FAQ

Yes, you can apply without evidence of language proficiency or if you have not yet completed your degree.  We do issue conditional offers of acceptance which are conditional on fulfilling the language competency requirement and/or completing your degree. Please note that evidence of language proficiency will strengthen your application.  Evidence of language proficiency or of completing the degree should be provided by 1 August. If you will only have that evidence at a later date please contact admissions to discuss your situation.

No.

Students are responsible for securing the student visa through the local Belgian consulate.  The local Belgian consulate is your primary source of information and should be contacted for the most up to date information. We can sometimes answer basic questions but do not have the most up to date information.

Yes.  Admitted students are put in contact with the team at the ULB who can help you create a Blocked Account by depositing funds in a blocked account which is administered by the ULB.  The ULB will then transfer a monthly amount to you for your living expenses as per the blocked account agreement.

Please click here for additional information:
Information about blocked accounts

Yes.

Yes, tuition fees are EUR 6900 for all students.

Please contact us directly if you would like to request a payment plan.

The LL.M. is entirely in English thus no French is required.  A bit of French can be helpful for living in Brussels but it is entirely possible to manage without French.  As an international city, many people in Brussels do understand English.

You are only eligible for the LL.M. if the bachelor in your home country provides access to the bar such as in the U.K.  If you are required to complete a Master to have access to your bar then you should only apply for the LL.M. after completing your Master.  In exceptional cases, a student with a bachelor which does not provide access to the bar (for example University College in The Netherlands) may be admitted if the student has native level English, superior academic results and does not intend to qualify.

If you completed university law courses  (5 ECTS) in English during an Erasmus exchange this will satisfy the language proficiency requirement.

 Please see the welcome guide for international students for helpful information: https://www.ulb.be/en/incoming-mobility/practical-information-for-incoming-students

At the very beginning of the academic year we organize an information session with a “mutuelle” in Belgium which will help you organize medical coverage for a modest cost (or for free in the case of Europeans). 

We do not provide housing for students but the ULB does have a housing office which can provide assistance and guidance in securing housing.  Students find housing with private landlords and also in affiliated private student residences. Students can contact the housing office for more information: du.logement@ulb.be.

LL.M. students can enroll in private classes through F9 (www.f9languages.eu).

The LL.M. is designed to be a full-time course of study and the workload is demanding. Subject to limitations in a student visa for those requiring a visa, students may work part-time during the LL.M. understanding that they will also need to manage a busy academic load.   It is not possible to work full-time while pursuing the LL.M.

LL.M. classes meet daily for 3 hours in the afternoon.  Generally, they meet from 15-18h but this may change from year to year or from class to class.  Students enroll in an optional class that will meet at another time of day.

The LL.M aims to enroll approximately 35 students each academic year.

Yes, attendance is mandatory because assessments are based partially on in class participation and activities.

Students may complete an internship in place of completing an optional course.  Students are responsible for securing their internship and we recommend that students seek this out before the start of the LL.M.  The internship must be for 90 hours and is unpaid.

Every year we enroll students from around the world. In a typical year we will have students from at least 20 different countries (European and non-European) and 4 continents enrolled.

LL.M. candidates who successfully complete the programme are awarded a LL.M. in International Business Law, signed by the Rector of the Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB).

The LL.M., which is organized by the department of continuing education, is recognized in the French Community of Belgium as higher education. It is a level 7 (master level) university programme conferring 60 ECTS organized within the framework and according to the modalities imposed by the law of the French Community of Belgium and recognized as such in Belgium. The LL.M. programme is accredited by the Academy of Research and Higher Education, namely the accreditation body in the French Community of Belgium.

The LL.M. certificate confirming that the progamme has been successfully completed is issued in accordance with the laws of the French Community of Belgium, without conferring an academic rank (which means that under Belgian laws and regulations, the LL.M. does not qualify for access to the Belgian bar or to regulated legal professions in Belgium, though the LL.M. is a recognized higher education programme delivering 60 ECTS at master level which is equivalent to many masters and LL.M. programmes around the world).

The ECTS, or European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, allows credits taken at one higher education institution to be counted towards a qualification studied for at another within the countries of the Higher European Education Area, and is used as the national credit system within most of these countries. One ECTS credit corresponds to 30 hours of work. The workload for an academic year is set at 60 credits.

The LL.M. does not provide automatic access to a PhD, but the 60 ECTS credits earned qualify towards the 300 ECTS credits required for access to a PhD in Belgium.

Students who wish to seek the academic recognition of the LL.M. in their home institutions or countries are advised to seek information on such recognition before enrolling.

The ECTS, or European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System, allows credits taken at one higher education institution to be counted towards a qualification studied for at another within the countries of the Higher European Education Area, and is used as the national credit system within most of these countries. One ECTS credit corresponds to 30 hours of work. The workload for an academic year is set at 60 credits. The LL.M. does not as such provide automatic access to a PhD, but the 60 ECTS credits qualify towards the 300 ECTS credits required for access to a PhD in Belgium. Students who wish to seek the academic recognition of the programme in their home institutions or countries are advised to seek information on such recognition before enrolling.

No. Blocked accounts can only be used for students who are currently enrolled in the LL.M.

No, the LL.M. certificate is accompanied by an official transcript of results.

Not on the basis only of the LL.M.  However, some students who are qualified lawyers in their home country, may be eligible to register on the “E-List” or “B-list” of the French speaking or Flemish community bar.  Please consult them for further information.

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