International Financial Regulation and Corporate Law LLM

Overview

The Brunel International Financial Regulation and Corporate Law LLM is designed for graduates interested in specialising in the growing field of financial regulation and corporate law in an international context.

Our programme, one of the few of its kind in the UK, will give you a solid grounding in the principles, procedures and practices underpinning international financial services regulation and the opportunity, through our range of elective modules, to tailor your studies to your legal interests and career objectives.

As financial services become increasingly global, and with the effects of Brexit on the sector still unknown, employers are looking for job candidates with the specialist skills required to stay on top of the changing regulatory environment. Your International Financial Regulation and Corporate Law LLM will give you that expertise and help you improve your career prospects whether in a law practice, the industry itself or academia.

You can explore our campus and facilities for yourself by taking our virtual tour.

Course content

The International Financial Regulation and Corporate Law LLM consists of compulsory and optional modules and a 15,000 word dissertation on a legal topic of your choice.

Full-time students should complete four modules per term, excluding the dissertation.
Part-time students should complete two modules per term, excluding the dissertation.

You can gain valuable work experience while studying postgraduate law at Brunel. Optional work placements (6-12 months) and internships (4-12 weeks) are available and you can choose to start your course in January or September and study full-time or part-time, depending on your needs and specific requirements.

Year 1

Compulsory

LX5500 - Dissertation
A 15,000 word assignment to enable you to acquire a well-developed knowledge and understanding of an area of law within the scope of your programme and to improve skills in legal research and writing.
LX5663 - Comparative Corporate Law
This module deals with key issues of corporate law from an international perspective and focuses on theoretical and practical underpinnings of modern corporations that are applicable across the globe.
LX5609 - Theory of International Financial Regulation
This module addresses the function and significance of national and international financial markets; the international legal framework for international financial markets; the role of international financial organisations; and national financial regulation in a global context.
LX5664 - Principles of Corporate Law
This module builds on a general understanding of the foundations of UK corporate law and examines particular topics, in particular corporate governance, protection of minority shareholders and directors’ duties.
LX5619 - Practice of International Financial Regulation
This module addresses the function and significance of national and international financial markets; the international legal framework for international financial markets; the role of international financial organisations; and national financial regulation in a global context.
LX5672 - Corporate Responsibility, Sustainability and ESG
The module examines and critically analyses corporate responsibility, and the requirements of Sustainability and ESG in modern business and the international dimensions of these concepts.

Optional

LX5617 - Principles of International Commercial Arbitration
Providing an understanding of the general principles of international arbitration and a comparison of the main alternative dispute resolution processes – arbitration, mediation and adjudication, this module allows you to critically analyse the use of arbitration to resolve international business and commercial disputes.
LX5613 - World Trade Organisation (WTO) Law
Providing a thorough understanding of the basic rules in the world trading system under the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and considering them in their economic, historical and political context. This module allows you to critically analyse the theoretical and political bases of trade liberalisation and the institutional background to the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and the WTO.
LX5616 - Privacy and Data Protection
This module aims to provide you with essential knowledge about the theoretical rationales and policy arguments for both privacy and data protection.
LX5624 - Internet Law I - Substantive Legal Issues
This module intends to examine the nature of the Internet and its impact on commerce. It covers subjective legal issues of Internet Law and it analyses relevant international regulatory framework in response to the development of new technologies.
LX5528 - International Environmental Law
This module allows you to study and assess the core legal provisions and principles relating to the environmental law of the International community of States and the European Union, and to study and assess developments in specific areas or sectors of concerned with environmental protection.
LX5658 Banking and Tech Law
Recently, banks and other financial institutions have made considerable investments in financial technologies. This is inevitably changing the industry from a business and regulatory perspective. This module will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of the interplay between the banking industry and the technological world.
LX5666 Artificial Intelligence, Law and Ethics
This module is designed to explore the legal and ethical concerns raised by AI and innovations centred on it. It covers topics including the ethical compatibility of AI-driven decisions, AI and Credit Scoring, AI and Public Law including Administrative and Judicial Decisions. The aim of the module is to provide students a solid understanding of the most significant legal, policy and ethical debates in these area by examining advanced literature, statutes, judicial and administrative decisions and soft laws (guidelines and recommendations).
LX5655 International Commercial Law
In this module you will be introduced to the general framework of international commercial law, the law of international sale contracts and related matters, including cross-border dispute resolution, transport, and broader social concerns such as labour and corruption.
LX5652 - Principles of International Investment Arbitration
This module aims to provide an understanding of the law governing international investment arbitration.
LX5671 - International Cultural Heritage Law - Comparative and International Perspectives
The module provides an overview of different international and regional legal tools which could be deployed for the protection of cultural heritage.
LX5649 - International Dispute Settlement
The main focus of the module will be on the private international law problems that will arise in a context of commercial disputes with an international element. The specific objectives of the course are to provide advanced instructions in several aspects of private international law that are of particular relevance to international commercial litigation, and to examine critically jurisdictional rules that will be applied by the courts in respect of commercial disputes with an international element.
LX5625 - Internet Law II - Resolving Internet-related Legal Issues and Disputes
This module intends to examine the nature of the Internet-related legal issues and its impact on finding appropriate dispute resolution methods to revolve them effectively. It discusses possible solutions to the contemporary/topical legal issues and provides detailed and critical discussion on both the theoretical and practical aspects of dispute resolutions that are geared to correspond with those contemporary legal issues.
LX5657 Governance, Regulation and Compliance
This module will introduce you to the foundations of compliance in a financial institution and financial department of a corporation, while also providing a comprehensive inspection of governance and regulatory risk approaches.

This course has a placement option. Find out more about work placements available.

Please note that all modules are subject to change.

Read more about the structure of postgraduate degrees at Brunel

Careers and your future

You will leave Brunel with a firm grounding in law and with solid legal knowledge, allowing you to be flexible in your future choices. While many of our students specialise to enhance their legal practice work, others are sought after by government agencies, the private commercial sector (such as in-house lawyers) and non-governmental organisations where a background in commercial law is valued.

Our students in recent years went on to pursue careers in range of high-profile organisations such as Dentons, White and Case LLP, Lloyds Banking Group, European Parliament, ECDC- Ocean Accelerator Inc. and Patent and Trademark Clinic (PTC).

UK entry requirements

A 2:2 (or above) UK Honours degree, or equivalent internationally recognised qualification, in Law or related discipline including International Relations, Political Science, Criminology, Criminal Justice, Finance, Accounting and Business.

EU and International entry requirements

Select your country

If you require a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK, you must prove knowledge of the English language so that we can issue you a Certificate of Acceptance for Study (CAS). To do this, you will need an IELTS for UKVI or Trinity SELT test pass gained from a test centre approved by UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI) and on the Secure English Language Testing (SELT) list. This must have been taken and passed within two years from the date the CAS is made.

English language requirements

IELTS: 6.5 (min 6 in all areas)
Pearson: 59 (59 in all subscores)
BrunELT: 63% (min 58% in all areas)
TOEFL: 90 (min 20 in all)

You can find out more about the qualifications we accept on our English Language Requirements page.

Should you wish to take a pre-sessional English course to improve your English prior to starting your degree course, you must sit the test at an approved SELT provider for the same reason. We offer our own BrunELT English test and have pre-sessional English language courses for students who do not meet requirements or who wish to improve their English. You can find out more information on English courses and test options through our Brunel Language Centre.

Please check our Admissions pages for more information on other factors we use to assess applicants. This information is for guidance only and each application is assessed on a case-by-case basis. Entry requirements are subject to review, and may change.

Fees and funding

2024/25 entry

UK

£13,750 full-time

£6,875 part-time

£1,385 placement year

International

£21,260 full-time

£10,630 part-time

£1,385 placement year

More information on any additional course-related costs.

Fees quoted are per year and are subject to an annual increase.

See our fees and funding page for full details of postgraduate scholarships available to Brunel applicants.

Scholarships and bursaries

Teaching and learning

You'll be taught by experts in your field of study, and you'll have the opportunity to interact and engage with academics and your fellow students throughout your programme.

Your programme will consist of a variety of learning and studying activities, including lectures and seminars which will be delivered in person on campus. These will be supported by a number of online learning and studying activities when appropriate to provide a rich and dynamic experience. At LLM level students will study four 15 credit modules each term for two terms across the academic year.

Each module will have on average eight two-hour in person contact time per week in seminars, workshops or lectures. After the end of the taught part of the Programme, there is the dissertation. All students will also have the opportunity to seek guidance during the feedback and consultation hours of their lecturers (2 1-hour slot every week).

Additionally, students can seek support in individual meetings with their personal tutors, both on campus and online. There will also be regular cohort meetings and student society events, at both programme and departmental levels.

All lectures, seminars, and other social activities will occur in person on the Brunel campus. Online activities will be used to support your learning when appropriate. It is expected that students will regularly attend these events, as sustained engagement with a learning community is a central dimension of the Brunel experience.

How the course will be delivered

You'll be taught by experts in your field of study, and you'll have the opportunity to interact and engage with academics and your fellow students throughout your programme.

Your programme will consist of a variety of learning and studying activities, including lectures and seminars which will be delivered in person on campus. These will be supported by a number of online learning and studying activities when appropriate to provide a rich and dynamic experience. In Levels 5 students will study four 30 credit modules for two terms across the academic year.

Each module will have on average two-to-three hours in person contact time per week in lectures and seminars. In Level 6 students will study four 20 credit modules and the dissertation module. Each module will have on average two hours in person in lectures, seminars or workshops.

All students will also have the opportunity to seek guidance during module lecturers’ feedback and consultation hours. Additionally, students can seek support in individual meetings with their personal tutors, both on campus and online. There will also be regular cohort meetings and student society events, at both programme and departmental levels.

Required equipment

Access to a laptop or desktop PC is required for joining online activities, completing coursework and digital exams, and a minimum specification can be found here.

We have computers available across campus for your use and laptop loan schemes to support you through your studies. You can find out more here.

How you'll learn on your course

Brunel has a strong research status. The 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF 2021) rated the majority (72.7%) of our research activity as either world-leading or internationally excellent. Our research was rated 58th globally for research impact. This robust culture provides a dynamic space for students to learn and contribute to current knowledge.

Your International Financial Regulation and Corporate Law LLM modules will be delivered through seminars, with two hours of teaching per module a week alongside your own self-directed study. Optional modules have class sizes of 10-12 students, and compulsory modules have class sizes of around 25 on average.

You’ll also learn through:

research centre activities and research trips
contributing to newsletters
making oral presentations
attending law film screenings
participating in debating events and reading group sessions.

You'll receive your timetable in advance of the course starting. Part-time study is based on a full-time timetable, with one less module per semester.

Assessment and feedback

All modules are assessed through a variety of diverse and authentic assessment methods. Guidance and support is offered to all students ahead of the assessment periods. General and personalised feedback is also available after the assessment periods and the publication of the results.

Read our guide on how to avoid plagiarism in your assessments at Brunel.