Master of Laws in International Law (LLM)

Q+A forum

A law degree with an international outlook 

International law is complex. In a quickly changing world with ever developing power structures,  lawyers and legal practitioners who work across borders need to think broadly and act decisively. 

Fletcher’s Master of Laws in International Law (LLM) equips you with the tools you need to rise to these challenges and become a leader in the field. 

Through its interdisciplinary focus, the LLM helps you investigate issues of international law while also building a foundation in political science, history, business, and economics. Learn about the interplay of international law, human rights, and gender from faculty with academic expertise and extensive real world experience. Or research how international trade policy can contribute to global climate goals.  

Through one-on-one faculty mentorship, professional support with the Office of Career Services, and a focused one-year degree, you’ll be ready to launch back into the workforce, whether in the public or private sector. 

Key features

  • One-year, full-time, residential program on Fletcher’s Boston-area campus
  • Faculty mentorship to personalize your studies 
  • Expansive international law course list spanning private and public international law
  • Interdisciplinary curriculum to help you consider international law multidimensionally 
  • High table series featuring presentations from experts in both the public and private sectors
  • Capstone project and retreat to culminate studies and engage with international legal practitioners
  • Research opportunities with the Center for International Law and Governance 
  • Cross-registration opportunities at Harvard and Tufts 

Join a fiercely motivated community

Degree requirements

LLM students take a total of eight courses during their year on campus. Customize your degree through your coursework and capstone project. 

    • 5-6 courses in international law and organizations (ILO)
    • 1 course in diplomacy, history, and politics (DHP)
    • 1 course in economics and international business (EIB)
  • Students attend lectures in this yearlong series. 

  • Students work on a final, written capstone project, which evidences scholarly and/or professional analysis informed by the sustained and appropriate application of analytical methodologies. Students work with a faculty advisor, and all LLM students participate in a capstone retreat at the end of the year to present summaries of their theses, reflect upon their studies, and engage in discussion with legal practitioners and scholars. 

Frequently asked questions

    • Successful applicants meet one of the following requirements

      • Hold a JD degree from an A.B.A. approved law school in the United States

      • Have completed in another country the university-based legal education required to take the bar examination in that country

      • Admitted to the bar and qualified to practice in another country.

  • No. Some states permit application to the bar by an applicant who does not hold a JD, if the applicant has taken a minimum number of credit hours in courses offered in a JD program in an ABA-approved law school and/or is qualified for the bar in a foreign jurisdiction. Rules for bar admission vary from state to state.

  • Yes. Students may pursue a joint degree with Fletcher's Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) program. A joint LLM/MALD degree requires 5 semesters to complete.

Need more info? Get in touch

Loading...