Master in International Law (MIL)

The Master in International Law is a recognized full-time programme offered by the Law School. This comprehensive master's program not only provides a strong focus on international law but also offers students the opportunity to develop their understanding and expertise in law as a whole, as well as governance and business. With a strong emphasis on practical experience, the MIL cultivates a vibrant community of students and teachers.

The MIL Programme

• attracts students with various academic backgrounds. The MIL student body includes students who earned their first degrees in international affairs, management, economics, social sciences with some law dimension, and, of course, law, including law and economics.
• offers a broad curriculum blending a specialized legal education with politics and business, while emphasizing practice.
• opens the door to a wide array of attractive positions. It prepares students for professional careers in multinational corporations, government, diplomacy, international organizations, compliance and regulatory affairs, business consulting, law firms, NGOs as well as other public and private institutions. MIL graduates are not generally eligible to take the bar exam (admission to practice as an attorney), though.
• relies on a large, diverse, and dedicated faculty. The teachers of the MIL include members of the Law School and other Schools of the University of St.Gallen, but also expert practitioners and distinguished scholars from the best universities across the globe.
• emphasizes diversity in both student and teacher bodies. The MIL offers students a rich and diverse environment in which all students can thrive to the best of their abilities.
• encourages students to take advantage of the Law School‘s dedicated exchange programmes (including THEMIS) and the University’s vast network of exchange programmes including more than 200 universities worldwide.
• offers a double degree programme with the Fletcher School at Tufts University in Boston, U.S.A., and a possibility to combine the MIL with the one-year CEMS-Master in International Management (MIM) programme.

The MIL offers students enormous latitude and flexibility in choosing courses from the programme’s rich and diverse curriculum. This enables students to put together a degree course that meets their professional objectives and personal preferences. A distinctive feature of the MIL curriculum is the carefully arranged combination of compulsory courses and electives. Three compulsory courses ensure that students will acquire a sound general understanding of the normative and analytical framework of international law. 

learn more about the curriculum

The MIL combines a specialist legal education with aspects of politics and business. It has a strong practical dimension. The MIL attracts students from a variety of educational backgrounds. Some MIL students have earned their first degree in international affairs, management, or economics and now seek to hone their profile by adding a clear legal dimension. Other MIL students have taken their first degree in law or law & economics and strive for an international career that is not tied to the practice of domestic law. Interactions in classrooms benefit strongly from this diversity among students.

MIL students are often fascinated by the practical interplay of law, business, and politics. For MIL students, English is the language of their studies, work, and often private life. MIL students are frequently engaged in extra-curricular activities, both within the MIL community and outside.
MIL students benefit from the international dimension of the University of St. Gallen. They can draw on our vast network of partner universities, but also have access to the language courses, cultural studies, and students services the university offers.
 

The University of St. Gallen has an outstanding track record in getting its graduates into gainful employment. The MIL partakes in this success. MIL graduates often pursue steep careers in the public and the private sector.

The MIL opens the door to a wide array of attractive positions, preparing students for professional careers in multinational corporations, government, diplomacy, international organizations, business consulting, NGOs, and other private and public institutions.

The MIL is designed to offer its graduates an international perspective. MIL students often aspire to an international career in a global environment, rather than to practice as a local attorney-at-law. The MIL also opens the door to further academic studies, including the PhD programme of the Law School, subject to substantive requirements and the availability of PhD supervision.
Successful international careers may depend on multiple postgraduate factors, but the MIL offers its alumnae and alumni a lasting bond. The MIL community transcends the time of graduate studies at our university, offering lifelong union, friendship, and a firm place in the University of St. Gallen network.

learn more about the career opportunities

• A university degree that is recognised as equivalent, in the same or a similar major, with at least 180 credits (at least 30 credits in legal studies). 
• International students are admitted on the strength of the documents they submit. 
• Supplementary work may be required. 

learn more about the admission requirements

Our programme directors are happy to answer any questions you may have.

Feel free to contact our ambassadors on LinkedIn and discuss the MIL with them directly.