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LL.M. in International and European Law


Programme Outline

"The alumni are very enthusiastic about the [VUB-PILC] programme and commented during the interviews that the programme directly contributed to their current occupation and gave them a solid background to address the issues they deal with on a daily basis … The graduates find highly positioned jobs at various renowned international organisations."

Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR), The educational assessment of the Advanced Master’s study programmes in Law, 2007

An Intensive One-Year Programme Preparing for International Legal Action in a Multi-Cultural Environment

1. The student group

Up to 40 students from all over the world are admitted annually, after a rigorous selection process.

The Master (LL.M.) in International and European Law is – in the terminology of the Bologna European educational area – a "Master after Master" Programme. Students are eligible to apply when they have completed their study of law and have received a final law degree according to the requirements of the country in which they have obtained their degree. Such a law degree should, in principle, provide access to the legal profession or to the qualifying exams for admission to the Bar.

The Master Programme seeks to create a strong group identity. Because of the very diverse composition of the student body and the Faculty, the Master Programme in itself becomes a daily exercise in multi-cultural communication which as such furthers the skills of the students to define objectives and act adequately in a multi-national and multi-cultural environment. Click here for admission details.

2. Length of study

The Master (LL.M.) in International and European Law is obtained after one academic year (i.e. two semesters of four months each, from mid-September till early July). Students must make sure they arrive in time for the start of the academic year. Practice has shown that it is very difficult to make up for missed classes at the start of the academic year.

As a rigorous full-time and day-time programme that requires constant class preparations and a continuing study effort, PILC is extremely difficult to combine with regular employment.

3. Objective

The overall objective of the Master Programme is to provide international students with a broad advanced education in international and European law which prepares them for further (PhD) research and/or private/public employment at international legal and policy making levels.

The educational techniques include, in addition to the more traditional forms of lecturing, inter-active class teaching and joint discussions on case studies and practical cases that may arise in day to day professional life. For more detailed information about the courses, click here.

4. Requirements

For that purpose the Master Programme offers a balanced package that requires students to successfully complete:
  • traditional courses in international and European law;
  • one short research paper produced by teams of up to 4 students;
  • practical exercises and case studies, for instance in the field of European competition law;
  • a Master's thesis (paper) at the level of a publishable article in a solid academic law journal.
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At the end of the academic year the degree of Master (LL.M.) in International and European Law will be awarded upon the decision of the Academic Board, provided the following requirements have been successfully satisfied:
  • regular attendance of classes;
  • final examination in all subjects;
  • the presentation of a Master's thesis (paper) in one of the fields covered by the Program.


5. The result: employment in legal leadership positions world-wide

Throughout the years, PILC attracted a steady flow of high quality student applicants from all over the world. The high reputation of the Programme notably flows from the leading positions of many of its graduates at international institutions like the European Union, the World Trade Organization, the International Monetary Fund, the United Nations and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, in diplomatic services and the judiciary as well as at the major law firms around the world.


Olga Kopiczko

“VUB’s LL.M. has been crucial for my professional life. This programme greatly helped me to pass the EU competition exam and get an interesting job as an international lawyer at the Commission.”

Olga Kopiczko
European Commission DG ENV - Environmental Agreements and Trade

Folkert Graafsma

“The PILC programme has served as an excellent training ground for my clerkship in the European Commission and for my further graduate studies in the United States. PILC provides lawyers with an international outlook and with a solid basis in European and international law. Working in the law firm or institution of tomorrow requires in-depth and up-to-date insight in the dynamics of Brussels of today. PILC will give you all that and much more.”

Folkert Graafsma
Partner Vermulst Verhaeghe & Graafsma

Porter Elliot

“The PILC programme was the best year of my academic career by far. The level of instruction was very high, with a great mix of professors and practitioners, and spending a year in Brussels was a wonderful experience. More than a decade later, I am still in Brussels, only now as a practitioner specializing in EC law. I remain actively involved in the PILC programme to this day, and it remains without a doubt one of the top LL.M. programmes in Europe.”

Porter Elliott
Partner at Van Bael & Bellis in Brussels

PILC Students 2007-2008