In today’s world, where there is a growing need to adopt legal approaches to cope with local as well as global issues, resolving legal controversies require a multi-dimensional perspective based on a conception of different legal disciplines; hence, the lawyer profile who is able to add to the development of society, economy, politics and the legal profession has been changing. With this respect, Koç University Institute of Social Sciences targets to contribute to the molding of this new lawyer profile, with an understanding based on reliable academic research, as well as practicing experience. We also offer non-thesis  programs as well as thesis programs. The program with thesis is composed of 3 core courses followed by 4 elective courses and is concluded with a thesis. The non-thesis program is composed of 10 courses and a final paper.

ABOUT LLM PROGRAMS

Fundamental characteristics of the Koç University LL.M. Programs of Public Law and Private Law, which have been established in conformity with the legislation of higher education, are as follows:

  • Worldwide reputed professors (and lecturers), who are distinguished as to their publications, research, and practice of legal profession.
  • LLM programs in Public or Private Law are offered in English, in a modular format with a duration of 1 year (Non-Thesis option) or 2 years (Thesis option) in our main campus in Istanbul.
  • Up-to-date courses structured on well-established and absorbed legal knowledge.
  • Research and learning of different legal disciplines based on multi-dimensional perspectives.
  • An atmosphere stimulating academic and vocational progress, whereby legal issues comprising comparative and international aspects are thoroughly examined.
  • An integrated program with workshops, seminars and other activities parallel to the curriculum.
  • Various options devoted to candidates with high competence of scientific research and to those who would like to differentiate from others in the legal profession.
  • Regular and effective academic consultancy.
  • Advanced research opportunities with regard to academic publications and instructions in particular, provided by Suna Kıraç Library.
  • Privilege of being the part of a qualified group of graduate students, elected through adopting effective scaling and evaluation criteria.
  • Academic collaboration with the leading law schools abroad.

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

  • Applicants must have an undergraduate degree in law.
  • Students must attend the program on campus. We do not offer distant learning.

APPLICATION DEADLINE

Early Application Deadline: March 31, 2023

Regular Application Deadline: June 23, 2023

To ensure that our international applicants receive the best assistance possible, we kindly invite you to direct your queries to our dedicated email address at study@ku.edu.tr.

For Turkish applicants, please feel free to reach out to our Law School Executive Director, Esra Ozcan, at esraozcan@ku.edu.tr. She will be more than happy to answer any questions you may have about our LLM programs and the application process.

We strive to provide a seamless and stress-free application experience for all our prospective students. Therefore, we encourage you to reach out to us for any information or guidance you may need. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Apply Now
Upcoming Events

Going to Koç University for my LLM is easily the best decision of my life. The reason for that is the college itself, and Istanbul as the city. Turkey is an unconventional decision for people who are practicing under the common law and educated in the UK system, yet the experience and exposure I received in Koç easily trumps anything I could have had in London or the US. You go for the wonderful faculty and global perspective provided by the Law School in Koç, and you stay for the wonderful life you have in Istanbul as the city that combines East and West. As a Muslim, you'll fit in. As a progressive, you'll fit in. As someone who enjoys good food and amazing people, you'll fit in. As to professional development and future, most of my CV has been built on everything I did after this LLM. It empowered me to explore areas of law I did not consider, and excel in them. Koç University and Istanbul will give you the experience of a lifetime. You should not miss that.

Syed Akbar Hussain
LLM Private Law Non-Thesis Graduate

I think most of the students in my class lived off the campus because we were all master students, and I think most of the students on campus are bachelor degree students, but you can get in touch with a lot of people anyway. Of course, there were a lot of Turkish-speaking students, it's their typical master degree for Law. But it's so good because they used to live in Istanbul, so when you meet them, you can stick together and enjoy the city and experience the city like a local, which you would never have the chance of when you are not living there.

Also, we had many international students coming from other countries such as Afghanistan and Pakistan. It was great to join a community where people were talking about Law with their perspectives from different regions, not only Europe or the US. It was a remarkable experience to discuss and compare different law systems.

Naomi Niedermeier
LLM Graduate

The most important advantage of graduating from Koc University Law School is the question, inquire and criticism-based law education system rather than the memorization-based one. In addition to this, the curriculum of the Law School including the courses in the comparative and international areas of law, besides Turkish law oriented courses provides the privilege to its graduates. Within this scope, as a result of all the knowledge that I gained in my law education, I had the possibility to specialize in any areas of law.

After graduating from Koc University Law School, I had registered to Private Law LL.M. program with thesis to deepen my knowledge. Currently I continue the LL.M. program which provides numerous courses in the comparative and interdisciplinary areas of law.

Ezgi Arık
Private Law LLM Graduate

I have been working on subjects of legal value for 35 years of my career; however, it was Koç University Law School which has helped me understand the essence and soul of the Law and the concept of Justice, which I believe to be the foundation of everything. For that, I give my thanks to the Koç University Law Faculty, Dean Prof. Dr. Bertil Emrah Oder, all my professors, faculty members and young lawyers I have been working together with.

I would recommend the LLM Programme of Koç University Law School to anyone who wants to improve themselves, regardless of their age and level. The LLM Programme has made me realize, again, in the autumn of my life, that learning is a pleasure and inspired my academic studies, made me contemplate on the Rule of Law, which is an institution necessary for the well-being of my country.

I would never imagine that reading the US Constitution or keeping up with modern Turkish Constitutional Court or Court of Administration judgement would be this exciting.

Hüsamettin Onanç
Public Law LLM Graduate
Dean of Law School Prof. Dr. Bertil Emrah Oder
Faculty, Private Law Prof. Dr. Zeynep Derya Tarman