester Library , which houses a substantial collection of law books and periodicals, as well as texts to support all the degrees we offer.
Disability support
Careers
Career opportunities
This master's degree will enable you to develop the specialist knowledge necessary for a career in legal practice in any developed or developing country with a financial services or business law profile.
It is also suitable for those looking to work directly in the financial services industry, especially those interested in compliance issues.
The University also has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .