International Criminal Law (LLM)

LLM (International Criminal Law)

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Course Overview
Key Facts
Course Outline
Why Choose This Course?
Course Fees
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Course Overview

The LLM in International Criminal Law provides students with an advanced understanding of the history, structures, law and practice of the various international criminal tribunals and the International Criminal Court.

Students will gain an in-depth knowledge of international criminal law, its component crimes, substantive law and key procedures. Students will also develop an analytical approach to the relationship between other accountability mechanisms, such as truth commissions.

The LLM in International Criminal Law is of interest to those seeking to learn about the growing field of international criminal justice, the role of the International Criminal Court in international affairs and means for holding to account perpetrators of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

Course highlights:

The Irish Centre for Human Rights is one the world’s premier university-based institutions for the study and promotion of human rights.
Expert Lecturers deliver programme modules. Our academics are internationally recognised scholars with world-class expertise and impact in the field of international criminal law. Distinguished visitors to the Centre for Human Rights have included Judge Carmel Agius, Senator Robert Badinter, Judge Maureen Harding Clark, Richard Goldstone, President Philippe Kirsch, Judge Theodor Meron, Judge Navanethem Pillay and Judge Kimberly Prost.
Field trip to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
A summer school on the International Criminal Court is run annually and students have the opportunity to attend.
Seminars and workshops are run in collaboration with leading international practitioners in criminal law and human rights.
Career Support is provided through professional workshops concentrating on internship opportunities, students CV and interview skills. Careers in Law Week also provides an opportunity to meet with law professionals across a spectrum of specialisations.
Assessment methods include essays, presentations and a research dissertation, while students also engage in research projects, presentations, group work and moot courts.‌

Applications and Selections

Applications are made online via the University of Galway Postgraduate Applications System.

Who Teaches this Course

Professor Siobhán Mullally

Professor Ray Murphy

Professor Shane Darcy

Dr Ciara Smyth

Professor Emeritus William Schabas

Dr Ekaterina Yahyaoui Krivenko

Dr Anita Ferrara

‌‌Dr Maeve O'Rourke

Dr Edel Hughes

Professor Roja Fazaeli

Professor Anna Arstein-Kerslake

Dr Roisin Mulgrew

Dr Illan Wall

Dr Rory Kelly

In addition, every year we have a number of courses taught by adjunct and visiting lecturers.

Prof. Dr. Siobhan Mullally

BCL, LLM, PhD

Est Professor In Human Rights Law
Irish Centre for Human Rights
University of Galway
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Prof Shane Darcy

B.A, L.L.M.,Ph.D.

Personal Professor
E: shane.darcy@nuigalway.ie
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Dr Ekaterina Yahyaoui

BA, LLM, DES, PhD

Senior Lecturer in Human Rights
E: ekaterina.yahyaoui@universityofgalway.ie
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Prof Raymond Murphy

BA, LL.B, BL, M.LITT, Ph.D, Dip Arb Law

Personal Professor
Irish Centre For Human Rights
NUI Galway
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Dr Maeve O'Rourke

PhD, LLM, BCL

Lecturer Above The Bar
E: maeve.orourke@universityofgalway.ie
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Dr Kathleen Cavanaugh

PhD, LLM

LECTURER BAR/COLLEGE LECTURER
Irish Centre for Human Rights
NUI Galway
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Dr Ciara Smyth

PhD, LL.M, LL.B, B.A.

Assistant Professor
Tower 2
Arts/Science Concourse
School of Law
University of Galway
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Prof. Donncha O'Connell

ESTABLISHED PROFESSORSHIP OF LAW (NO 2)
School of Law
TB407
Arts/Science Building
NUI Galway
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Requirements and Assessment

Assessment for individual modules includes a combination of essays, presentations, group work and other methods. Students must also complete a research thesis/dissertation of 15,000 words.

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Candidates must be approved by the School of Law. They should preferably hold a Level 8 degree in law or an interdisciplinary degree which includes a substantial law component and in which they have attained a minimum Second Class Honours, Grade 1 standard or its equivalent.

Additional Requirements

Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)

Duration

1 year, full-time; 2 years, part-time

Next start date

September 2025

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

QQI/FET FETAC Entry Routes

Closing Date

Please view the offer rounds website.

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

Award

CAO

Course code

LLM-ICL

Course Outline

The LLM in International Criminal Law is typically a one-year master's programme that involves two semesters of courses and the preparation of a dissertation, although it is also available on a part-time basis over two years. The degree of Master of Law in International Criminal Law is awarded by the Faculty of Law at University of Galway.

The two-year programme comprises part-time study, combining two semesters of course work the first year with a third semester the second year, devoted entirely to the research required for preparation of a final dissertation.

The module International Criminal Law and the dissertation are compulsory. The modules International Humanitarian Law and Procedure before International Criminal Courts and Transitional Justice are also recommended for ICL students. A wide range of subject choices is available to students, drawing on the expertise of our full-time staff and prestigious Adjunct faculty.

The 90 ECTS programme consists of:

Compulsory modules 10 ECTS + Elective Modules 50 ECTS + Disseration 30 ECTS

Course and module offerings and details are subject to change. Below are the list of modules being offered during the academic year 2024/2025. View descriptions of each module here or click on ‘Year 1 (90 credits)’ below to view module information.

Core module (10 ECTS)

International Criminal Law (10 ECTS)

Elective Modules (Students choose 50 ECTS from a wide range of subject choices)

International Human Rights Law (10 ECTS)
Public International Law (10 ECTS)
International Humanitarian Law (10 ECTS)
Contemporary Issues in International Migration Law (10 ECTS)
European Migration Law (5 ECTS)
Peace Support Operations (10 ECTS)
European Convention on Human Rights: Law and Politics (10 ECTS)
Gender and Human Rights (10 ECTS)
International Humanitarian Law (10 ECTS)
Business and Human Rights 2 (10 ECTS)
International Refugee Law (10 ECTS)
Human Rights Law Clinic (10 ECTS)
Climate Justice (5 ECTS)
The Common European Asylum System (5 ECTS)
Transitional Justice (5 ECTS)
Procedure before International Criminal Courts (5 ECTS)
Counter Terrorism and Human Rights (5 ECTS)
Critical Race Theory and Human Rights (5 ECTS)
Transnational Lawyering (5 ECTS)
International Child Rights (5 ECTS)
Foundational Theoretical Framework in Disability Law and Policy (10 ECTS)
Legal Capacity Law and Policy (10 ECTS)
International Disability Human Rights Clinic (10 ECTS)
Advocacy and Access to Justice (10 ECTS)
Inclusive Education Law and Policy (10 ECTS)
Mental Health Law and Policy (10 ECTS)
Policing, Security and Rights (10 ECTS)
Minors, Minority Groups & the Criminal Justice System (10 ECTS)
Sentencing and Penal Law Policy (10 ECTS)
Imprisonment and Rights (10 ECTS)

As part of the elective 50 ECTS, students may take up to 10 ECTS from the LLM General and LLM International and Comparative Business Law.

Dissertation (30 ECTS)

Module details for the Full Time Course

Module details for the Part Time Course

Curriculum Information

Curriculum information relates to the current academic year (in most cases).
Course and module offerings and details may be subject to change.

Glossary of Terms

Credits: You must earn a defined number of credits (aka ECTS) to complete each year of your course. You do this by taking all of its required modules as well as the correct number of optional modules to obtain that year's total number of credits.
Module: An examinable portion of a subject or course, for which you attend lectures and/or tutorials and carry out assignments. E.g. Algebra and Calculus could be modules within the subject Mathematics. Each module has a unique module code eg. MA140.
Subject: Some courses allow you to choose subjects, where related modules are grouped together. Subjects have their own required number of credits, so you must take all that subject's required modules and may also need to obtain the remainder of the subject's total credits by choosing from its available optional modules.
Optional: A module you may choose to study.
Required: A module that you must study if you choose this course (or subject).
Required Core Subject: A subject you must study because it's integral to that course.
Semester: Most courses have 2 semesters (aka terms) per year, so a three-year course will have six semesters in total. For clarity, this page will refer to the first semester of year 2 as 'Semester 3'.

Year 1 (90 Credits)

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

Students who have undertaken and successfully completed the programme tend to fall into one of four categories:

those who work within the United Nations (UN) or with UN-affiliated organisations;
those who work in NGO and quasi-NGOs— both human rights and development;
those who work in academic institutions or pursue a PhD/JD;
those who work in diplomatic or government-based work (in the human rights division of the Department of Foreign Affairs, for example).

Within these umbrella categories, students have pursued work in the ICC, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, ICRC, the UN system (Geneva and New York), locally-based NGOs, trade and health organisations, as well as domestic law firm work that draws on international legal mechanisms and research-based work in university research centres, to name but a few.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

Transferable Skills Employers Value

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€8,640 full-time; €4,320 part-time (including levy) p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Tuition

€8,500 full-time; €4,250 part-time p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Student levy

€140 full-time; €70 part-time p.a. 2025/26

Fees: Non EU

€20,000 p.a. (€20,140 p.a. including levy) 2025/26

For 25/26 entrants, where the course duration is greater than 1 year, there is an inflationary increase approved of 3.4% per annum for continuing years fees.

Postgraduate students in receipt of a SUSI grant – please note an F4 grant is where SUSI will pay €4,000 towards your tuition (2025/26). You will be liable for the remainder of the total fee. A P1 grant is where SUSI will pay tuition up to a maximum of €6,270. SUSI will not cover the student levy of €140.

Note to non-EU students: learn about the 24-month Stayback Visa here.

Find out More

Professor Shane Darcy
T: +353 91 493 947
E: shane.darcy@universityofgalway.ie

Queries about this and other LLM programmes in the School of Law can also be directed to lawpostgrad@universityofgalway.ie.

What Our Students Say

Alexandre Neuman | Inter-institutional Relations at the European Commission

I graduated from the LLM (International Criminal Law) at University of Galway in 2016. In search of international experiences, I began my career with a series of internships in several countries. For six months, I supported an NGO undertaking legal research about the Syrian conflict in the Golan Heights. Then, I spent several months in Nouakchott, Mauritania, managing a project for IOM (International Organisation for Migration). As I have always desired to work for the general interest, I succeeded to join the European Commission through an internship opportunity. I now work on home affairs issues (notably migration and Schengen), following the political and technical discussions at EU level and taking part in the decision-making process. Studying international law at University of Galway gave me the opportunity to meet incredible, passionate people from different cultures and backgrounds. It also allowed me to develop insights into the global legal system, understandings of geopolitical conflicts, and interests in peace-building, international criminal justice, and humanitarian law. In addition, it was particularly fascinating to study and live in this exciting environment.