LLM in International Business Law

Full Time and Part Time Programs

The Fribourg Law Faculty offers advanced studies in international business law, providing you with the essential knowledge and skills you need for a career in all areas of international business law.

Professors of international renown, recognized leaders authorities in their fields, will help you gain the knowledge and skills you need to become a highly valued asset in the eyes of both current and prospective future employers.

The curriculum of the Fribourg Law LLM Program in International Business Law was developed in close consultation with the legal departments of major Swiss companies and multinational corporations, together with leading international law firms.

Courses are designed to prepare students to demonstrate the practical knowledge and hands-on skills that companies and law firms truly seek when hiring new talent.

With a focus on core lawyering skills, your studies at Fribourg Law will furnish you with the tools you need for a seamless transition from the classroom to law practice.

Partnerships between the Fribourg Law Faculty and a wide range of Swiss and multinational companies open numerous opportunities for legal internships, where you can gain valuable practical experience by putting your learning to work.

  • Who is eligible for the Fribourg Law LLM Program?

    The LLM program in International Business Law was designed to meet the demands of  experienced lawyers and recent law graduates of proven ability.

    The program is also open to university graduates with degrees in disciplines other than law whose professional experience has prepared them for the study of international business law.

  • What will you learn?

    The core curriculum of the Fribourg Law LLM in International Business Law offers students numerous options for putting together individualized study modules suited to their own specific needs and interests. Modules can include any combination of curriculum units chosen from a wide variety of offerings:

    • courses  presenting a detailed overview of key areas of business law, from contract law in an international context, to private international law, anti-trust law, tax law, EU institutional law, EU internal market law, WTO law and intellectual property law;
    • specialized courses on law and business in the world's fastest growing economies – in  Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Latin America;
    • cross-disciplinary courses in economics and business anthropology;
    • participation in legal clinics and moot courts;
    • business negotiation training, legal drafting, and other skills-oriented courses and seminars.

    Successful completion of each unit allows students to earn the number of ECTS credits corresponding to the investment of time and effort demanded. Units may require between 6 and 16 hours of classroom time, spread over intervals ranging from one day to a maximum of two weeks. For a listing of the curriculum units and the ECTS credits to be earned for each unit, please consult the program structure using the link at the bottom of this page.

    Enhance the value of your LLM by choosing supplementary coursesunits!

  • Your Career Options

    The Fribourg Law LLM in International Business Law will prepare you for a wide range of career opportunities in companies and law firms with international operations, in international organizations, and in non-governmental organizations around the world.

  • Features of Full Time & Part Time Programs

    The academic year has a duration of approximately ten months, divided into two semesters.

    The fall semester runs from mid-September to mid-December.

    The spring semester runs from mid-February to mid-June.

    Besides the inter-semester breaks, there are several official holidays during the semesters, notably Easter (the exact date varies every year).

    Exam sessions take place at the end of each semester.

    Full-Time

    The Full-Time LLM program has a duration of two semesters.

    Classes take place Monday to Friday with an average class-time of four hours per day.

    Part-Time

    The Part-Time has a flexible duration of two to four semesters. Each course takes place once a year. Students may choose to follow a lecture in their first year or the second year of their Part-Time LLM. If they wish, they can complete the Part-Time LLM in just one year.

    This program is specially designed for candidates who are full-time employees or wish- for different reasons - to have a flexible program.

    Classes take place Friday afternoon and Saturday.

    Common features

    All courses take place in English.

    To receive their degree, students must complete curriculum units to earn a minimum of 60 ECTS credits, including:

    • 50 ECTS credits for coursework;
    • 10 ECTS for the preparation of a master’s thesis or internship.

    Students may choose to start the LLM in Fall or Spring.

  • Tuition Fees

    The tuition fees amount to CHF 16,500.-, and are payable as follows:

    • Fall Semester Intakes

      Registration fee*: CHF 1’500.-

      1st installment: CHF 3’750.-
      Due date: September 1

      2nd installment: CHF 3’700.-
      Due date: December 1

      3rd instalment: CHF 3’700.-
      Due Date: March 1

      4th instalment: CHF 3’700.-
      Due date: June 1

    • Spring Semester Intakes

      Registration fee*: CHF 1’500.-
      1st installment: CHF 3'750.-
      Due date: February 1

      2nd installment: CHF 3'700.-
      Due date: May 1

      3rd installment: CHF 3'700.-
      Due date: August 1

      4th installment: CHF 3'700.-
      Due date: November 1

    *The registration fee counts toward the tuition fee and is due two weeks from the issuance of the admission letter.

    Professional reinsertion candidates

    Candidates undergoing professional reinsertion (following unemployment) or trainee lawyers in Switzerland may benefit from individual payment facilities. Please contact us for details.

    Application costs

    We do not require upfront payments for the treatment of application files.
    Successful candidates are required to pay an administrative expenses contribution of CHF 150.- to cover the costs of processing and mailing of the admission letters and other admission documents.

    The administrative expenses contribution counts toward the tuition fee but is not refundable.

    Registration fees

    A CHF 1500.- registration fee is due upon registration with the University at the end of your application process.

    The registration fee must be paid in full, including by scholarship students.

    The registration fee counts toward the tuition fee and is only refundable for extraordinary circumstances, duly documented.

     

  • Early Registration

    Discounts of up to 8% of the invoiced tuition fees apply for early payment of the registration and tuition fees:

    • Fall Semester Intakes
      Early Registration Discount
      • 3% of the invoiced tuition fee if the candidate pays the Registration fee before April 31
      Early Payment Discount
      • 5% of the invoiced tuition fee if the candidate pays in one installment before July 31
    • Spring Semester Intakes
      Early Registration Discount
      • 3% of the invoiced tuition fee if the candidate pays the Registration fee before October 31
      Early Payment Discount
      • 5% of the invoiced tuition fee if the candidate pays in one installment before January 31
  • Scholarships

    Excellence Scholarship Program

    Under the Excellence Scholarship Program, we provide twenty scholarships, each worth CHF 8500, for outstanding candidates.

     Scholarships are available to LLM candidates. Their award and amount depend on the academic excellence evidenced notably by:

    • results in a bachelor's and masters' degree;
    • professional and academic achievements.

    Regional Scholarship Program

    Our goal is to develop high-level skills while at the same time bridging cultural gaps between lawyers from different countries.

    Bringing students from every corner of the world is paramount to our endeavor. We have already covered more than 90 countries in the world and every year students from new countries join us.

    To achieve this goal, we have relied on the criteria set forth by the United Nations to build a comprehensive support scheme that accounts for the difference in living standards in the world.

    The Regional Scholarship is destined to applicants who are nationals of and reside in developing countries, least developed countries, or countries in transition.

    The Regional Scholarship amounts of CHF 8250.-.

    Click here to download the list of countries qualifying for Regional Scholarship.

    The number of grants is limited. The Regional Scholarship is not cumulable with the Excellence Scholarship.

    How to apply for a scholarship

    Scholarship aspirants must first apply to one of the Fribourg Law LLM Programs.

    They should then fill out the application form by clicking here

 REQUEST INFORMATION

Click to open the request information form 

APPLY HERE

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  • STUDENTS ABOUT US

    Yaroslav Gabriel Valdivia Bondarenko (Bolivia)

    "The Master is a complete experience for lawyers looking for deeper knowledge in European law, International contract law, WTO law and the role of social subjects in international trade, which is complemented with a cross-cultural knowledge in the way that the bussines is done in Asia, Africa and Latin America, also, the experience of interaction with people from other continents and the strategic visits to international institutions and companies."

    Yao Qinqin (China)

    « I am really grateful to this internship provided by the Fribourg Law LLM Program, as it is not only a great way to get a practical use of the legal knowledge acquired from classes, but also a good opportunity to meet many interesting people and to experience the real business environment. As is named by the LLM program, this is really a “Cross-Cultural Business Practice”! »