Law ML
What will you learn?
The ML programme in law is a direct continuation of the BA degree in law. A master’s degree is essential for eligibility to apply for licensure to practice as a judge or advocate.
Students may receive up to 7.5 credits through approved professional training.
The programme duration is two years, though it may be completed over up to four years.
Electives
The master’s programme in law at Reykjavík University allows students to choose between various specializations and study tracks. This flexibility allows students to pursue focused expertise within the law and integrate their studies with other academic disciplines.
Particular emphasis is placed on elective courses in international law and international business, courts and litigation, and property law.
After completing their studies, students should
- They have strengthened their foundational knowledge and developed a comprehensive understanding of the broader landscape of law and its theoretical challenges.
- Have acquired specialized expertise in selected areas of law.
- Possess the methodological and substantive knowledge to support and defend their legal reasoning and solutions to legal issues.
- Be able to contextualize the latest developments within the framework of existing knowledge.
- Hold a deep understanding of the societal role of law and its connections to other academic fields.
What´s next?
After graduation
Graduates who have completed a foundational law degree can apply for licensure to work as judges and advocates after completing the master’s programme.
Professional Opportunities
Law graduates pursue careers in a variety of fields, including as attorneys and judges; in legal roles within government ministries, at offices such as the National Commissioner of the Police, the Directorate of Customs, and the Directorate of Taxation; in finance and insurance companies; as corporate managers; in politics and banking; as specialists in international organizations, and in many other areas.
After completing the ML studies, students are expected to:
- Evaluate legal issues and present reasoned, well-supported conclusions.
- Develop independent, organized work habits and the ability to make professional decisions autonomously.
- Apply critical thinking effectively in their professional work.
- Communicate legal information, concepts, issues, and conclusions in written and spoken form to experts and the public in Icelandic and foreign languages.
- Participate actively in discussions on legal matters.
- Apply legal methods and procedures, using their knowledge and understanding to define, analyze, and resolve legal challenges.
- Initiate, manage, and assume responsibility for the work of individuals and teams.
- Demonstrate skills in information gathering, analyzing data, assessing its value, selecting relevant information, and applying it effectively.
- Interpret legal research and findings and undertake doctoral studies.
- Recognize the importance of maintaining ethical principles in all professional roles.
Continuing Education for Graduates
Graduates with a master’s degree in law from Reykjavík University can attend master's courses at a 50% discount within the Department of Law. Please get in touch with the department office for registration and payment information.
PhD Programme
The PhD Programme at Reykjavík University’s Department of Law offers specialization in the following legal fields: the law of the sea and international law, tort law, insurance law and maritime law, constitutional law and constitutional history, comparative constitutional law and social security law, property law, and human rights.
We learned what it's like to work as a lawyer in the business world.
Structure
Structure
The Master Programme is to a considerable extent based on independent work performed by students under the supervision of instructors (a research-related Master Programme) and a wide variety of choices on emphasis and course of study.
Master’s studies should at a minimum extend over four terms (spring and fall). It is assumed that students will normally complete 30 credits per term, or 60 credits per year, based on normal progress. Students should complete their master’s studies no later than four years after they begin.
Composition of studies
- Students shall themselves decide on the composition of their studies within the limits established in the Rules governing Masters Studies at the RU Department of Law.
- In the course of master’s studies, a student shall complete a minimum of 60 credits in legal subjects: however, up to 60 credits may be completed in other subjects at graduate level.
- Students who are enrolled in Master’s studies on the basis of Article 3(c) of the Rules governing Masters without having completed a B.A. degree in law, or a comparable degree, shall complete a minimum of 105 credits in legal subjects.
- All students enrolled in Master’s studies are required to submit a master’s thesis of 30 or 60 ECTS credits.
- Students can also earn ECTS credits towards an ML degree by completing Internship of 7.5 ECTS, by working on specific research project under the guidance of a supervisor (ECTS credits are based on the scope of the project), or with studies outside the RU Department of Law, e.g. student exchange, given the approval of the Curriculum Council.
See further information in the Rules governing Masters Studies at the RU Department of Law.
Master's Studies with an International Focus
RU's Department of Law actively participates in the expansion which now characterises Icelandic industry by giving students an opportunity to graduate with a Master's degree with an international focus. For students to graduate with a degree in this field of specialization, they must complete at least 45 ECTS in courses or seminars which focus on international issues, and must furthermore write a Master's thesis with the same emphasis.
Certification to the Legal Profession
Those who finish the Master's programme following an undergraduate degree in law and at least 240 ECTS in legal subjects are deemed to have completed a certification to the legal profession and thus fulfil the general educational requirements needed to work as judges and litigators.
At RU the principal language of instruction is Icelandic. Textbooks are mainly in English. Courses in Masters programme are only open for graduate students on Masters level.
Did you know?
LOGOS Legal Services sponsors the student who receives the highest combined grade from the BA and ML studies upon graduation in June and, depending on the circumstances, in January.
Facilities
Courtroom Simulation
The Department of Law has a fully equipped courtroom designed and explicitly furnished for legal training. This facility trains students in the roles of judges and attorneys. The courtroom features advanced computer equipment, an audio system, and four audio and video recording cameras.
Classrooms and Study Spaces
Reykjavík University provides an excellent instruction, study, and student collaboration environment. Classrooms are well-equipped, and students have access to group study rooms. General facilities are open to students 24/7. More information about RU’s facilities can be found on the university's website.
Comprehensive Support Services
The university building provides easy access to academic and career counselling, an international office, and technical support. The library offers diverse study areas, access to books and academic journals, and dedicated information specialists available for consultations to assist students with research and sourcing.
Stores and Cafés
Reykjavík University hosts the University Shop, which sells essential items, a café, a World Class fitness centre, and Málið, a cafeteria.
Faculty
Fields of Expertise: European Law, European Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Administrative Law, Pharmaceutical Law, and Legal Philosophy
Fields of Expertise: Securities Market Law, Corporate Law, and Financial Market Law
LinkedIn/Researchgate
Fields of Expertise: Constitutional Law, Administrative Law, Information Law, and Public Employment Law
Fields of Expertise: Law of Torts, Maritime and Transport Law
Fields of Expertise: Administrative Law, Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Methodology, and Legal Philosophy
Fields of Expertise: Media Law, Consumer Law, Procedural Law, Property Law, and Human Rights
Fields of Expertise: Private Procedural Law, Litigation, Competition Law, and Telecommunications Law
Fields of Expertise: Corporate Governance, Corporate Law, Sustainability, and The Regulatory Environment of Financial Institutions
Fields of Expertise: Procedural Law and Property Law
Fields of Expertise: European Law and Administrative Law
Fields of Expertise: Administrative Law, Private and Criminal Procedural Law, Tax Law, Labor Law, Data Protection, European Law, Property Law, and General Law
Fields of Expertise: International Law, Maritime Law, International Environmental Law, and Climate Law
LinkedIn/Researchgate/Orcid
Fields of Expertise: Criminal Law
Adjuncts
Part-Time Lecturers
Department Office
Why study Law at RU?
- The ML curriculum is taught in groups of no more than thirty students.
- Intensive internship
- Project-based legal education that teaches students how to solve practical projects
- Strong academic basis and influential professors
- Different evaluations: In the master's programme, midterm, and final exams might contribute toward up to 50% of the total.