Degree Requirements
Applicants must hold a Law degree, or an inter-disciplinary degree in which law was a major component. Applicants must have achieved at least an upper second class honours or equivalent.
Applicants holding a Graduate Diploma in Law (60 ECTS Credits) may be considered but will normally be admitted only where they can show an exceptionally strong performance in both their undergraduate degree and diploma.
Exemption from these requirements may be given to those with significant, relevant, practical experience or those with a graduate qualification at Masters level or higher in a relevant discipline. Such applicants should state clearly in their application why they feel their qualifications/experiences are appropriate for admission to the programme.
These are the minimum entry requirements – additional criteria may be requested for some programmes
English Language Requirements
Applicants whose first language is not English must submit satisfactory evidence of competence in written and spoken English, i.e. overall IELTS 6.5 (including a minimum of 6.5 in the reading and writing parts and no part below 6.0) or 90 in the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum of 22 (reading) and 24 (writing) and no part below 20.) The test results must be less than 2 years old.
The School encourages all applicants whose first language is not English to attend the pre-sessional English programme offered by the UCD Applied Language Centre, details of which are available at
An in-depth knowledge of international commercial law is invaluable to anyone with ambitions to practise law at the highest level, either as in-house counsel or in an international law firm. If you undertake this Masters it will equip with a number of key skills, including how to: Apply your knowledge and understanding of international commercial law, and your problem-solving abilities, in diverse legal environments. Have the intellectual toolkit required to research and write a major dissertation. Integrate source material from a variety of disciplinary areas to reach reasoned decisions about the relative status of competing claims to knowledge. Unpack complex legal arguments and to render intelligible to a non-specialist audience, key disciplinary insights. Use knowledge of substantive law to critique arguments and reach conclusions on whether - and how - the law in this field may be in need of reform. The LLM in International Commercial Law is highly regarded by employers and has been the basis for many successful careers across the world. It is particularly useful for graduates wishing to practise with specialist corporate law firms or with the ambition to work as an in-house legal adviser. Potential employers include the many global corporate law firms was bases in Dublin, London and throughout the world. As Dublin grows as a digital hub in Europe, the many technology companies with Head Offices in Dublin are also prospective employers for graduates from this highly valued Masters. Masters students in UCD Sutherland School of Law can benefit from engaging both with the UCD Careers Network and the Head of Career Development in the School. There are careers events hosted through the academic year and a specific Law Fair every October where Domestic and International Employers come on campus to meet with students. Below is a list of all modules offered for this degree in the current academic year. Click on the module to discover what you will learn in the module, how you will learn and assessment feedback profile amongst other information. Incoming Stage 1 undergraduates can usually select an Elective in the Spring Trimester. Most continuing undergraduate students can select up to two Elective modules (10 Credits) per stage. There is also the possibility to take up to 10 extra Elective credits.