The LL.M. is characterized by an interdisciplinary academic strategy that integrates theory and practice, favours active exchange of ideas, and furthers the comparative and critical thinking skills of the students.
The academic curriculum of the programme unfolds in two phases:
During the Distance-learning Phase (18 November 2024 – 10 January 2025), students will have access to the online platform of the LL.M. Programme, on which, in addition to self-study, they will have to attend webinars, carry out group projects and other interactive activities with the support of a tutor. At the end of this phase, an exam is foreseen.
The Residential Phase (29 January 2025 – 27 June 2025) comprises theoretical lectures, seminars and practical exercises including workshops, simulations, study visits, moot courts and other activities led by prominent subject-matter experts and scholars and organized in cooperation with international organizations, NGOs, research institutions and entities belonging to the UN System. The international group of selected students will be attending classes both in the morning and in the afternoon (full-time commitment for 6 class hours a day/4-5 days a week) at the UN Campus. Attendance is compulsory in order to be awarded the degree.
The Graduation Project, at the end of the residential phase, will consist of a Moot Court simulation that will help students refine their skills in written and oral courtroom advocacy on selected matters of substantive international criminal law. The Graduation will take place on 11 July 2025.
Upon successful completion of the course, students will have acquired in-depth and up-to-date knowledge on the main subjects around which the global debate on international and transnational crime and justice articulates:
- International Law Dimensions of Peace and Conflicts, including transitional justice and peacekeeping operations;
- Transnational organized crime and transnational crimes, including corruption, trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, environmental crime, terrorism, and cybercrime;
- Global efforts to strengthen the rule of law and justice reform in developing democracies and post-conflict environments, including corrections;
- International Humanitarian Law;
- International Criminal Law and International Criminal Procedure;
- International Human Rights Law;
- Public International Law;
- Criminal Law and Procedure in a Comparative Perspective.
The programme further envisages dedicated sessions on career guidance and professional development, including reference to the UN System. Students will have the opportunity to interact with human resources specialists and participate in an outreach session led by the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme, which might select students for individual meetings.
The selected students, in order to be awarded the final Master of Laws Degree worth 40 UPEACE credits (equivalent to 40 US credits/60 ECTS), need to:
a. Receive passing marks in all the assessments and foreseen exams and
b. Meet the minimum average of attendance by attending at least 2/3 of each weekly schedule and at least 75% of the total residential schedule over a two-month period.
