Law - LLM without Thesis
Program Overview
About the Program
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
Applications for 2024 Fall Intake Start Date: February 5, 2024
Application Deadline: June 21, 2024
Online Interview&Written Exam: July 5, 2024
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!
From Our Graduates
Bana hayatımın sonbaharında yeniden öğrenmeyi bir zevk haline getiren, bundan sonraki akademik çalışmama ilham veren, okuma zevkine tekrar kavuşmamı sağlayan ve ülkenin refahı için Hukukun üstünlüğü üzerine kafa yormama yol açan Koç Hukuk Fakültesinin LLM programını lisansüstü eğitim alıp kendini geliştirmek isteyen her seviyede her yaşta herkese tavsiye ediyorum.
ABD anayasasını bu gözle okumanın ve yorumlamanın veya günümüz Türkiye’sindeki Anayasa Mahkemesi ve Danıştay kararlarını izlemenin bu kadar heyecanlı olacağını hiç tahmin etmezdim.
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.
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.
From Our Faculty
Our LLM program in private law aims to provide students with a broad advanced education in international and European Law. The program 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. Our program design provides the students with a systematic learning process. This is made up of three distinct parts, beginning with the core and common modules which will provide the students with a solid foundation in international and European contract law, intellectual property/competition law and dispute resolution mechanisms. The aim is to broaden the strict horizons of national law and to equip students with those elements of the different legal systems which are at the core of the elaboration and application of uniform law, the approximation of laws within the European Union and the development of International Law. After completion of three core courses, the students can choose from a range of our elective modules to suit their specific learning and career objectives, and this essentially makes up the second part of the program. Some courses, which will be offered in English, will be organized around block seminars by specialized professors from our partner universities abroad and professionals of repute. The courses offered in the private law track touch on everything from contracts, transactions, dispute resolution mechanisms and taxation to competition, securities, and intellectual property. Given the importance of these areas to national and international business the program provides a chance to delve into the detail, but also appreciate the context of a specialist field from an international and comparative perspective. The goal of our LLM program in private law is to deepen a lawyer’s awareness about the links between the different fields of law and their transnational aspects.
Prof. Dr. Zeynep Derya Tarman
Faculty, Private Law
The evaluation will be pursued, grounded upon the undergraduate GPA, as well as the oral exam score of the candidate.
Transcripts
A minimum 2.50 GPA is required.
We strongly encourage applicants to submit a scanned image of the transcript at the time of application, which can speed processing; however, a final, official transcript will be required of all admitted students during registration. Applicants who have attended international institutions must submit transcripts or certified attestations of study, with certified English translations. Once translated, the original transcript and the certified translations are to be sent to the Graduate School admission office.
TOEFL/YDS/YÖKDİL
All native applicants and international applicants whose native language is not English must ensure that the Graduate School receives their official score from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL).
Language Proficiency Information/Minimum Scores
TOEFL (IBT): 80/120
YDS: 87 (For Turkish Applicants, please click for more information)
Equivalent test scores from The Council of Higher Education Foreign Language Examination (YÖKDİL) will also be accepted for applications made in accordance with these additional terms.
Oral Exam
Students must complete minimum of 10 courses and obtain 30 credits to complete the program
Required Courses
LL.M. Program in Private Law
- International and European Contract Law
- Dispute Resolution Mechanisms in International Private Law
- Intellectual Property in a Global Perspective
LL.M. Program in Public Law
- Comparative Constitutional Law: Rights, Institutions and Judicial Review
- European Human Rights Law
- Transnational and European Criminal Law and Procedure
Common Elective Courses*
- Global Competition Law
- International Transport Law
- Capital Market Law
- International Tax Law
- World Trade Organization (WTO) Law and Trade
- Public Procurement Law
- Telecommunications Law
- United Nations (UN) Human Rights Protection System
- International Financial Institutions and Development Law
- Public-Private Partnership: Legal Infrastructure
- Privatization Law