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Kickstart your postgraduate journey at Brunel in January 2025

International Commercial Law LLM

Key Information

Start date

January

September

Subject area

Law

Mode of study

12-15 months full-time

16-27 months with placement full-time

24-27 months part-time

27-36 months with placement part-time

Fees

2025/26

UK £14,435

International £22,320

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Entry requirements

2:2

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Overview

The Brunel International Commercial Law LLM is designed for graduates seeking to gain a solid foundation in the growing discipline of international commercial law.

Our wide choice of elective modules exploring commercial law in both European and international contexts allows you to tailor your programme to focus on your specialist area and career objectives.

As international trade expands and grows, employers are increasingly looking for job candidates with the advanced, specialised training needed to keep abreast with new regulatory realities so your International Commercial Law LLM will make you a sought-after prospect by law firms, businesses and government bodies.

Course content

The International Commercial Law LLM consists of optional modules and a 15,000 word dissertation on a legal topic of your choice.

  • Full-time students should complete four modules per term, excluding the dissertation.
  • Part-time students should complete two modules per term, excluding the dissertation.
  • Part time students can choose to take any of the optional modules in either your first or second year of study.

You can gain valuable work experience while studying postgraduate law at Brunel. Optional work placements (6-12 months) and internships (4-12 weeks) are available and you can choose to start your course in January or September and study full-time or part-time, depending on your needs and specific requirements.

Compulsory

  • LX5500 - Dissertation
    A 15,000 word assignment to enable you to acquire a well-developed knowledge and understanding of an area of law within the scope of your programme and to improve skills in legal research and writing.
  • LX5613 - World Trade Organisation (WTO) Law
    Providing a thorough understanding of the basic rules in the world trading system under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and considering them in their economic, historical and political context. This module allows you to critically analyse the theoretical and political bases of trade liberalisation and the institutional background to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO.
  • LX5655 International Commercial Law
    In this module you will be introduced to the general framework of international commercial law, the law of international sale contracts and related matters, including cross-border dispute resolution, transport, and broader social concerns such as labour and corruption.

Optional

  • LX5528 - International Environmental Law
    This module allows you to study and assess the core legal provisions and principles relating to the environmental law of the International community of States and the European Union, and to study and assess developments in specific areas or sectors of concerned with environmental protection.
  • LX5650 - Contemporary Themes in Intellectual Property Law and Policy
    This module covers the contemporary issues arising around Intellectual Property Law and Policy. It adopts an international and comparative analysis to observe the role of intellectual property right in the knowledge-based economy and society, its shifting boundaries, overlapping aspects and trends towards harmonisation and globalisation as well as internationalisation of enforcement of IP rights.
  • LX5663 - Comparative Corporate Law

    This module deals with key issues of corporate law from an international perspective and focuses on theoretical and practical underpinnings of modern corporations that are applicable across the globe.

  • LX5664 - Principles of Corporate Law

    This module builds on a general understanding of the foundations of UK corporate law and examines particular topics, in particular corporate governance, protection of minority shareholders and directors’ duties.

  • LX5609 - Theory of International Financial Regulation
    This module addresses the function and significance of national and international financial markets; the international legal framework for international financial markets; the role of international financial organisations; and national financial regulation in a global context.
  • LX5616 - Privacy and Data Protection
    This module aims to provide you with essential knowledge about the theoretical rationales and policy arguments for both privacy and data protection.
  • LX5617 - Principles of International Commercial Arbitration
    Providing an understanding of the general principles of international arbitration and a comparison of the main alternative dispute resolution processes – arbitration, mediation and adjudication, this module allows you to critically analyse the use of arbitration to resolve international business and commercial disputes.
  • LX5624 - Internet Law I - Substantive Legal Issues
    This module intends to examine the nature of the Internet and its impact on commerce. It covers subjective legal issues of Internet Law and it analyses relevant international regulatory framework in response to the development of new technologies.
  • LX5646 - International Intellectual Property Law
    This module will focus on the international developments in Intellectual Property law. You will review the policy implications of the globalisation of intellectual property rights. This will include the study of WIPO treaties and the TRIPs Agreement as well as bilateral and multi-lateral agreements (such as ACTA).
  • LX5612 - World Trade Organisation (WTO) and Human Rights Law
    This module aims to allow you to understand that the World Trade Organisation (WTO) is often accused of, at best, not paying enough attention to human rights or, at worst, facilitating and perpetuating human rights abuses particularly its impact on poor people within developing States. It also aims to allow you to undertake a detailed analysis of the main human rights concerns relating to the WTO. These include the alleged democratic deficit within the WTO and the impact of WTO rules on the right to health, labour rights, the right to food, and on questions of poverty and development.
  • LX5619 - Practice of International Financial Regulation
    This module addresses the function and significance of national and international financial markets; the international legal framework for international financial markets; the role of international financial organisations; and national financial regulation in a global context.
  • LX5653 - European and International Media Law
    This module will prepare you to deal with a variety of complex legal aspects of media law and regulation from comparative and international legal perspectives. It will be particularly useful and will provide an attractive alternative for IP students less interested in patent law and wishing to deepen their understanding in the area of soft IP.
  • LX5652 - Principles of International Investment Arbitration
    This module aims to provide an understanding of the law governing international investment arbitration.
  • LX5649 - International Dispute Settlement
    The main focus of the module will be on the private international law problems that will arise in a context of commercial disputes with an international element. The specific objectives of the course are to provide advanced instructions in several aspects of private international law that are of particular relevance to international commercial litigation, and to examine critically jurisdictional rules that will be applied by the courts in respect of commercial disputes with an international element.
  • LX5661 Energy Law

    The module will examine how states and the international community, in particular the United Nations, have responded to various challenges for the energy sector and attempted to find solutions. 

  • LX5658 Banking and Tech Law
    Recently, banks and other financial institutions have made considerable investments in financial technologies. This is inevitably changing the industry from a business and regulatory perspective. This module will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the interplay between the banking industry and the technological world.
  • LX5657 Governance, Regulation and Compliance
    This module will introduce you to the foundations of compliance in a financial institution and financial department of a corporation, while also providing a comprehensive inspection of governance and regulatory risk approaches.
  • LX5672 - Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and ESG

    The module examines and critically analyses corporate responsibility, and the requirements of Sustainability and ESG in modern business and the international dimensions of these concepts. 

  • LX5666 Artificial Intelligence, Law and Ethics
    This module is designed to explore the legal and ethical concerns raised by AI and innovations centred on it. It covers topics including the ethical compatibility of AI-driven decisions, AI and Credit Scoring, AI and Public Law including Administrative and Judicial Decisions. The aim of the module is to provide students a solid understanding of the most significant legal, policy and ethical debates in these area by examining advanced literature, statutes, judicial and administrative decisions and soft laws (guidelines and recommendations).
  • LX5647 - Business and Human Rights
    This module addresses the links between business (broadly understood) and human rights. It seeks to identify how corporations (including supply chains), investment, trade liberalisation, sovereign debt and intellectual property affect the enjoyment of human rights.

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.


Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Careers and your future

You will leave Brunel with a firm grounding in law and with solid legal knowledge, allowing you to be flexible in your future choices. While many of our students specialise to enhance their legal practice work, others are sought after by government agencies, the private commercial sector (such as in-house lawyers) and non-governmental organisations where a background in commercial law is valued.

Our students in recent years went on to pursue careers in range of high-profile organisations such as Dentons, White and Case LLP, Lloyds Banking Group, European Parliament, ECDC- Ocean Accelerator Inc. and Patent and Trademark Clinic (PTC).

You can study this course starting in January or September and it has full-time and part time study modes, as well as placement options.  

UK entry requirements

  • A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in Law or related discipline including: Management, Business Administration, Economics and Finance, International Relations, Political Sciences, Criminology/Criminal Justice.
  • Applicants with other qualifications or with relevant work-related experience, will be considered on an individual basis.

EU and International entry requirements

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
  • Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
  • BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
  • TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all) 

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Fees and funding

2025/26 entry

UK

£14,435 full-time

£7,215 part-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£22,320 full-time

£11,160 part-time

£1,385 placement year

More information on any additional course-related costs.

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase. 

See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Scholarships and bursaries

Teaching and learning

You'll be taught by experts in your field of study, and you'll have the opportunity to interact and engage with academics and your fellow students throughout your programme.

Your programme will consist of a variety of learning and studying activities, including lectures and seminars which will be delivered in person on campus. These will be supported by a number of online learning and studying activities when appropriate to provide a rich and dynamic experience. At LLM level students will study four 15 credit modules each term for two terms across the academic year.

Each module will have on average eight two-hour in person contact time per week in seminars, workshops or lectures. After the end of the taught part of the Programme, there is the dissertation. All students will also have the opportunity to seek guidance during the feedback and consultation hours of their lecturers (2 1-hour slot every week).

Additionally, students can seek support in individual meetings with their personal tutors, both on campus and online. There will also be regular cohort meetings and student society events, at both programme and departmental levels.

All lectures, seminars, and other social activities will occur in person on the Brunel campus. Online activities will be used to support your learning when appropriate. It is expected that students will regularly attend these events, as sustained engagement with a learning community is a central dimension of the Brunel experience.

You'll be taught by experts in your field of study, and you'll have the opportunity to interact and engage with academics and your fellow students throughout your programme.

Your programme will consist of a variety of learning and studying activities, including lectures and seminars which will be delivered in person on campus. These will be supported by a number of online learning and studying activities when appropriate to provide a rich and dynamic experience. In Levels 5 students will study four 30 credit modules for two terms across the academic year. Each module will have on average two-to-three hours in person contact time per week in lectures and seminars. In Level 6 students will study four 20 credit modules and the dissertation module. Each module will have on average two hours in person in lectures, seminars or workshops. All students will also have the opportunity to seek guidance during module lecturers’ feedback and consultation hours. Additionally, students can seek support in individual meetings with their personal tutors, both on campus and online. There will also be regular cohort meetings and student society events, at both programme and departmental levels.

All lectures, seminars, and other social activities will occur in person on the Brunel campus. Online activities will be used to support your learning when appropriate. It is expected that students will regularly attend these events, as sustained engagement with a learning community is a central dimension of the Brunel experience.

Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.

We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.

Brunel has a strong research status. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) rated the majority (72.7%) of our research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. Our research was rated 58th globally for research impact. This robust culture provides a dynamic space for students to learn and contribute to current knowledge.

Your International Commercial Law LLM modules will be delivered through seminars, with two hours of teaching per module a week alongside your own self-directed study. Optional modules have class sizes of 10-12 students, and compulsory modules have class sizes of around 25 on average.

You’ll also learn through:

  • research centre activities and research trips
  • contributing to newsletters
  • making oral presentations
  • attending law film screenings
  • participating in debating events and reading group sessions.

You'll receive your timetable in advance of the course starting. Part-time study is based on a full-time timetable, with one less module per semester.

Should you need any non-academic support during your time at Brunel, the Student Support and Welfare Team are here to help.

Assessment and feedback

All modules are assessed through a variety of diverse and authentic assessment methods. Guidance and support is offered to all students ahead of the assessment periods. General and personalised feedback is also available after the assessment periods and the publication of the results.