Universität des Saarlandes - Europa-Institut

The University

Saarland University was founded in November 1948 with the support of the French government and under the auspices of the University of Nancy.

Post World War II, the Saarland found itself in the special situation of being partly autonomous, yet linked to France by economic and monetary union. The consequent combination of German and French educational traditions and the availability of instruction in both languages, meant that the University had a European perspective right from the start. Moreover, the location of Saarbrücken within Germany, with its proximity to Luxembourg and France and its position as geographical centre of Europe, renders it an ideal location to study.

The Law School

The Europa-Institut was founded at Saarland University in 1951 and was the second institution of its kind in Europe.

The deep-rooted tradition of the Europa-Institut ensures our commitment to continuously offering our students high quality education. The ability to look back on nearly 60 years of experience in our field is no doubt a great benefit to our students today.

Moreover, the objectives established in our founding years are still valid today. Professor Angelloz (the first director of the Institute and second vice-chancellor of the University) stated the following as our task and aim: “to research the Europe of the future, to teach young people educated in the traditional manner of each different country about Europe, to provide a European-thinking educator for all these countries and, perhaps before long, to produce Europe’s driving forces.”

The Europa-Institut today focuses on European law and international law with the possibility of specializing in European Economic Law, Foreign Trade, European Management, European Media Law, European Protection of Human Rights and European Private Law.

The Program

The Master's Program "European Integration" is divided into a nine-month teaching period and a three-month period for preparation of the Master’s thesis. The teaching period constitutes basic courses, specialized courses and seminars. Each course is assessed by a written or oral test. The Master's degree can be completed entirely in the English language, entirely in the German language or in a combination of both, depending on the desired specialization.

The "basic courses" deal mainly with institutional European law and substantive European law of a general nature.

The "specialized courses" allow for specialization in one or more of the six study units: European Economic Law, Foreign Trade, European Management, European Media Law, European Protection of Human Rights and European Private Law.

European Economic Law

The courses convey sound knowledge of the general framework that characterizes economic activity in the European Community (the Economic and Monetary Union, Banking Law and European Tax Law). Students may additionally opt to deepen their knowledge of more particular regulations to which activities in the EU can be subject (e.g. European Competition Law, Economic and Competition Policy) or which can accompany such activities (e.g. Intellectual Property Law).
The concerns of economic globalization are additionally taken into account in courses where the subject matter goes beyond EC boundaries.

Foreign Trade

The special study unit on foreign trade deals with economic globalization in the areas of trade, investment and capital transactions. Lectures dealing with Foreign Trade Law of the EU and member states, with GATS and the service sector, with TRIPS and the harmonization of trade laws, and with international monetary policy or international economic sanctions, constitute both the more general courses and those that delve further into the theory of foreign trade and into economic analysis of law.

European Management

Courses in European Management take place in cooperation with the MBA-Program of the Europa-Institut (Sektion Wirtschaftswissenschaften). Students learn about, inter alia, management tactics, marketing and human resources. The needs of the economy, international law firms, national administrations, European Institutions and International Organizations are also taken into account.

European Media Law

Electronic media constitutes an important domain today, its significance increasing continuously. The main focus of this unit of specialization is directed towards legal questions pertaining to the Internet, e-commerce and online multi-media offers. The specifics of other electronic communication forms, such as broadcasting and telecommunications, are also on the agenda. There are also courses available that deal with the printed media, law of the fine arts or photo and film law.

European Protection of Human Rights

Participants of courses of this study unit are familiarized with the main features, limits and developments in Human Rights Protection and trained to apply this knowledge practically for the future. This unit centers on the development and realization of human rights in Public International Law and in multilateral contracts, on the relationship between the European Community and the European Convention of Human Rights and on the practice of the European Court of Justice for Human Rights in Strasbourg.

European Private Law

The study unit European Private Law centers on examination of the relevant harmonizing measures in place and their consequent impact on the law of the member states. Conflict of laws, which is relevant to areas of private law which have not been harmonized within the EU, will also be covered (focusing particularly on the application of Rome I and Rome III), as will international civil procedure law (especially with regard to the Brussels I and II Regulations).

The Master’s Thesis

The prerequisite for writing the Master’s thesis is the successful completion of the study program. The thesis constitutes an independent exposition in the field of European or International Law and is awarded with fifteen credit points. Students have three months to write their thesis, once they have officially registered to do so. As soon as the thesis has been successfully graded by a nominated lecturer, the title "Master of European Law" (LL.M.) is awarded. Students are free to choose when to start working on their Master’s thesis. Thus, the thesis can also be written at a later date, for instance whilst in employment.

The Faculty

The quality of the education offered at the Europa-Institut results in a vast number of our graduates being employed in top positions in European institutions, international organizations, law firms, national governments and top business enterprises.

The Master's degree qualifies as a model program for European studies: it has been officially approved, and is supported by, the German Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Federal Ministry of Education, Science Research and Technology, the European Commission and the “Stifterverband für die Deutsche Wissenschaft.”

The lecturers at the Europa-Institut guarantee a highly practical and professional approach to their respective subjects. Along with professors based at Saarland University, we have guest lecturers from an array of countries, top officials from all major European institutions such as the Commission, the Council, the European Parliament and the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg and leading personalities from the judiciary, administration, political sector and the business realm. Among our lecturers are the former German judge at the European Court of Justice, who is currently President of the German Federal Supreme Court, the former German Advocate General at the European Court of Justice, the former German judge at the European Court of Human Rights in Strasbourg and the Registrar of the Civil Service Tribunal. Courses are also taught by lawyers from leading international law firms such as Norton Rose, Baker & McKenzie and Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. A great additional advantage is therefore the opportunity our students have to establish direct contact to top level professionals in Europe, a fact that often leads to the attainment of highly sought-after internships and thus constitutes a great step towards promising careers.

Apart from the multi-lingual characteristics of the curriculum offered, it is the mixture of students and lecturers that further emphasizes the internationality of the Europa-Institut. Renowned lecturers from all over the world teach students from over 30 different countries, allowing for a real polyglot flair to the Europa-Institut.

For a third party commentary on our program, please consult the article from Die Welt on:
www.welt.de/welt_print/article1894489/Aufbauendes_…

Entry Requirements

The requirements for admission to the LL.M. program "European Integration" at the Europa- Institut are as follows:

• a university degree in law, or in a comparable subject, from a German or foreign university and
• for the German LL.M. Program: proof of sound knowledge of German, as well as basic knowledge of the English or French language.
• for the English LL.M. Program: proof of sound knowledge of the English language, with basic knowledge of German being an advantage.
• for the combined English/German LL.M Programme: proof of sound knowledge of both the English and German language.

N.B.: It is not necessary to commit in advance to one of the three options. This means that if language skills are developed over the duration of the stay, it is possible to opt to combine English and German classes at that stage.

Application Procedure

The international LL.M. program “European Integration” begins in the autumn, usually in mid-October, with the winter term.

The deadline for applications is July 15th, although late applications may be accepted until September 30th, subject to the availability of places.
Applicants who have already obtained their full university degree by spring are encouraged to apply by April 1st.

The number of available places is limited to 75. Candidates are selected on the basis of academic record, motivation and criteria applied to their specialized field of study.

The application form can be downloaded from our homepage and is available under the following link:

europainstitut.de/euin/aktuell/download/AntragaufZ…

Tuition and Fees

The tuition fees amount to 4,000 € per academic year (2,000 € per semester).

An additional administrative fee (currently € 130) is payable to Saarland University. Payment of this fee entitles students to an ID-Card, which authorizes free use of public transportation within the Saarland and accident insurance. In addition, it confirms student status and can therefore be used to obtain student discounts.

Financial Aid

Where applicants from Eastern European countries are concerned, three full scholarships are made available by the German State Department. If you wish to be considered for these, please state this expressly in your application to the Europa-Institut. The deadline for submission is July 15th.

The Fulbright Commission (Berlin) awards scholarships for attending the Europa-Institut. Please see www.fulbright.de for further information.

Students from all over the world may apply for a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (Deutscher Akademischer Auslandsdienst, DAAD). Information concerning the latter is available at the local branches of the DAAD or at German diplomatic representations abroad. Further information can be obtained from the DAAD homepage, on: www.daad.de/en/index.html

In addition, numerous scholarships are granted to applicants by the governments or state departments of their home countries. Searching locally for grants is therefore always a good place to start.

Location

The Europa-Institut is part of Saarland University, a campus university located close to the city centre of Saarbrücken.

Saarbrücken can be summarized as being a very pleasant and active city to live in. Due to its proximity to France, the locals have in many ways adopted the French way of life, as can be seen when strolling around the picturesque St. Johanner Markt with its many cafés on a sunny afternoon.

However, although the city has much to offer in itself, exploring other attractive destinations is never a difficult task due to its central location. The cities of Metz and Luxembourg, for example, are within an hour of Saarbrücken, and both well worth a visit. Paris can be reached in under 2 hours by TGV or ICE, and, for a less ‘cosmopolitan’ feel, the pretty villages of Alsace or Lorraine are only a stone's throw away.

Accommodation

The Europa-Institut assists students with finding accommodation. Private estate agents and the student council (Studentenwerk) are also useful.

Student accommodation is available for approx. € 200-250 per calendar month. Living expenses will of course depend on lifestyle choices, but should not total more than € 500-600.

Student Life

Saarland University offers its students a range of activities to participate in. Apart from the numerous parties and get-togethers organized by students and held both on and off campus, the University provides students with the possibility of participating (generally even free of charge!) in different kinds of sporting activities, cultural activities, including theatre groups, the university orchestra, choir or cinema society, and language or other additional skills courses, as well as offering membership of international student societies such as ELSA and AIESEC.

Excursions to the Institutions of the European Union and other International Institutions in Brussels, Strasbourg, Luxembourg, The Hague and Geneva form an integral part of the study program, as do interactive academic events such as moot courts, modeled both on the European Court of Justice and on the arbitration proceedings of the WTO, and EUROSIM, the annual simulation of European decision-making processes which is held by the Europa-Institut in cooperation with a consortium of universities from the State of New York and Europe.

With a student population of approximately 20,000, life in Saarbrücken offers a variety of pastimes. For those who are nocturnal, the city offers several nightclubs, a wide variety of bars and numerous international restaurants. For those who enjoy the fresh air, the many beer gardens and grassy areas around the river "Saar" have much to offer. Where culture is concerned, Saarbrücken is home to the main theatre and opera house of the Saarland, the Staatstheater, as well as to numerous small theatres, including those specializing in more ‘arty’ and original performances. In addition, summer time is festival time, meaning that a range of events for a variety of ages are on offer during the summer months.