Decisions and guidelines

Determined on December 4, 2007 by Faculty of Law, Uppsala University. The education plan enters into force the autumn semester 2007.

The programme is 60 university points (60 ECTS credits). Students who have fulfilled the requirements for examination will be awarded Juris magisterexamen. This academic degree is given the English translation Master of International and Comparative Law not Master of Laws (LL.M.) since only Swedish Juris kandidatexamen/Juristexamen is entitled to the latter translation.

Entry requirements

Applicants to the Programme in International and Comparative Law must hold a law degree from a foreign university of at least 180 university points, 180 ECTS credits, (a three year degree). Applicants whose first language is not English have to take a TOEFL test (Test of English as a Foreign Language). A test result must accompany the application, and a minimum score of 550 is required for admission. The selection of applicants is based upon academic merit, together with a personal motivational letter and two letters of recommendation. In selecting applicants from among those who fulfill the acceptance requirements, an overall assessment will be made to examine each applicant’s merits and potential for successfully completing the programme, including the applicants’ relative proficiency in the English language.

Layout of the programme

Courses of 30 university points, 30 ECTS are chosen from the ordinary programme of advanced level courses given at the Faculty of Law. This programme varies somewhat from one academic year to another.

A Master's thesis of 30 university points, 30 ECTS credits, is written by the student under the supervision of one of the teachers at the Faculty according to what is agreed upon between the teacher and the student. The Master's thesis must have an international or comparative content.

Learning outcomes

The learning outcomes for the special courses taken by the student are as set out in the regulations for the special courses in question.

The learning outcomes for the Master's thesis are:

A good ability to formulate legal research questions in an independent manner.

A good ability to find, evaluate and use relevant legal sources in a critical manner to solve a given research issue.

A good understanding of laws, case law, legal literature and other relevant legal source material in an appropriately delimited area of study in international and/or comparative law.

A good ability to present complicated issues, information and ideas in an instructive, well-structured and well-written manner for a legal audience.

Instruction

The teaching in the special courses being part of the programme is governed by the regulations applicable for the special course in question. As regards the machelor's thesis, the student has the right to receive a certain amount of supervision from a teacher. This supervision may be individual or in a group. The teacher may choose to teach the machelor's thesis by requiring the student to submit parts of his/her thesis for evaluation and commentary in tutorial or seminar form with other students and/or requiring the student to perform the task of evaluating at a seminar another student's finished thesis.

Degree

Examination for the special courses being part of the programme is governed by the regulations applicable for the special course in question. The Swedish grading system includes four alternatives, Fail (U), and the passing grades Pass (B, Approbatur), Pass with credit (Ba, Non sine laude approbatur) and Pass with distinction (AB, Cum laude approbatur). The seven scale ECTS grading system also applies. A student who has previously passed an examination in a special course offered cannot later pass another examination in the same topic. Where cheating during an examination, e.g. the use of books or notes not specifically part of the course, is proved, disciplinary measures will be taken in accordance with University rules.

For the machelor's thesis, the supervisor can be the examiner. The examination occurs by means of the examiner approving the final text of the thesis and confirming that the student has fulfilled whatever other teaching requirements apply. The regulations for their writing (30 university points) are applicable, unless otherwise is provided in the present regulations.

The Master's thesis should be written in English unless otherwise agreed upon by the supervising professor/researcher. The grading system of the thesis is identical with that for special courses.

The thesis must be the individual work of the student. However, with the permission of the supervisor, a thesis can be written jointly by a group of students. In such a case, the individual performances of the students must be capable of being distinguished and evaluated separately. Otherwise, cooperation with other students in the writing of the thesis is not permitted. Where plagiarism or unauthorized cooperation in the writing of the thesis is proved, disciplinary measures will be taken in accordance with University rules.

Courses or a thesis passed at other universities cannot replace a course or the Master's thesis in the Programme.

Other regulations

Dnr JUR 2007/599

Dnr JURFAK 2007/77