Research and Teaching

 

The Doctorate in Law

The Law Department offers a programme leading to the doctorate. For the general rules governing admission and the doctoral programme go to the Academic Service webpages .

In the first year, researchers in the doctoral programme follow a series of seminars jointly with LL.M. researchers and after the successful completion of the first year the latter will be awarded the LL.M. degree.

Researchers are supervised by a Professor in the Department, and take part in seminars on the basis of a structured programme during their first year and second year, and thereafter on a voluntary basis

They write a dissertation which is the basis for the conferment of the degree. The dissertation should be submitted at the latest by the end of the fourth year following arrival.

 

The LL.M. Programme in Comparative, European and International Law

The LL.M. programmme in Comparative, European and International Law of the EUI is a one-year research programme.

It addresses candidates who wish to advance their legal knowledge and their analytical skills in a stimulating international and interdisciplinary environment.

LL.M. researchers, supervised by a Professor in the Department of Law, will be required to attend at least five seminars offered by the Department each year in European law, International law and Comparative law including a seminar on research methodology.

LL.M. candidates will write a dissertation which is the basis for the conferment of the LL.M. degree. The dissertation is to be submitted by 1 October of the year following arrival.

LL.M. researchers may attend the many cultural and scientific events that take place at EUI.

For more information see the LL.M. programme 

 

First-year Ph.D.and LL.M. Programme

All first-year researchers, both Ph.D. or LL.M., must attend at least five seminars in the first year.  In addition to the compulsory legal methodology seminar, researchers must choose two seminars in the First Term and two in the Second Term.  These seminars must include at least one Advanced Course. 

LL.M. researchers are also required to participate in one of the two Summer Schools offered by the Academy of European Law.

All first-year researchers, whether Ph.D. or LL.M., must prepare a First Term Paper and either a Second Term Paper or a substantial Oral Presentation supported by a shorter written paper, in the framework of one of their chosen seminars.

The third term is dedicated to individual research. Ph.D. researchers must prepare a substantial paper (‘May Paper, mémoire de mai’) on the basis of which admission to the second year is decided.

In the third term LL.M. researchers are required to prepare their Dissertation on the basis of which the LL.M. will be awarded.

Researchers should note that requests to transfer from one programme to the other will be considered by the Department on a case by case basis and should normally be made before the end of January of the first year.
 

Seminars

Each term the Law Department offers two kinds of seminars: advanced courses, having a more general content; and research seminars, addressing more specific topics.

Research seminars usually reflect the principal research projects or research interests of the Department, including researchers' projects.

Seminars are led by one or more professors of the Department, and they are designed for researchers with a fully-fledged legal education.

Researchers are often given the opportunity to present their work in a seminar on a subject related to their research.

 

Linguistic Diversity

The Law Department attaches particular importance to the maintenance and encouragement of linguistic diversity in all of its activities.

It encourages professors and researchers who wish to do so to express themselves in more than one language during seminars and other Departmental activities.

Papers and theses can also be written in languages other than English is also being encouraged whenever this is desired by the researcher and appropriate supervision is available.

Researchers applying for admission to the Department should take full account of this policy.

For more information see the Language Centre