Comparative and Global Law (LLM)

The LLM programme Comparative and Global Law at the Faculty of Law of the University of Münster is a two-semester programme for students who wish to broaden their legal training with a comparative, internationally-oriented perspective. It is taught in English by the faculty's professors, with an internationally composed student cohort. Substantively, the programme covers a broad range of comparative-law questions. A first focus area is legal history: how legal institutions change across borders and centuries, and what explanatory power historical analysis holds for understanding the law as it currently stands. A second focus area is constitutional law in a comparative perspective, covering separation of powers, federalism, fundamental rights and constitutional adjudication across continental European, Anglo-American and non-European traditions. A third focus area is business law in a comparative perspective, covering company, contract and commercial law as it arises in German, European and Anglo-American law. Beyond these three core areas, students can deepen their profile in further fields, including private law (e.g. Roman law and comparative property law), public law (e.g. German public law and common-law constitutional traditions) as well as public international law and human rights (e.g. including human-rights protection in global supply chains). This breadth allows students to sharpen an individual profile, while applying comparative methodology to a field of their own choosing. This offering is complemented by a continuous focus on independent research competence: critical discussion of current research, the basics of research design and academic writing, and the application of these skills in an independent research project. The programme thus combines a broad substantive selection with a clear methodological common thread: a comparative-law and legal-historical perspective on one hand, and the systematic development of academic research skills on the other. The programme is designed as a consecutive two-semester course of study comprising a total of 60 ECTS, divided equally (30 ECTS each) between the first and second semesters. It is organised into three modules: the Foundation Modules (10 ECTS), the Elective Modules (20 ECTS) and the Research Modules (30 ECTS). First semester (30 ECTS): In the first semester, students complete two Foundation Modules (5 ECTS each) and two Elective Modules (5 ECTS each). In parallel, the Research Module already begins with the Colloquium (10 ECTS), in which international guest lecturers present their research and invite students into discussion, giving students their first insights into current research and introducing them to academic discussion. The first semester thus serves both to build the methodological foundation and to make an initial substantive choice, while also introducing students to academic research work. Second semester (30 ECTS): In the second semester, two further Elective Modules follow (5 ECTS each), through which students complete their substantive specialisation. In addition, the Research Module Seminar (5 ECTS) specifically prepares students in the methodology of research work and academic writing. By far the largest share of the second semester is taken up by the Research Module Research Paper — the Master's thesis (15 ECTS), in which students bring together the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the programme in an independent research project. The distribution of modules makes clear that the programme's temporal centre of gravity shifts from the first to the second semester: while the first semester is more strongly characterised by building the methodological and substantive foundation, the second semester increasingly concentrates on independent research work, culminating in the thesis. The Research Module itself, unlike the Foundation and Elective Modules, runs continuously through both semesters and thus forms the structural backbone of the entire

Course details verified 09 Sep 2026 — intakes, entry requirements and course facts · official source

1. Winter semester

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English

E.G. TOEFL iBT (before 2026): 95 Reading: 24 Listening: 22 Speaking: 25 Writing: 24 Cambridge English Qualifications: C1 Advanced IELTS Academic: 7

Prerequisites

Applicants must have completed one or more relevant academic degrees with a total duration of at least eight semesters, such as a LLB, a LLM or another professional qualification (e.g. state examination), at a recognised research university. The degree(s) must include a minimum of 240 ECTS credits (or an equivalent). Typically, applicants will have completed their degree in law. However, students with degrees in other programmes that demonstrate sufficient legal knowledge are welcome to apply as well. If the first degree is not specifically in law, at least 120 of the required 240 ECTS credits must have been earned in that field. Degrees obtained from universities outside the European Union will be assessed for equivalency. Applicants who do not fully meet the above criteria, may still be admitted if they have completed a relevant degree programme of at least 180 ECTS and can provide evidence of additional preparatory studies or equivalent credits amounting to 60 ECTS points.

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