• Law in the Global Context

  This module will prepare you for the transition from undergraduate to Masters level study by introducing themes that underpin the higher level study of law in the international context, as well as the advanced research skills you will need to succeed at this level. You will learn to demonstrate a systematic and critical awareness of the interrelation of law and society in a global context and also a comprehensive understanding and advanced scholarship in the context of international trade and business. Focussing on different international legal traditions and cultures, for example common and civil law, you will be introduced to several main themes. Firstly, you will examine the need for the regulation of international trade and the development of legal frameworks for international trade that transcend particular jurisdictions and focus on the context in which international business takes place, including an understanding of the World Trade Organization and regional trade organisations, such as the EU. You will need a critical awareness of comparative legal systems, and an understanding of some elements of public international law (such as treaty law). This module is especially relevant if you hope to undertake a business, professional or commercial career and want to demonstrate your advanced knowledge and ability for independent learning at a professional level. In particular, it will develop your problem-solving, research, written analytical and critical thinking skills, all transferable skills highly valued by employers. You will also learn how to use library resources and electronic databases effectively, to make the transition to self-directed research needed at postgraduate level, as well as more technical aspects of academic writing, such as referencing using the required conventions. Your assessment will comprise a group presentation, during which you will present findings of your own research, and an individual 5-minute presentation accompanied by a written assignment.

• Principles of International Law

  On this module you will study the key principles relating to the inter-linked fields of private and public international law. By examining the fundamental building blocks of the international legal system (namely treaties, custom and soft law), you will learn to appreciate the often multi-faceted international legal system following what has been called the ‘fragmentation of international law’. You will consider the concept of statehood, sovereignty and territoriality including maritime territorial claims. Institutions play a prominent role in the international legal system and the module reflects this by outlining the United Nations and its associated organs. You will develop an awareness of the international human rights and international criminal law regimes, which often interact with other areas of law (such as business practices in the case of international human rights law). You will also examine international private law through the idea of conflict of laws and trade practices. These various areas of law influence the overall working of the international legal system. This module will help you to develop your problem-solving, research and written skills, as well as your critical and analytical thinking. You will be assessed by way of an essay (100%) concerning general themes emerging from the module.

• Legal Research Methods

  This module will give you a critical understanding of research skills, methods and methodology, including surveys, questionnaires, statistical analysis, and interviews, in addition to bibliographical research methods in law. It will also provide you with an understanding of web learning and the ability to access materials both through the University library and from other sources. Most importantly, you will learn to critically examine alternative research methods and evaluate their effectiveness in the study of International Business Law. Further still, you will have the chance to discuss learning and teaching styles, academic expectations and learning strategies. You will be taught through seminars, library sessions and E-learning, giving you a grounding in the various possible research methods. Your assessment will comprise both a presentation and coursework.

• Current Legal Issues in the International Arena

  This module will enable you to critically evaluate topical legal issues in a global context, extending your knowledge of international law in areas of current interest. You will demonstrate a critical awareness of current legal problems identified as being presently at the forefront of the international legal arena. The precise focus of the module will vary from year to year depending on the topics selected but may include, for example, an evaluation of international sports law. You will learn to deal with such complex issues systematically and creatively, demonstrating originality in your research and problem-solving at a high level. The module will allow you to apply cognitive, transferable skills to a particular field of enquiry, simultaneously developing your employability and professional skills, ranging from team-working activities, written and oral communication skills, logical reasoning and your capacity for independent research. Your assessment will take the form of a group presentation (20% of your overall mark) and a 4,800-word piece of written coursework (80%).

• Major Project

  This module will support you in the preparation and submission of a Masters dissertation, allowing you to explore in-depth a particular topic that reflects your academic interest.

Optional modules

• Globalisation and World Trade

  On this module, you will critically analyse the various factors that impinge on globalisation and trade. In doing so, you will develop a specialised knowledge and understanding of the history and theory of globalisation; the regulation of international trade through the World Trade Organization; and the relationship between international trade, harmonisation of the law and related disciplines such as business organisations and international development. Your studies will be divided into five distinct parts: Fundamental Debates Governing Globalization and Trade; WTO Law; Substantive Multilateral Trade Agreements in WTO Law; Contemporary Challenges Confronting WTO Law; Developing Countries and the WTO. With a focus on developing your technical knowledge in the context of the political and social issues surrounding the WTO and international trade, you will be introduced to emerging aspects of trading and engage in wider reading and analysis, including appropriate non-law texts to supplement your legal understanding. This module will deepen your understanding of legal processes, methods and concepts, allowing you to demonstrate your knowledge, analytical skills and understanding through extended writing in a cogent and appropriate style. Your assessment will consist of a 6,000-word assignment (90% of overall mark) and a moot exercise on important WTO cases that you have previously covered, including a presentation of your preparation notes (10%).

• Corporate Governance

  This module will introduce you to the political, economic, cultural, social and legal mechanisms that govern the activities of corporations. You will engage in an examination and critical evaluation of corporate governance in a global context, examining its underpinning theories as well as the development and regulation of international governance. Contrasting these with recent business scandals and the different intercultural responses to them, you will also consider the nature, scope and effect of corporate social responsibilities, including environmental. You will learn to resolve ethical problems in the context of governance theory and apply theory to problem-based scenarios, considering the appropriateness of these theories in a business context, as well as undertaking a comparative analysis of approaches being adopted in a number of jurisdictions and reflecting the main schools of thought on corporate governance. Your assessment will comprise written coursework (4,800 words) and a group presentation.

• Competition Law in the International Context

  Knowledge of the legal regulation of competition is a key tool for anyone involved in businesses operating in a global context. This module will help you examine the purposes and theory of competition law and its relationship to economics, including comparison between EU and US anti-trust law. You will consider the extent to which the law operates to regulate the market behaviour of businesses, putting this in the context of the growing internationalisation of competition law. Increasingly, businesses now operate internationally, making cooperation between competition authorities essential, so you will look at a number of case studies with an international dimension. To gain a practical understanding of the framework of competition law and its enforcement, you will examine EU competition law will, which reaches beyond Europe and may act to prohibit activities (such as mergers between undertakings) that take place outside the EU. you will also consider the impact of the law on business practices such as cartels, abuse of a dominant position, distribution agreements, joint ventures and mergers. Your assessment will consist of a 4,800-word written assessment (80%) and a group presentation (20%).

• Transnational Commercial Law

  As international commerce has developed, more international efforts have increasingly been made towards harmonising the law relating to international commerce. This is done in the belief that harmonisation is more beneficial than reliance on a single national law. Consequently, a number of different types of international instruments have developed, comprising conventions, model laws, legislative guides, codifications of trade usages and practices and restatements of law governing different aspects of international commercial law and practice. This module will develop your understanding of what drives international commercial law and the reasons for harmonisation. You will examine institutions involved in the harmonisation process, as well as the scope of the harmonisation processes and the major problems and policy issues that must be confronted. You will critically evaluate the success of key international instruments, which you may already have studied in other modules (for example the Vienna Sales Convention), and examine them from a perspective of the need, purpose and success or failure of harmonisation of international commercial law. Your assessment will consist of a 6,000-word essay.

• Digital Economy

  This module will give you an understanding of the legal structures and the regulation of the Digital Economy, combining an overview of the regulation of modern communications (including telecommunications, information technology, information) with aspects of electronic commercial transactions (jurisdiction, electronic copyright, liability of electronic intermediaries). In particular, you will focus on law relating to electronic privacy with an understanding of what we mean by the Open Society and the Knowledge Economy. You will cover historical perspectives on the UK Digital Economy and the EU emphasis on promoting a borderless trading economy; the current legal and organisational structure of communications control in the UK and Europe; the role of international law impacting on the communications sector (particularly WTO law); UK and European competition law as it impacts the Digital Economy; and aspects of IP law that impact on-line transactions, particularly UK and European copyright law. This module will particularly develop your ability to analyse complex legal issues and identify appropriate solutions to problems. You will also enhance your team working and time management skills as well as your sense of responsibility. You will be supported to develop an interdisciplinary understanding of subject areas, as the Digital Economy is a subject by default exposed to competition, trade, regulation of infrastructure (telecommunications) and content (intellectual property). Your assessment will consist of a 6,000-word essay (100% of mark), but will also include a self-reflective learning log as a formative assessment.

• Comparative Company Law

  This module will give you an integrated view of the role and structure of corporate law, which provides a clear framework for individual systems both on their own and in relation to each other. You will be introduced to the theory of corporate law, focusing on the main ‚players’ in the corporate arena (such as the directors, shareholders, creditors and employees) and how company law can best accommodate their sometimes conflicting interests. You will also discover the main arguments for and against state intervention in what are primarily private transactions. Focusing on the theoretical aspects of corporate law, you will consider the problems and legal strategies common to each of the identified jurisdictions, particularly the five basic characteristics of business corporations: legal personality; limited liability; corporate governance/shareholder protection; management of companies; investor ownership. Your assessment will comprise an individual presentation plus written coursework.

• International Commercial Arbitration

  On this module you will engage in an examination and critical reflection of the choices businesses must make about the available methods of resolving commercial disputes in a globalised world. You will examine methods of alternative dispute resolution together with substantive and procedural aspects of business litigation in the worldwide context. You will also examine the availability and desirability of forum selection as well as the practical and procedural differences between litigation processes within a range of selected forums, allowing you to critically analyse: different approaches to funding commercial litigation; practical considerations relating to choice of forum; the availability and effectiveness of selected interim remedies (such as worldwide freezing injunctions); and the practical difficulties of reciprocal enforcement of judgements throughout the world. You will combine theory and practical application relevant to international legal practice and business and, together with other students, engage in role-play within alternative dispute resolution scenarios, developing and enhancing your teamwork, negotiation and strategic-thinking employability skills. Your assessment will comprise a piece of individual written work (3,000 words) on a dispute resolution topic.