LL.M. at the RUB

• Foreign jurists with an academic degree in their home country

• Law degree comparable to the German first state examination (see § 2 JAG NRW).
• German language skills (Confirmation by TestDaF 4x4, DSH II, or exemption due to special reasons as enumerated in § 8 RO-DT (2011)).
• Ability of the applicant to succeed in the LL.M. studies.

• Prospective students are required to send the following documents in one pdf document:

   

  • Application form
  • Curriculum Vitae in German
  • Letter of Motivation form
  • any of the following certificates to prove your German language skills:

  • (TestDaF 4x4 or DSH Stufe II, if there is no exemption because of § 8 RO-DT (2011)

  • two letters of reference by other lawyers (Each expert has to fill in the LL.M. approval form)
  • Previous study results
  • A Statement of Comparability for Foreign Higher Education Qualifications issued by the Central Office for Foreign Education (For further information please visit this link) 
  • Other documents such as certificates of further qualifications or internships

• Enrollment Procedure: After receiving the letter of admission from the Dean of the Faculty of Law, applicants can enroll at the Ruhr-University. You can find more information about this on the website of the Student Secretariat.

 

• All students are supervised by a professor of the faculty. Together with this professor they will put together a schedule of at least 20 hours per week, distributed over the academic year. Students can choose the courses they want to attend from the Ruhr-University’s course catalogue pursuant to Section 8 of the Study and Examination Regulations of June 22, 2010. This requires, that the courses have to be selected from the compulsory and elective subjects

 

• According to section 8 paras. 2 and 3 of the Study and Examination Regulations, the successful participation in the following courses is mandatory:
  • a compulsory course from the basic studies in one of the subjects Civil Law, Criminal Law or Public Law,
  • another compulsory course from the same field of law,
  • a course on the basics of German law and  
  • a seminar

 

• In addition, every introductory courses in German law that is offered by the faculty must be attended. The certificate for the course on the basics of German law mentioned above can also be acquired during the seminar.

 

• In accordance with section 9 para. 1 of the Study and Examination Regulations, the student shall provide a transcript of records/a proof of performance in each of the courses he/she has taken. The lecturer may decide whether the exam at the end of the course will be an oral exam or a written exam.

• According to section 13 of the Study and Examination Regulations, the Master's thesis must be written in German within a period of three months. The topic will be chosen in agreement with the supervising professor. Admission to the Master's thesis is granted upon application by the student once he/she has presented the transcript of records and certificates specified in section 14 of the Study and Examination Regulations.

 

• The study program ends with the final exam (Magisterprüfung) (section 13 Study and Examination Regulations). This consists of the achievements during the Master's program and the written Master's thesis (see above). By writing the master's thesis, the student should demonstrate that he/she can work independently in an academic manner and present the results of his/her research accordingly. By selecting her/his courses and choosing the topic of her/his thesis, the candidate can set her/his personal focus in any area of German civil law, criminal law or public law as well as international and European legal disciplines.

Upon successful completion of the Master of Laws program, the degree of "Magister Legum (LL.M.)" is awarded by the Faculty of Law.

 

The degree of Master of Laws can be used in Germany as well as in the graduate's home country in accordance with the respective legal regulations.

 

The Magister certificate demonstrates that its holder has become acquainted with the fundamentals of German law and has acquired in-depth knowledge in a sub-area. It may, if necessary, procure its holder with a professional position in which he or she will later be concerned with issues of German law that are relevant from the perspective of his or her home country.