alternative tracks

64%

of international students

countries represented

LL.M. in International Business Law (Master 1)

Formation initiale

Master 1 en convention avec l'Université Lumière Lyon 2 - Parcours International Trade and Investment Law

Droit

LL.M. in International Business Law offers three alternative tracks. The master 1 programs are delivered through lectures, presentations and seminars during each semester.

This English taught program is opened to law graduates wishing to develop a career in international business law. It is intensive and fast paced bringing the students on a high growth learning experience throughout the 10 months of its duration.

Overall presentation
Master 1 in International Business Law

Presentation
Admission
Highlights
Carreer opportunities
Tuition fee
Information

Objectives

This program will introduce students to core topics in international business law and develop their knowledge and understanding of core issues through a combination of exams, individual assignments and teamwork exercises. It covers, International Business Law, International Contract Law, International Trade Law, Private International Law, European and Comparative Competition Law, Ethics in International Business Law, Corporate Governance and Dispute Resolution depending on the Track they choose. Students will benefit from lectures, presentations and seminars during the program.

Students of the LL.M. in International Business Law enrolled on a double degree track can receive a dual degree delivered by UCLy & National University of Ireland Maynooth (Ireland).

Graduates can further their legal education by gaining an understanding of specific areas of international business law. Graduates will develop useful skills in legal research, reasoning, drafting, advocacy and teamwork skills. These skills are highly sought after by employers.

Tracks

An LL.M. in International Business Law is a French Master 1 degree in partnership with state university Lyon 2. It offers 2 alternative tracks:

Lyon track : Two semesters in Lyon (from September to May). Successful students will be awarded an LL.M. in International Business Law (French official Master 1 degree) and an LL.M. degree from Lyon Catholic University.

Maynooth track (dual diploma) : One semester in Lyon (from September to December) and one semester in Ireland, at our partner University, Maynooth (from January to May). Students will attend classes at UCLy and Maynooth University. Successful students will be awarded an LL.M. in International Business Law (French official Master 1 degree) and a Master of Laws (LL.M.) by Maynooth University.

Publics

Entry requirements

Applicants are required to have an undergraduate degree in law (a French licence, an LL.B. or equivalent). The Admission Committee will examine your background and relevant professional experience if any on a case-by-case basis. The Admission Committee will consider applications with other types of diplomas on a case-by-case basis.

English language requirements: International students should have the appropriate level of English proficiency.
Students should have a minimum IELTS Score of 6.5, a minimum TOEFL IBT score of 90, a CAE score of 58 or a DUOLINGO (internet based accepted) score of 120. The Admission Committee may consider any experience establishing the command of the English Language.
For the Lyon Track, the IELTS online will be accepted.

You do not need to speak French to come to UCLy! There are no particular requirements regarding French language. Classes are taught entirely in English.

Application

Your application is reviewed by the Admissions Committee. A formal decision will be sent to you by the Faculty or Department. If you are admitted you will receive an enrolment letter from the Law Faculty containing information on the steps you need to take to your student housing, take care of immigration formalities (if applicable) and arrange student registration.

Students (foreign and French) who reside in France or in EU: applications from March 2025 with the platform Mon master

Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year:

Foreign students who do not reside in France or EU

If your country is one of the countries with the Study in France procedure (Campus France), you must apply both to them and on our platform in the admission tab of the master’s degree. The answers will be given at the end of April 2025.

Please note that you must first be registered and have put our LL.M. in International Business Law (Master 1) in your basket of program choices with Campus France (Studies in France).

If your country is not part of this procedure, you must simply follow the below process. If you notify us by email when the application is completed, you may receive a response between 2 to 3 weeks later (it all depends on whether you are applying during a busy/holiday period or not).

Applications deadline: May 2025

Apply Here

Should you encounter any difficulty, please contact us at : llm@univ-catholyon.fr.

Documents for application

A cover letter in English,
A Curriculum-Vitae in English,
A copy of your diplomas and transcripts (and an English translation if necessary),
A copy of your passport
A copy of the English language certificate where applicable (if you are not a native speaker),
Two letters of reference in English (academic or professional reference as the case may be), and any other document you might find relevant.

Conferences

Students attend international conferences on a variety of topics:

International Symposium – International Arbitration In The context of Global Trade and Investments
International Symposium – Smart Contracts & Blockchain technologies
International Symposium – Multinational Corporations (and other International Economic Entities) Facing Human Rights Violations
International Symposium – Judicial Control of Arbitral Awards: Scope, Vacation, and Public Policy
Environmental and human rights issues in international investment law
ICC Arbitration with a focus on EPP Arbitration

Students can also attend conferences given by visiting scholars and practitioners on a variety of topics (i.e. EU Legislation on Data Protection, European Union, Digitalization and the law, Common law etc…).

Mentoring

Our students benefit from a mentoring system. Our staff will also help you with your administrative papers and provide you with guidance for your internship search.

International Mooting Competition

UCLy students have participated to various Mooting Competition (i.e. ELSA Moot, Willem C. Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot, Foreign Direct Investment International Arbitration Moot) and ICC Commercial Mediation Moot Competition.

French classes

Students can study French while studying at UCLy. French classes as a foreign language courses are proposed free of charge.

Accommodation for our students

Our accommodation department will help you in finding a suitable accommodation for your stay in Lyon, Depending on the kind of accommodation you are looking for and your budget (ideal rent etc…), our accommodation department can also help you with your research and the renting process. See our Accommodation departmartment webpage

Members of our accommodation department can help you throughout the process in several languages. They speak French, English, Spanish or Italian. You can contact them by email (service.logement@univ-catholyon.fr)

Visiting

Study visits are an integral part of the program. In recent years, students visited the WTO and WIPO on study visits.

Extra-Curricular activities for students

Lyon truly is great, regardless of what anyone likes to do. There are plenty of opportunities for outdoor activities such as skiing, fishing, climbing or taking leisure nature walks.

There are many restaurants proposing a wide spectrum of food specialties (French, Italian, Thai, Japanese, Indian etc…). You will even find a few new Michelin stars if you are a gourmet, several parks in the city, museums, theaters and ruins. If you are looking for original options, these include an ostrich farm, visiting the wineries where typical wines are produced (Bourgogne wines, Côtes du Rhone wines) or visiting the museum of dolls.
Our students usually take advantage of the central location of Lyon. Students travel to nearby locations for example: skiing resorts (Chamonix, Méribel, les 2 Alpes, Alpe Huez etc…); Lake Miribel offers a great swimming beach in summer, there are hiking and trekking site in the region, and a particle accelerator near Geneva that nerds can visit by asking a permit from the government. Switzerland and Italy are a bus ride away for less than 10 euros, and for 15 euros or so, Belgium, Paris, Spain or Greece. You can fly to European cities and other regions from Lyon airport

Enrique from Venezuela (Promotion 2017-2018) highly recommends the Light Festival, which takes place every year on 8th December.
Julie from France (Promotion 2017-2018) suggests cultural visits in Lyon, which is a former Roman city, famous for its silk trade and a strong cultural heritage. She enjoyed travelling to other cities or other countries.

Some general tourist promotion links:
lyon-france
visiterlyon

Examples of specific clubs/activities:
lyonkayak
peche69
tripadvisor

Targeted skills

The program is designed for students aiming at international trade, customs, and investment positions in companies, law-firms and international organizations. Students aiming at qualifying as lawyers and working as in-house lawyers would benefit from this knowledge. This LL.M. is designed to meet the need of companies which do business/trade at international level and invest abroad.

Career opportunities

Recent graduates have joined law firms (either for internships or job opportunities) or international organizations.

This LL.M. in International Business Law will give you an added value to your curriculum vitae. You will have contacts with practitioners and experts from international organizations and prestigious law firms in several jurisdictions. You will also develop a valuable network with other students coming from various parts of the world.

Study visits are an integral part of the program. In recent years, students visited the WTO and WIPO on study visits.

Tuition fee

For the Lyon Track (full year in Lyon):

Home/European Economic Area Students: 10 000 EUR
Non-European Economic Area Students: 11 500 EUR

For the double degree program between Lyon and Maynooth University:

Home/European Economic Area Students: 10 000 EUR
Non-European Economic Area Students: 15 000 EUR

Administrative fees: the administrative fees may change every year. The administrative fees for the 2024-2025 academic year were: 578 EUR (450 EUR State Exam registration and 128 EUR University fees).

Changes may occur in the above information.

Calculate your tuition fee

Administrative contacts

Cécile PELLEGRINI

LL.M. Programs Director

Delphine VINEGLA
LL.M. Programs Coordinator

Law School
Lyon Catholic University
Master in International Business Law
10, place des Archives
69288 Lyon Cedex 2
France

Faculté de Droit
Tél. : 04 72 32 51 50

llm@univ-catholyon.fr

Advantages

2 different tracks : Lyon or Maynooth

A dual degree

Extra-Curricular activities for students

Students' words

Aurelio

Lyon Track promotion 2019 - 2020

Aurelio

Lyon Track promotion 2019 - 2020

Cultural diversity is the most fascinating value of the programme where students have the opportunity to learn from the experience of their colleagues’. Everyone brings a different personal and professional knowledge in class’ thus creating a genuine international environment.

Lou

Promotion 2020-2021

Lou

Promotion 2020-2021

I wanted to specialize in business law, to understand how exchanges take place in the world and in which framework. The subjects in the master’s program allow me to orient my learning within this framework.

Elsa

Promotion 2020-2021

Elsa

Promotion 2020-2021

We are offered many opportunities such as workshops and courses given by highly qualified teachers. From an international point of view, this degree has met all my expectations

Julie

from France (promotion 2017-2018)

Julie

from France (promotion 2017-2018)

Julie says that ‘in an ever-changing global economic landscape, mastering international law in English is a prerequisite’ to practice as an international lawyer. She went on to study for the Master 2 in International Trade & Investment Law – St John’s Track. She says that ‘through these programs, I completed several diplomas in several countries. The master 2 offers to be part of the New York Legal community through acquiring the New York bar qualification. The New York bar reputation is unquestionable.

Gilbert

from Cameroun (promotion 2017-2018)

Gilbert

from Cameroun (promotion 2017-2018)

Gilbert chose this program ‘because of the necessity in my professional activity as a public affairs consultant’. Gilbert works as an accredited consultant lobbyist to the French and European Parliaments.

Emer

from Ireland (promotion 2015-2016)

Emer

from Ireland (promotion 2015-2016)

« The LLM in International Business Law was a wonderful opportunity not only to receive a dual qualification but also to experience the wonders of studying abroad. It opened my mind and allowed me to mature and grow as a person, and intellectually. I did not have a strong base in the French language, but this was not a problem. The lectures were in English and the university provided classes in French of all levels. Rent was extremely reasonable in Lyon and the French Government provide rent assistance to all students studying in France. This LLM not only prepares you on an intellectual level, but also allows you to travel and experience different cultures, and have fun at the same time. »

Luc

from Togo (promotion 2017-2018)

Luc

from Togo (promotion 2017-2018)

Luc attended this program because he intends to become ‘an international lawyer in England and this program is focused in international business law. Since I come from Togo, I can speak French, so doing this program in English is a first step towards going to work and live in England’. He went on to study for a Master 2.