Koç University Postgraduate Law Programs aim to nurture knowledgeable, creative and sophisticated lawyers with their content-rich courses in public law, private law, and the core program providing students with an insight on different disciplines. The Postgraduate Law Programs respond adeptly to meet Türkiye’s demand of qualified lawyers who possess both professional language competency and an international perspective. In addition to the theoretical and practical sessions carried out by distinguished faculty members, law students also participate in a series of regular seminars convened by legal experts that substantially contribute to their academic and professional development.
Further, exchange programs in partnership with reputable universities around the world and international internship opportunities play a key and stimulating role in improving student experience. Graduates of Koç University Postgraduate Law Programs have a wide variety of job opportunities, spanning from employment in leading law firms, non-governmental organizations and international organizations, to careers as legal scholars.
By the end of the Postgraduate Law Programs, graduates are expected to have acquired:
By the end of the Postgraduate Law Program, graduates are expected to have acquired:
Graduates from Postgraduate Law Programs can find positions in leading law firms and public bureaucracy, as well as in non-governmental organizations, international organizations and academia.
LAW 501 / COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS, INSTITUTIONS AND JUDICIAL REVIEW | Comparative constitutional study of constitutional endurance, constitution-making, and constitutional designs and redesigns; constitutional identities; Türkiye, continental law countries, European Union (EU), the United States, Latin American experiences and other global case-studies of adopting a comparative institutional analysis approach; rise of comparative constitutional review (abstract and concrete review as well as individual applications) and judicialization; constitutional interpretation with respect to transnational approaches; constitutional leadership, deparliamentarization and presidential power; major case-law and common standards as to institutional choices, judicial policies, equal protection and non-discrimination, gender and citizenship, constitutional rights and freedoms. |
LAW 502 / EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW | Overview of the protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe; the normative framework of the European Convention on the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms (ECHR); the case-law of the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR); the supervisory mechanism of the ECHR; general concepts and doctrines like positive obligations and the margin of appreciation; execution of the ECtHR judgements. |
LAW 503 / TRANSNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE | Classical topics of international criminal law, such as international prosecutions and international criminal tribunals, substantive law of international crimes, principles and procedures of international prosecutions, alternatives and complements to criminal prosecution; the norms of European criminal law, including Eurocrimes, European criminal procedure, European co-operation and enforcement; the nature of transnational organized criminality and transnational crimes, such as drug trafficking, money laundering, trafficking in human beings, migrant smuggling, cybercrimes and terrorism, and the treaties that create obligations for States with respect to their suppression; matters of enforcement including jurisdiction and mechanisms of international co-operation with respect to fighting criminality, such as mutual legal assistance. |
LAW 504 / INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW | An introduction to international and European private law; similarities and discrepancies between civil law and common law traditions; contract law from an international and European perspective. UNIDROIT Principles; United Nations Convention on Contracts for the International Sale of Goods (CISG); Principles of European Contract Law (PECL); Draft Common Frame of Reference (DCFR). Comparison of different solutions for selected problems of contract law, envisaged by relevant international and European legal instruments and selected national legal systems. |
LAW 505 / DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS IN INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE LAW | International jurisdiction of the Turkish courts in private matters having cross-border implications. Any means of settling disputes outside the courtroom; most common methods of ADR: arbitration and mediation. Legal aspects of arbitration and mediation by a comparative approach; rules & regulations regarding ADR methods in EU and Türkiye. The recent Turkish legislation on Mediation and its peculiarities as well as the other ADR methods introduced with the recent amendments to the Turkish Lawyers Code, Turkish Code of Civil Procedure and Turkish Criminal Code. Systematic and comparative study on the prerequisites, effectiveness and enforcement of exclusive jurisdiction and arbitration agreements in international dispute resolution. Recognition and enforcement of foreign court decisions and foreign arbitral awards in Türkiye. |
LAW 506 / INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE | selected legal regimes with a special focus on the competing interests among the creators/inventors, investors and the users/consumers in the global business environment. Fundamental concepts of IP law and the historical background; the Mode of implementation of several WIPO and WTO administered international conventions in different legal regimes such as EU, Türkiye, US and BRICS countries. The legal conflicts and dilemmas arising with the widespread adoption of information technologies and the advances in genetics and other life sciences. |
LAW 507 / GLOBAL COMPETITION LAW | Competition Law and Competition Policy. International Dimension of Competition Law. Involvement of international organizations in the field of Competition. Differences between competition law regimes around the world. Competition Enforcement. EU Competition Law Regime. US Antitrust Law Regime. Competition Law: Concept, Framework, Goals, Characteristics and Nature. Market Definition and Analysis. Cartels, Agreements and Concerted Practices. Abuse of Dominant Position. Merger Regulation. Competition Enforcement in Particular Sectors. |
LAW 511 / UNITED NATIONS (UN) HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION SYSTEM | Discussion of the core United Nations (UN) human rights standards and their universality; the structure of UN treaty bodies which monitor compliance with UN human rights treaties; the Human Rights Council as well as its mandate and the Council’s subsidiary bodies; the obligations of states to uphold universal standards and the mechanisms in place to transform national injustices into international concerns giving rise to recommendations (but hardly sanctions) to governments; accountability tools to civil society. |
LAW 514 / PRIVATIZATION LAW | Definition of privatization; differentiation of privatization from similar and related conceptualizations such as liberalization; application of private law in public services) relationship of privatization with public service, concessions and monopolies; differentiation of legal approach for privatization from economic approach; juridification of economic considerations; privatization of public service; legal priorities for privatization of pure economic-commercial activities; relationship of privatization with public-private partnership and differing privatization from public-private partnership; development of privatization law in Türkiye and interaction of legislation, executive and judiciary in development process of privatization; methods of privatization in Türkiye; selected case studies of privatization experiences. |
LAW 590 / SEMINAR | A series of presentations by faculty, outside speakers and students. |
LAW 595 / THESIS |
Public Law Courses | L1 | L2 | L3 | L4 | L5 | L6 | L7 | L8 | L9 | L10 | L11 | L12 | L13 | L14 | L15 | L16 |
LAW 501 / COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS, INSTITUTIONS AND JUDICIAL REVIEW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 502 / EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 503 / TRANSNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 504 / INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 505 / DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS IN INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 506 / INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 507 / GLOBAL COMPETITION LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 511 / UNITED NATIONS (UN) HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION SYSTEM | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |
LAW 514 / PRIVATIZATION LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
LAW 590 / SEMINAR | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
LAW 595 / THESIS | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
Course & Program Outcomes Matrix
LAW 501 / COMPARATIVE CONSTITUTIONAL LAW: RIGHTS, INSTITUTIONS AND JUDICIAL REVIEW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
LAW 502 / EUROPEAN HUMAN RIGHTS LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
LAW 503 / TRANSNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CRIMINAL LAW AND PROCEDURE | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
LAW 504 / INTERNATIONAL AND EUROPEAN CONTRACT LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
LAW 505 / DISPUTE RESOLUTION MECHANISMS IN INTERNATIONAL PRIVATE LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
LAW 506 / INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY LAW IN A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
LAW 507 / GLOBAL COMPETITION LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |
LAW 511 / UNITED NATIONS (UN) HUMAN RIGHTS PROTECTION SYSTEM | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
LAW 514 / PRIVATIZATION LAW | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | |||
LAW 590 / SEMINAR | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | ||
LAW 595 / THESIS | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x | x |