Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory, University of Bologna (and EUI Florence), University of Glasgow, University of Lucerne, University of Stockholm and other partner universities
European Academy of Legal Theory
English (only)
Regarding the online mode, it is required to spend at least six weeks of the winter semester (November/December) in Frankfurt, in addition to being physically present and having contact with teachers and fellow students. Further details will be determined individually.
Mid-September
We suggest applying early. First come, first served. The programme also offers, upon individual request, a partially online track. For the on-campus (in-person) track, overseas applicants have to take care of visa requirements, taking into account the possible long period of time it may take to get a visa in their respective countries, and accordingly, they should apply early.
The tuition for the whole academic year is 7,200 EUR and, typically, must be paid two weeks after admission. Prospective students may apply for a partial waiver (see application form).
This programme engages with the rapid digitalisation and use of AI and the connected structural transformation of normativity in law. It introduces both the Anglo-American Common Law and the Civil or Continental Law tradition of legal theory. Its focus is to safeguard European traditions as the basis of constitutionalism in a global perspective, developing legal scholarship and jurisprudence as a science, and developing jurisprudence as applied legal theory so as to enable students to solve system conflicts. Such conflicts occur regularly because national law is becoming supra-, inter- and transnational and because of the growing weight of transnational law-making on the part of non-state actors.
This is reflected in the unique European design of the programme. Moreover, it offers an excellent institutional setting on the beautiful Westend campus of Goethe University Frankfurt.
Besides GU, the partners in the programme are the universities of Bologna (and EUI Florence), Krakow, Glasgow, Lucerne, Stockholm, and associate partners.
Further associated partners contribute in a specific way within the activities of the "Third Term Network", namely, in the supervision of students' Master's theses. They currently include renowned instructors from the universities of Glasgow and Oxford, Lucerne, Stockholm, and further universities as in Barcelona, Belgrade, Palermo, Torino, and others. In addition, a close cooperation exists with the International Association for Legal and Social Philosophy (IVR). The programme also has ties to major legal theory scholars at German universities such as Freiburg, Göttingen, Hamburg, and Munich.
The obligatory part of the curriculum consists of three compulsory modules (A-C) and of passing three elective modules out of seven (E1-7), and a Master's thesis (D). Studying traditionally, students may stay at GU during the entire academic year. Alternatively, they may attend modules at partner universities starting in February. Moreover, they are welcome to attend more or less the whole set of modules.
1. Compulsory modules:
A: Jurisprudence (History of Jurisprudence, Theories of Law, Moral & Political Philosophy of Law)
B: Theory of Comparative Law, Global Law; European Integration
C: Legal Methods, Inferencing in Law, Methodology in Legal Research (preparing D)
2. D-module: Master's thesis
3. Elective modules: E-modules deepen the basics of jurisprudence taught in A-, B- and C-courses.
E1: Law, History, and Culture / Cultural Studies (History of Law, Legal History, Legal Anthropology, Law and Religion)
E2: Law, Society & Culture (Legal Sociology, Law & Gender, Law & Literature)
E3: Law, Science and Technology
E4: Formation of Normative Orders (Legal Pluralism, Human Rights, International Law)
E5: Law and Economy (Governance & Compliance)
E6: Global Law (Global Digitality and Law)
E7: Law, Language and Reasoning
Following current developments in legal theory, other courses may additionally be offered.
Obligatory classes will be taken by approx. 15-20 international students. Elective classes will partly have fewer participants (minimum number: seven) and may be open to other students (as guests from partner universities and alumni). Classes will mostly be taught by renowned academic teaching personnel, including legal practitioners. The academic year will start with the winter semester (November to February) in Frankfurt.
After the Covid pandemic, we fully resumed in-person classes, including the introductory weeks (at the University of Brno on legal writing according to the Anglo-American as well as the Civil Law model and in Frankfurt preparing module A). On individual admission, students may participate in lectures or conferences at GU convened by institutions such as the Max Planck Institute or the Institute of Law and Finance.
The so-called "third term" (mid-June to mid-September, no courses) facilitates an optional research stay at a partner university or another partner of the "Third Term Network" ("mobility phase D") in Europe or Germany.
The programme provides no internships. However, some seminars will provide close contact with legal practitioners.
The tuition for the whole academic year is 7,200 EUR and, typically, must be paid two weeks after admission. Prospective students may apply for a partial waiver (see application form).
Approx. 370 EUR
This includes free public transportation in the Frankfurt Metropolitan Area as well as numerous discounts for museums and the renowned Frankfurt Opera House.
950 EUR a month or more
For the Master of Laws in Legal Theory (LLM), the following requirements must be met:
For further information, please see: www.legaltheory.eu/llm-in-legal-theory/application-admission-language/.
Applicants who do not have English as their first language must include evidence of English language proficiency.
Students holding a prior first or second degree with English as a medium of instruction do not have to submit such a test report.
Laptop
Mid-September
We suggest applying early. First come, first served. The programme also offers, upon individual request, a partially online track. For the on-campus (in-person) track, overseas applicants have to take care of visa requirements, taking into account the possible long period of time it may take to get a visa in their respective countries, and accordingly, they should apply early.
Online at www.legaltheory.eu
Or via e-mail using the application form (see website) – send application materials to the following e-mail address:
L.Schulz@jur.uni-frankfurt.de
In Frankfurt, almost 45,000 companies and organisations have approx. 450,000 employees on their payrolls. In addition, Frankfurt is the financial centre of Germany, with 350 banks, including the European Central Bank, 150 foreign banks, and the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world. Furthermore, Frankfurt is home to various cultural and research institutions. These are key players in a flourishing economy, offering students and graduates interesting jobs and internships. During your studies, there are job opportunities at Goethe University itself (e.g. as a tutor or research assistant), or you may look for jobs and internships elsewhere in the greater Frankfurt area. Some job opportunities are particularly interesting for students from abroad, e.g. at the airport and the trade fair. The "Studentenwerk" as well as the Career Services at Goethe University can help you to find a suitable offer.
The city offers a wide variety of accommodation, from university dorms to privately rented apartments. The biggest providers of dorms are the "Studentenwerk" (student services: www.swffm.de/en/accommodation/general-information) and churches. Further details will be given after the applicant's acceptance into the programme.
The international student office of the university offers a lot of services. (www.goethe-university-frankfurt.de/124971977/International_Student_Services?locale=en)
Goethe University is frequently ranked among Germany's leading institutions of higher education. The current organisation was founded as a university in 1914 by prominent citizens of Frankfurt. With currently approx. 47,000 students, including approx. 7,300 international students, the university prides itself on a rich tradition of intellectual and cultural excellence. Numerous Nobel laureates in science and medicine, including Max Born, Paul Ehrlich, and Max von Laue, were among the students and teachers at the university. It is home to the world-renowned Frankfurt School, Theodor Adorno and Max Horkheimer's Institute for Social Research. Several Max Planck Institutes are situated on its campuses, too. Goethe University has enjoyed the teaching of philosophers and theologists, such as Paul Tillich, Martin Buber, and Jürgen Habermas. The university has 16 faculties, including Law, Economics and Business Administration, Social Sciences, Educational Sciences, Psychology and Sports Sciences, Philosophy and History, Theology, Linguistics, Cultural Studies and Arts Studies, Modern Languages, Geosciences and Geography, Computer Science and Mathematics, Physics, Biochemistry, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Biological Sciences, and Medical Science.
Since the Middle Ages, Frankfurt am Main has been a major trade and finance centre at the crossroads of Europe's trade routes. Today, as the leading financial marketplace in continental Europe, Frankfurt is the seat of the European Central Bank and of international banks such as the Deutsche Bank. Thus, Frankfurt is at the centre of European monetary policy and the European Monetary Union. Major public banking institutions, including the Deutsche Bundesbank and Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau, one of the EU's leading public credit institutions, are based in Frankfurt, as is the world's fourth-largest stock exchange, the Deutsche Börse AG. The stock exchange also houses the world's largest and most modern all-electronic derivatives exchange: Eurex.
The region benefits from an outstanding telecommunication and transportation infrastructure. Frankfurt Airport is the leading airport in continental Europe and offers excellent connections within Europe and overseas. Frankfurt's dense transportation network ensures a seamless connection to all road and rail links.
Frankfurt is an international meeting point. It is home to the oldest trade fair in the world, the world-renowned Frankfurt Book Fair. It also offers many cultural attractions, among them two opera houses, concert halls, theatres, and a great variety of museums and art galleries. Situated on one of Europe's great rivers, the Main, Frankfurt is a vibrant city with many recreational facilities catering to the city's international population.
Cosmopolitan in nature, Frankfurt is home to a large community of expatriate workers and offers a wide choice of entertainment in the English language, from cinema to theatre, literature, and sports. About half of Frankfurt's citizens are foreign-born. There are a multitude of ethnic-based associations, and food from around the world is easily available. Frankfurt is a city in the heart of Europe: Berlin, Hamburg, Munich, Brussels, Amsterdam, Paris, and Zurich can all be reached by high-speed rail in less than four hours.
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