Magister Juris Internationalis

Duration of Studies

The planned period of study up to the examination comprises eight semesters. Of these, at least two semesters must be studied at JLU. In addition, students must complete a study programme at foreign academic law institutions, which corresponds to a total of one academic year.

Programme content

The Magister/Magistra degree programme in International Law is in part identical to the Law degree programme leading to the first examination.

• The planned period of study leading up to the examination is eight semesters.
• The programme includes the compulsory subjects from civil, public and criminal law in accordance with §7 of the Lawyers' Training Act (JAG).
• Proof of performance must be provided in a course on the fundamentals of law (history of law, philosophy or sociology of law).
• An intermediate examination must be passed. It consists of eight written examinations, six of which must be passed after six semesters at the latest.
• The subject of the written examinations are:

• In civil law, the general part of the German Civil Code (BGB AT), the law of obligations with a focus on statutory obligations and the law of obligations with a focus on contractual obligations,
• in public law, fundamental rights, state organisation law and the general part of administrative law, and
• in Criminal Law: Criminal Law Special Part I and Criminal Law Special Part II

There are also some differences to the Law degree programme with a first examination:

• As part of the Magister/Magistra in International Law programme, students must complete a course of study at foreign academic law institutions that corresponds to a total of one academic year.
• During the first four semesters, students should take part in a one-semester foreign language course within or outside the JLU Faculty of Law in preparation for the planned study abroad programme.
• Only two of the three exercises for advanced students in civil law, public law and criminal law must be completed. In each exercise, a term paper and a written examination must be passed with at least a sufficient grade.
• In addition, successful participation in an international, European or comparative law seminar must be demonstrated. This proof can also be provided abroad.
• If the specialisation area ‘European and International Law’ is not studied for the first examination in the degree programme, knowledge of international and European law must be demonstrated as part of a supplementary course of two semesters.

The study periods and coursework completed in the Law degree programme with completion of the first examination can be fully credited to the M.J.I. degree programme.

Final examinations

If the Magister/Magistra in International Law programme is studied independently, i.e. without the Law degree programme leading to the first examination, the Magister examination consists of the following components:

• Firstly, a written examination must be taken. This consists of three written exams of five hours each and includes one exam each from civil law, public law and criminal law.
• If the written examination is passed, the Master's thesis follows, which must be written on an international, European or comparative topic from the field of law.
• If the Master's thesis is also passed, the defence follows. Questions on the thesis are asked within a maximum of one hour.

Each part of the examination (Master's thesis, written examination and oral examination) must be passed with at least a sufficient grade. To calculate the overall grade, the grades of the examination parts are added together and the total divided by three.

The Law degree programme with a first examination comprises the study of compulsory subjects and a university specialisation area. The first examination consists of six written examinations and one oral examination in the state compulsory subject area and one term paper and one oral examination in the university specialisation area. If the Magister/Magistra in International Law degree programme is studied parallel to or following the Law degree programme with a first examination, the student may be exempted from the written examination upon application.

To calculate the overall grade, the grades for the Master's thesis, oral examinations (discussion of the Master's thesis and examination on European and international law) and the first examination are added together and the total is divided by three.