National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway

The University

Established in 1845 as Queen's College Galway, NUI Galway is one of Ireland's foremost centres of academic excellence. With over 15,000 students, it has a long established reputation of teaching and research excellence in each of its seven faculties - Law, Arts, Science, Commerce, Engineering, Celtic Studies, and Medicine & Health Sciences.

The Law School

The Faculty of Law is comprised of full-time professors and lecturers, together with part-time teaching staff who are academics specialising in particular subject-areas or practising solicitors and barristers. There are approximately 450 students studying law to degree level. Faculty links with Universities in Europe and in the United States afford interested students the opportunity to pursue part of their law studies abroad. Students of the Faculty also participate in moot trial competitions at both national and international level, and the student law society is active in organising guest lectures and debates.

The Program

The Masters programmes in law (LL.M.) in NUI, Galway are available either by research and presentation of thesis, or by taught courses. The normal duration for a research masters is two years. Candidates must usually be university graduates in law. The regulations of the University also provide for higher research degrees of Doctor of Laws (LL.D.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.).

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Human Rights and Peace Support

The Masters in International Peace Support Operations is a one-year programme of full-time study, combining two semesters of course work and the preparation of a dissertation. It may also be completed part-time, over a longer period. It aims to prepare graduates for work in the field of international peace support operations, with international organizations, non-governmental organizations and as individual advocates.

The course work begins with a general introduction to international peacekeeping and peace support operations, and proceeds to a series of specialized courses in such areas as international relations and international organizations, international humanitarian law, refugee law, conflict and post conflict studies, and international criminal law.

Further information is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Programmes/peace_operations_llm.html.

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Criminal Law

From September 2008, the Irish Centre for Human Rights will offer a new Masters programme in International Criminal Law.

Designed and delivered by experts unrivalled in the field, the LL.M. in International Criminal Law at the Irish Centre for Human Rights will provide students with an advanced understanding of the history and institutional structures of the various international criminal tribunals and the International Criminal Court. It will equip students with an in-depth knowledge of the principles of international criminal law and its component crimes and procedural issues, while also allowing them to develop a critical approach to the alternatives in international criminal justice, such as truth commissions.

The LL.M. in International Criminal Law is typically a one-year Masters programme that involves two semesters of courses and the preparation of a dissertation, although it is also available on a part-time basis over two years. The degree of Master of Law in International Criminal Law is awarded by the Faculty of Law at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Further information is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Programmes/criminal.html.

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in International Human Rights

The Law Faculty offers a taught LL.M. in International Human Rights Law which is run under the auspices of the Irish Centre for Human Rights. The programme is designed for human rights practitioners, lawyers, public servants, peacekeepers and others interested in the growing field of human rights. It involves course work and a dissertation, and may be taken as a one-year full-time course, or by part-time study over a longer period.

The programme aims to prepare graduates for work in the field of international human rights, with international organisations, non-governmental organisations and as individual advocates. The course work begins with a general introduction to the systems and documents of international law, and proceeds to a series of specialised courses in such areas as economic and social rights, regional human rights systems, equality rights violations, international labour standards, refugees and asylum seekers and international humanitarian law.

Further information is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/Programmes/hr_llm.html.

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Law, Technology and Governance

The LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance offers students an innovative and internationally focused programme dealing with law, commercial activity, science and technology and how they intersect. This course is unique in its treatment of the area. The mandatory modules in regulation, governance and enterprise provide an overall framework, giving coherence to the degree and bringing out the common themes. The optional modules deal with topics at the core of current concerns for those working with technology in law, business and government.

Full information is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/law/postgrad/llm_ltg.html.

Master of Laws (LL.M.) in Public Law

The Master of Laws in Public Law is a one year programme of full-time study, comprising two semesters of course work and the preparation of a dissertation. It is designed for graduates who wish to work in the field of Public Law with government and non-governmental organisations at national and international level, as well as in private practice, especially with respect to Public Interest Litigation. This course is now also available part-time over two years.

Full information is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/law/postgrad/llm_public/index.html.

The Faculty

Faculty members are engaged in research in a number of fields including human rights, legal theory, criminal law, commercial law, information technology law and media law. The centres of research excellence affiliated to the School of Law include the Irish Centre for Human Rights, the Marine Law & Ocean Policy Centre and the Centre for Disability Law and Policy.

The Irish Centre for Human Rights, while part of the Faculty, has its own prestigious new premises at Salmon Weir. Research projects, international conferences and guest lectures are organised under the auspices of the Centre.

Entry Requirements

Candidates must usually be university graduates in law. Please consult the web pages for individual programmes for details of their requirements.

Application Procedure

All applications for postgraduate programmes, both taught and research, are now made via the Postgraduate Applications Centre at http://www.pac.ie. Answers to common queries can be found in the frequently asked questions section.

Tuition and Fees

Details of tuition costs and fees are available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/fees/.

Location

The Law Faculty,
National University of Ireland, Galway,
University Road,
Galway,
Ireland.

Accommodation

Information on accommodation, including student residences, is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/accommodation/.

Student Life

The University's prime location on the banks of the River Corrib provides students with excellent opportunities to take part in all water sports, from rowing to kayaking to canoeing. Wind-surfing, sailing and a swimming pool are available nearby in Salthill, while the mountains and hills of Connemara are easily accessible for those interested in mountaineering, hill-walking and orienteering.

The University's indoor and outdoor Sports and Recreation Centres offer tennis and squash courts, Olympic handball courts, gymnasium, badminton, volleyball and basketball courts, table tennis, boxing, karate and aerobics. Playing fields are available for other sports e.g. hockey, rugby and football, while provision is also made for horse-riding and golf.

"Pleasant is the life of the scholar", says one of Ireland's old bardic poems, and indeed the student's life can be greatly enhanced by taking part in some of the many social and recreational activities on offer at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

There are more than fifty societies and thirty athletic clubs on campus which cater for a wide variety of interests.

The University also houses one of the main musical venues in the west of Ireland - the Aula Maxima recital room hosts a varied programme of internationally renowned classical, traditional and contemporary Irish musicians throughout the year.

Information on the life of graduate students in Galway is available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/graduate_studies/graduate_life.html.

Summer Program

Each year, the Irish Centre for Human Rights offers two highly acclaimed summer school programmes on the International Criminal Court and on Minority Rights.

The week-long summer school programmes offer participants a unique chance to immerse themselves in two increasingly important areas of international criminal law and international human rights law, and to benefit from the knowledge of an unrivalled panel of experts. Each of the intensive programmes also includes a variety of social activities that allow participants to network with each other and the panel in a relaxed and friendly environment, ensuring the programmes are instructive and enjoyable.

Details are available at http://www.nuigalway.ie/human_rights/summer_schools.html.