LLM Group

LL.M. in International Law - Curriculum

Full-time students complete the requirements for the LL.M. degree in one academic year (fall and spring). Candidates for the LL.M. degree must satisfactorily complete 24 hours of academic credit, and will normally take no more than four classes per semester. Most courses require three hours of class attendance per week and award three hours of academic credit.

Most required courses are scheduled during the normal work day, between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Some elective courses are scheduled after 5 p.m. Some courses may be offered in Tampa or other off-campus locations, although no commitments can be made in advance for such remote site offerings.

  • All students enrolled in the LLM Program may enroll on a part-time or full-time basis.
  • All F-1 and J-1 students must enroll on a full-time basis.

FULL-TIME STATUS:

Full-time students must take no less than 12 and no more than 17 credit hours per semester. Full-time students are scheduled to complete the requirements for the LL.M. degree within one year.

PART-TIME STATUS:

Part-time students may enroll in as few as one course per semester and as many as three courses per semester. Part-time students must complete the same required curriculum prescribed for full-time students, although the sequence and timing of such courses obviously will vary for the part-timer. To the extent possible, part-time students must take required courses before taking elective courses. An individual curriculum plan will be developed for each part-timer upon admission. Part-time students are allowed a full three-year period to complete all requirements of the degree.

LL.M. in International Law (Public or Private International Law)

The required core curriculum stresses those subjects of fundamental importance to all international lawyers, and a diverse elective curriculum allows students a wide range of choices to pursue their own individual career interests in public as well as in private international law. The curriculum includes a practical skills requirement in the international area. Additionally, it features special courses designed exclusively for foreign-educated attorneys. Stetson offers a mandatory two-week introductory course for foreign-educated students enrolled in the LL.M. program designed to facilitate the process of understanding and overcoming the challenges of the study of law in different legal and educational systems.

  • Flexibility to tailor curriculum
  • Two-week orientation
  • Internships (Law Firm, NGO, Corporate)

Required Courses

Fall:

  • United States Legal Systems* (3 credits)
  • United States Research and Writing* (3 credits)
  • International Law (3 credits)

*These two courses are required exclusively for foreign-trained students. Students that possess an American J.D. must enroll in elective courses in lieu of them and shall comply with the writing requirement through Independent Research or enrollment in a seminar.

Spring

  • International Practicum** (3 credits)
  • International Litigation and Arbitration (3 credits)

**Any internship or clinic that does not have a certification requirement satisfies the International Practicum requirement. Current programs that qualify include the Immigration Clinic and the Caribbean Law Internship. Other international internship opportunities are offered through the International Programs Office.

 

Course Descriptions

See Course Descriptions for more details on above courses.

Grades

Students in the LL.M. in International Law are graded on an honors basis. Possible grades include High Honors, Honors, Pass, Credit and Fail. For informational purposes, on a 4.0 scale, High Honors is equivalent of grades 3.5 and higher, Honors is 3.0-3.25, Pass is 2.0-2.75, Credit is .75-1.75, and Fail is a grade below .75.

Grading and Academic Standards

See Grading, Academic Exclusion and Readmission and Honors for LL.M Students for more information on policies for LL.M. students.