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Magister Juris Internationalis

Magister/Magistra of International Law (Magister/Magistra Juris Internationalis – MJI)

Overview

Überblick: Allgemein

The subject of jurisprudence is the study and interpretation of historical and current legal regulations and other legal texts. The Law degree programme at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU) teaches students the methods of thinking and working in law, the historical, social, economic and philosophical foundations of law and knowledge of the compulsory subjects, including the regulations for legal proceedings. The compulsory subjects cover the three major areas of German law:  

  • Civil law governs the relationships between natural persons or legal entities with the same legal status. In addition to a general section, this includes the law of obligations, property law, family law and inheritance law.
  • Public law regulates the relationship between the holders of state authority and the subjects of private law as well as legal aspects of the organisation and function of the state. This includes, for example, fundamental rights, state organisation law and administrative law.
  • Criminal law comprises the legal norms by which certain actions are prohibited and subject to sanctions.

The Magister/Magistra in International Law (Magister/Magistra Juris Internationalis - MJI) is a law degree programme with an additional focus on the areas of international and European legal relations and comparative law. It is partly identical to the Law degree programme leading to the first examination. However, unlike this programme, it does not lead to the preparatory legal service or the 2nd state examination. Graduates are therefore not ‘fully qualified lawyers’ and cannot work as judges, public prosecutors or lawyers. If you wish to pursue one of these activities, you must have successfully completed the Law degree programme with the first examination, the preparatory service and the second state examination.

The Magister/Magistra degree programme in International Law can be studied

  • independently,
  • parallel to the Law degree programme with completion of the first examination as a double degree programme or
  • following the Law degree programme with completion of the first examination.
Überblick: Das Besondere bei uns

What makes us special

The law degree programme in Giessen is characterised by a favourable ratio of teachers to students and, above all, by the ‘Giessen model’, i.e. intensive small group work with the responsible participation of students (management of working groups). As a result, the programme remains streamlined and manageable. A large number of practitioners (e.g. judges, lawyers, administrative lawyers) who are closely connected to the faculty are involved in the teaching programme. They provide students with a professional perspective on the law during their studies. The practical orientation of the department is also documented by the regular organisation of practitioner seminars in labour law, environmental law and criminology.

Überblick: Das sollten Sie mitbringen

What you should bring with you

The development of the extensive subject matter through complex legal texts and case studies requires abstract thinking skills as well as the ability to work independently, in a structured and focussed manner over longer periods of time. Furthermore, lawyers are expected to have impeccable written and oral expression and argumentation skills. An interest in social, economic and socio-political issues is also a prerequisite for successfully studying law.

For students on this degree programme, the three-semester specialist language course ‘Legal English’ is offered. More...

Number of students

There are 39 students enrolled on the Master's degree programme in International Law (as of winter semester 2020/21).
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Composition of the Study Programme

Studienaufbau

Duration of Studies

The planned period of study up to the examination comprises eight semesters. Of these, at least two semesters must be studied at JLU. In addition, students must complete a study programme at foreign academic law institutions, which corresponds to a total of one academic year.

Programme content

The Magister/Magistra degree programme in International Law is in part identical to the Law degree programme leading to the first examination.

  • The planned period of study leading up to the examination is eight semesters.
  • The programme includes the compulsory subjects from civil, public and criminal law in accordance with §7 of the Lawyers' Training Act (JAG).
  • Proof of performance must be provided in a course on the fundamentals of law (history of law, philosophy or sociology of law).
  • An intermediate examination must be passed. It consists of eight written examinations, six of which must be passed after six semesters at the latest.
  • The subject of the written examinations are:
  • In civil law, the general part of the German Civil Code (BGB AT), the law of obligations with a focus on statutory obligations and the law of obligations with a focus on contractual obligations,
  • in public law, fundamental rights, state organisation law and the general part of administrative law, and
  • in Criminal Law: Criminal Law Special Part I and Criminal Law Special Part II

There are also some differences to the Law degree programme with a first examination:

  • As part of the Magister/Magistra in International Law programme, students must complete a course of study at foreign academic law institutions that corresponds to a total of one academic year.
  • During the first four semesters, students should take part in a one-semester foreign language course within or outside the JLU Faculty of Law in preparation for the planned study abroad programme.
  • Only two of the three exercises for advanced students in civil law, public law and criminal law must be completed. In each exercise, a term paper and a written examination must be passed with at least a sufficient grade.
  • In addition, successful participation in an international, European or comparative law seminar must be demonstrated. This proof can also be provided abroad.
  • If the specialisation area ‘European and International Law’ is not studied for the first examination in the degree programme, knowledge of international and European law must be demonstrated as part of a supplementary course of two semesters.

The study periods and coursework completed in the Law degree programme with completion of the first examination can be fully credited to the M.J.I. degree programme.

Final examinations

If the Magister/Magistra in International Law programme is studied independently, i.e. without the Law degree programme leading to the first examination, the Magister examination consists of the following components:

  • Firstly, a written examination must be taken. This consists of three written exams of five hours each and includes one exam each from civil law, public law and criminal law.
  • If the written examination is passed, the Master's thesis follows, which must be written on an international, European or comparative topic from the field of law.
  • If the Master's thesis is also passed, the defence follows. Questions on the thesis are asked within a maximum of one hour.

Each part of the examination (Master's thesis, written examination and oral examination) must be passed with at least a sufficient grade. To calculate the overall grade, the grades of the examination parts are added together and the total divided by three.

The Law degree programme with a first examination comprises the study of compulsory subjects and a university specialisation area. The first examination consists of six written examinations and one oral examination in the state compulsory subject area and one term paper and one oral examination in the university specialisation area. If the Magister/Magistra in International Law degree programme is studied parallel to or following the Law degree programme with a first examination, the student may be exempted from the written examination upon application.

To calculate the overall grade, the grades for the Master's thesis, oral examinations (discussion of the Master's thesis and examination on European and international law) and the first examination are added together and the total is divided by three.

Application

Zulassungsvoraussetzungen

Commencement of Studies

In the winter and summer semester

Admission requirements

Admission requirement for the course is the general higher education entrance qualification (Abitur) or a previous qualification recognised as equivalent.

The application should be accompanied by a certificate stating that a study counselling session  has taken place at the Examination Office of the JLU Faculty of Law.

The Magister/Magistra Juris Internationalis programme can no longer be chosen if the applicant has definitively failed the intermediate examination, the MJI examination or a comparable domestic or foreign legal examination.

Application/Enrolment

The degree programme is admission-free. No GPA (NC) requirements apply.
The enrolment period for the winter semester starts at the beginning of June and for the summer semester at the beginning of December.

Different rules may apply to international applicants. More...

 

Career Options

Perspektiven

Perspectives

The Master's degree programme in International Law is designed to enable students to pursue a legal career with a special focus on international or European areas based on the acquisition of legal knowledge and methods.

Contact

Kontakt

Student counselling

Examination Office Law

Dr. jur. Volker Stiebig, Managing Director of the Examination Office
Licher Str. 60
35394 Gießen

Tel.: 0641 - 99 21104
Fax: 0641 - 99 21109
Volker.Stiebig@recht.uni-giessen.de

Office hours: Tuesdays and Thursdays 10-12 and by arrangement

Examination Office Law

Contact

Central Student Services

Counsellor at the Central Student Advisory Service (ZSB):
Frank Uhlmann
(Dipl. Sozialw.)

Student Services