Programmes and tracks

General

Certain HBO (University of Applied Science) degrees and/or WO (research university) bachelor or master degrees can grant access to education in our Faculty. After a pre-master programme has been completed, admission to a Master’s degree programme will be possible.

HBO degree and WO non-law degree students

It is possible for students with a HBO degree International and European Law of The Hague University of Applied Science and WO non-law degree students to get admission to one of the English-taught Master of Laws programmes of the Faculty of Law. This admission can only be granted after the pre-defined deficiency programme (a so-called pre-master programme) has been successfully completed. Not all degrees might lead to admission to all English-taught LLM programmes. More information can be found on the LLM website.

For questions you can contact the study advisers of the International Office via LLM rug.nl.

Want to register?

The registration procedure for the pre-master programmes is available on the LLM website. Please make sure to meet the application deadlines.

Last update 21-7-2023

Taking both LLB tracks

LLB students choose one of the two available tracks within the LLB International and European law from year 2 onward. In case you are interested in taking both tracks, you can enrol in all courses you wish to participate in in Progress.

You can find the courses per track in both Ocasys and the Teaching and Examination Regulations of the programme. You will only have to participate in the Research Colloquium for one of the two tracks. You will always have to discuss your study planning with astudy adviserof the International Office.

By the end of year 1, you need to indicate in Progress which of the two tracks you will participate in. You can only choose one track in Progress. You need to pick the track that is your main programme and which you want to appear explicitly on your diplomasupplement.

Approval list of courses for graduation

The International Office will request you mid-year 3 to apply for approval of your list of courses by the Board of Examiners. You can then complete the list by adding all courses to your list of courses. Please do indicate when selecting the programme which track is your main track (and which will thus be mentioned on your diplomasupplement) and please make a remark when submitting the list that you are participating in both tracks.

Switch tracks

If you wish to switch tracks, you can, until the end of year 1, do so until 1 August. After that (year 2 or 3), you need to contact astudy adviserof the International Office for advice and to discuss your planning. The study adviser is also able to change the chosen track in Progress.

Last update: 21-7-2023

General

Our LLB programme International and European Law programme does not grant access to the bar or judiciary. It is possible however to gain access to the bar of judiciary in some cases; it differs per country how this can be done however. The Faculty is only aware of a few options available, but will continue to add to the list.

The Netherlands

In order to gain access to the bar or judiciary in the Netherlands, students need to have acquired the so-called 'effectus civilis' ('civiel effect'). This 'effectus civilis' can be obtained by participating in several Dutch law courses dealing with all main fields of law. The University of Groningen offers a shortened Bachelor of Laws programme (taught in Dutch) for students who would be interested in getting this 'effectus civilis' and who are currently enrolled in the LLB International and European Law.
Please be aware that the Technology Law track students can only join the shortened bachelor Rechtsgeleerdheid after taking 25 ECTS worth of courses from the regular track on top of their Technology Law track.

Other Dutch Law faculties in the Netherlands might have different requirements.
More information about the specific requirements for access to the Dutch bar can be found at the site of the Dutch Bar Association(the 'Nederlandse Orde van Advocaten'). Please keep in mind that all courses that will lead to the 'effectus civilis' will be offered in Dutch and thus your level of Dutch language proficiency needs to be a minimum of C1 (CEFR).

United Kingdom

Currently all students who want to convert their degree to be eligible to access the UK bar, have to participate in a conversion degree called the Graduate Diploma of Law(GDL). It is also possible to go through an MA Law or a Legal Practice Course (LPC).

Recently the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) announced their decision to reform the solicitor qualification in England and Wales by introducing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE). All foreign lawyers will have to take 2 tests and gain 2 years of legal experience in England or Wales to qualify as a solicitor. This legal experience can be gained before taking the test. The test is meant to come into effect in 2021. More information about the SQE can be found here.

Zimbabwe

In Zimbabwe students have to participate in a conversion degree for 1 year. It entails 14 exams, but possibly students can get exemptions. More information is available at the Zimbabwean Law Society or their page on Facebook.

Last update: 9-11-2023

General

Next to the fixed Bachelor’s degree programmes it is also possible to compose an individual Bachelor’s degree programme in the post-propaedeutic phase, based on article 7.3.4 and 7.3 c WHW (Dutch Higher Education Act).

This will lead to a final examination, which content-wise deviates from any other legal post-propaedeutic Bachelor’s degree programmes; this is called an Open Degree programme.

A request for approve of an Open Degree programme should be sent to the Board of Examiners at least three months before you wish to start such programme. If the request is sent after this deadline, the Board of Examiners can determine that the request will not be taken into consideration.

The Board of Examiners also decides to which accredited Faculty Bachelor’s degree programme the (deviating) programme would belong.
Also check Article 7.9 of theEnglish-taught Bachelor (LLB) Teaching andExamination Regulations (TER).

Guidelines

The guidelines for an Open Degree Bachelor programme are:

• the programme is post-propaedeutic;
• the programme must at least be 120 ECTS and should be in accordance with the learning outcomesthe programme as stated in art. 3.1 LLB TER;
• the programme needs to be coherent;
• should have a minimum of 50% of credits (60ECTS) worth of legal courses;
• at least 42 ECTS (35%) and maximum 48 ECTS (40%) should deviate from one of the existing post-propaedeutic Bachelor’s degree programmes;
• the programme has a bachelor concluding course unit fitting to the Open Degree programme, e.g. a Bachelor’s thesis (10 ECTS) or a Research Project (10 ECTS). This bachelor concluding course unit should be completed at the Faculty of Law of the University of Groningen.

Only courses which are part of an accredited degree programme can be chosen for an Open Degree programme.

No ‘civiel effect’

An Open Degree programme in principle does not grant the so-called ‘civiel effect’, even if it is followed by a Master’s degree programme.

Master’s degree programme after Open Degree programme

If you have questions with regard to admissibility to a Master’s degree programme after an Open Degree Bachelor programme, you can contact a study adviser of the International Office.

Last update 21-7-2023

General

Next to the fixed Master’s degree programmes it is also possible to compose an individual Master’s degree programme, based on article 7.3j WHW (Dutch Higher Education Act).
This will lead to a final examination, which content-wise deviates from any other legal Master’s degree programmes; this is called an Open Degree programme.

Admission

Such individual programme must be discussed with the study adviser and needs prior approval of the Board of Examiners.
The Board of Examiners also decides to which Master’s degree programme the programme would belong.

Duration & size

The size of the Open Degree programme is a minimum of 60 ECTS; the duration is – dependent on the size – at least one year. You can find more information in Article 3.19 of the English-taught Master programmes Teaching and Examination Regulation.

‘Civiel effect’

An Open Degree programme in principle does not grant the so-called ‘civiel effect’, but it also depends on the content of the programme and the bachelor programme.
Access to the bar or judiciary is in principle excluded.
Check the ‘Civiel Effect’ page for more details and possibilities to supplement the programme with extra courses for ‘civiel effect’.

Title and degree

The Master’s degree programme leads to the degree of Master of Laws. You can use the title LLM behind your name after successful completion of the Master’s degree programme.

Programme

The following requirements apply to an Open Degree programme::

• The programme should be coherent in relation to the desired degree programme.
• The programme needs to fall outside the regular programmes and should deviate at least 50% from the compulsory curriculum of the desired degree programme.
• An Open Degree programme comprises of the following components:
  - a minimum of 30 ECTS worth of relevant legal master courses;
  - a seminar that is offered within the degree programme (6 ECTS; check Ocasys);
  - a Law in Practice course unit (6 ECTS)
  - a Master’s thesis (12 ECTS)

Only courses that are part of an accredited degree programme can be chosen for an Open Degree programme. Also check article 3.15 Teaching and Examination Regulation English-taught master programmes.

Open Degree programme after other master

Taking an Open Degree programme after having already completed another Master’s degree programme, the following guidelines apply:

1. The Open Degree programme should have at least 30 ECTS worth of new courses. The student can only get a maximum of 30 ECTS worth of exemptions for courses obtained in a previous Master’s degree programme;
2. The programme needs to be coherent;
3. At least half of the ECTS to be obtained should be legal courses;
4. It is not possible to complete this programme within one of the existing Master’s degree programmes. At least 21 ECTS should deviate from one of the existing Master’s degree programmes.
5. No exemptions are granted from having to write a Master’s thesis.

Seminar

Please check the regulations with regard to Seminars.

Master’s thesis

You complete the Open Degree programme by writing a Master’s thesis which connects to the content of the Master’s degree programme. Please also check the entry Master’s thesis. General Faculty guidelines with regard to writing a Master’s thesis can be found in the Thesis Regulations.

Last update: 21-7-2023