LL.M. Finance

LL.M. Finance

Numerous rapid changes in the global financial markets over the past few decades have dramatically altered the requirements for and contents of the legal study. With the development of new financial instruments such as derivatives and international hedge funds as well as entirely new requirements for financial regulation, central banking, and insolvency law, there is an urgent need for professionals to be trained in the qualitatively new and rapidly evolving areas of legal practice.

The LL.M. Finance degree program at the ILF will train you not only to deal with but also excel in this increasingly important area where the worlds of international law and global finance meet.The LL.M Finance program may be done on a part-time basis by completing the regular one-year LL.M. Finance program over a period of two years. The purpose of such an arrangement is to allow students to work part-time during their studies, thereby financing their studies at the ILF.

Our LL.M Finance program is:

• Interdisciplinary

The program overcomes the traditional separation of the academic disciplines of law and business/economics. The program teaches you aspects of both law and business/economics and focuses on their intersection and interplay. Thus, you will gain the competence and insights to appreciate the legal framework, constraints on economic decisions and economic consequences of legislative directives and legal practice. You will be taught by prominent academics and leading practitioners from both areas of expertise.

• International

The program is international in every respect: our curriculum, our faculty, and our students. The courses offered by the LL.M. Finance program include European and international corporate law, the law on capital markets and securities as well as topics on European monetary policies and central banking. The LL.M. Finance degree program also offers a wide range of courses on specialized topics such as “Accounting”, “Insurance Law” and “Law of Business Taxation”. Our large faculty comes from over ten countries in Europe and the United States. In addition, our students come from all over the world – generally from more than 25 countries each year.

• A Close Interaction between Theory and Practice

The curriculum will enable you to gain both a theoretical understanding as well as a practical insight into the specific requirements of banks and corporations, international law firms and accounting and auditing firms, the European Central Bank and Germany's Bundesbank.

This is because, in addition to outstanding academics, the majority of our faculty consists of top practitioners from the fields of law, banking, central banking and financial regulation.

As an integral and important part of the LL.M. Finance degree program, you will also have the valuable opportunity to take part in a two-month internship at one of the ILF's various sponsors from the financial, regulatory, central banking, international law and accounting areas.

Admission Requirements

The LL.M. Finance program is specifically designed for graduates who already have a first degree in law, business or economics from an accredited or recognized university. Therefore, if you possess a first degree in any of these subjects and have outstanding academic records, we would be happy to receive your application.

Applicants who have earned a law, business or economics degree by correspondence coursework or distance learning are not eligible for admission.

Previous professional experience is not a requirement. We admit a mix of students with and without prior working experience who will equally benefit from the program.

Since English is the sole language of instruction, you must have a good command of written and spoken English. Your proficiency in English must be proven to surpass a level of TOEFL 600, CBT TOEFL 250, IBT TOEFL 100 (with a minimum of 22 for each section), Cambridge CAE (grade C or above) or IELTS 7.0 unless your native tongue is English.