Introduction
Once upon a time, lawyers only
needed to know the law of their home country. They enjoyed a national legal
education, worked with national law only and did not need to speak foreign
languages. A sophisticated lawyer of the 21st century, however, must be prepared
for the ongoing globalisation and its growing impact on his work.
International legal cooperation has unfolded during the last decades, and
international and foreign law have become more important for the lawyer. This
process will not be stopped by the present wars and neo-imperialist ambitions of
some countries, but even intensify after the end of these global threats. A
young researcher, university lecturer, civil servant in a ministry, ambitious
judge or lawyer in an international law firm should have studied international
and comparative law and the legal thinking in other countries with different
legal systems. This will enable him for international cooperation but also to
make valuable contributions to the development of the law and legal practice in
his home country. The best way to qualify is to pursue studies abroad, thus
learning to know not only the foreign law but also the country, the culture and
the people.
Studies in Germany
are particularly attractive for lawyers from countries whose legal system is
based on the continental legal tradition - including Kazakhstan. After Word War
II, responding to the catastrophe of the Third Reich, Germany has focused
eminently on building up a modern "Rechtsstaat" (state based on the rule of law) with a
sophisticated legal system. For many countries, in particular in East Europe and
Asia, German law and German legal science have become a source of
inspiration for the development of their own legal system. For the foreign lawyers, not the details of the German law are interesting but
the structures, the innovative legal concepts, the highly developed legal
dogmatics and in particular the systematic approach and the advanced legal methodology.
Many German universities have developed study
programs for foreign law students. The course offerings are
heterogeneous and sometimes confusing. It is my task as DAAD lecturer to provide
guidance for orientation. The following overview shall serve this purpose,
redirecting you directly to the relevant websites of the universities. It is
followed by an overview of
scholarship programs and links to
general information on studying in Germany.
With regard to the great number of study and scholarship programs the overview
cannot be exhaustive. Note that this overview is restricted to
study programs in English. If your language skills allow you to follow study
programs in the German language, there are many more options (see
the comprehensive database "Higher
Education Compass" of the German Rectors' Conference).
Are you interested? Then, in a first step, you
should inform yourself about the study programs that come into consideration. It
may be a good idea to contact a relevant university in order to make sure that
your participation in the program is in principle possible. Besides advanced
language skills (C1 or B2), most programs require the prior completion of a full
course of legal studies in the home country, with a master's degree or a
four-year bachelor's degree or equivalent degree (of 240 ECTS), but many
programs also accept a three-year bachelor's degree or equivalent (of 180 ECTS).
Some also require practical professional experience. You should also acquaint
yourself with the scholarship programs and their conditions.
In a second step you should contact me for consultation (e-mail:
tschmit1@thomas-schmitz-eu.de).
On closer examination, some course offers may be less interesting than they
appear in the advertising of the universities. Others may not be well advertised
but correspond better to your personal interests or promise a better individual
support. Concerning scholarship programs, you may also get advice from the
present
DAAD lectures in Kazakhstan or the
DAAD Regional Office
Bishkek. Finally, in a third step you may submit your applications to
the German university and the scholarship provider. Plan all these steps a year
in advance so that you do not risk to miss the deadline. In particular,
upgrade and certify your language skills in time! For many DAAD scholarships,
the deadline for applications is in September or October.
Study
programs for foreign law students in Germany
[A.
Summer courses] [B. Erasmus+ program]
[C. General
postgraduate study programs] [D. Specialised postgraduate
study programs] [E. Study program
databases]
A. Summer courses (as advertised
for 2026)
Note: If not indicated otherwise,
the summer courses will be in English and on-campus.
See also the language and
introductory courses for lawyers, e.g. the summer course
German for Lawyers and Other Legal Practitioners at the University of
Münster, the
Online German Course for Legal Professionals at the SDI München and the
International
German Summer Course B2/C1 + Language Project Law
at the
University of Bielefeld (all courses in German).
B.
The Erasmus+ program
The
Erasmus+ program of the European Union is the most popular exchange program
for students, lecturers (and others) in Europe. The studies abroad can be for one or two semesters, the
access is easy and the foreign students are well supported and integrated at the
guest university. In its 39 years history, the Erasmus program has provided an
important contribution to a better mutual understanding and cooperation of
lawyers in integrating Europe. However, the exchange was generally limited
to students coming from and going to European
universities. Only the
Erasmus Mundus program that focused on the sector of advanced studies and
doctoral studies supported cooperation between European and non-European
universities. In 2013, these programs and others were merged to the Erasmus+
program that also promotes the exchange with non-European partner countries.
In 2025, 260 Indonesians were awarded Erasmus+ scholarships.
The Erasmus+ program was recently reshaped and extended until 2027.
C. General postgraduate
study programs on German law for foreign lawyers (magister programs)
Most German
faculties of law offer general postgraduate studies in German law for foreign
lawyers who have completed a full course of legal studies in their home country
with a degree that must be equivalent to the German State Examination (in most
countries a master's degree or four-year bachelor's degree). These study
programs are only open to applicants who have graduated abroad. They take 2 semesters, include
a magister thesis and an oral examination and result in the degree of "Magister
Legum" (LL.M) or "Magister iuris" (Mag. iur.). Often they precede doctoral
studies at the same university and prepare for a life-long cooperation with the
German colleagues. These studies are demanding and
require excellent knowledge of the German language,
since the foreign students will attend the same courses as ordinary German law
students.
 |
See the course offerings of the universities of
Augsburg,
HU Berlin,
Bielefeld,
Bochum,
Cologne,
Constance,
Erlangen-Nuremberg,
Frankfurt/Main,
Freiburg,
Gießen,
Göttingen,
Halle,
Hamburg,
Heidelberg,
Kiel,
Köln,
Mainz,
Marburg,
Munich,
Münster,
Osnabrück,
Passau,
Potsdam,
Regensburg,
Saarbrücken,
Trier,
Tübingen,
Würzburg.
|
D. Specialised
postgraduate study programs
German
universities offer a wide variety of specialised postgraduate study programs for
lawyers, particularly in the fields of business law and European Union law.
These programs are primarily designed for
German law graduates but generally also open to foreign lawyers with equivalent
degrees. They are offered in German, some combine lectures in German and
English. They last 2, 3 or 4 semesters and result in a postgraduate master's
degree (LL.M). They provide legal education at the highest level but may present
a challenge to foreign participants because they build upon the knowledge from a
full course of legal studies in Germany with State Examination.
Moreover, there is
an increasing number of specialised postgraduate master study programs
offered entirely in English that are particularly designed for
international students. Most are aimed at foreign lawyers with a master's or
four-year bachelor's degree, but many also accept applicants with a three-year
bachelor's degree. Some require one year of practical professional experience
after graduation. These study programs promise state-of-the-art legal education in
English in accordance with the high German standards. While some programs
charge a
moderate tuition, many are offered on a commercial basis for high or very high
tuition fees (but sometimes with tuition waivers for certain applicants).
Scholarships may not cover the high fees, DAAD scholarships usually do not. The
target group of the most expensive programs are predominantly young
professionals with a bit of practical experience whose employer may support
their studies.
I. Postgraduate programs open for applicants
with a three-year bachelor's degree
Note: Some programs
include 1 or 2 semesters at a foreign partner university.
 |
Berlin School of Economics and
Law:
M.A. (International Security Management)
(interdisciplinary studies; 4 semesters; with master
thesis;
in English) |
|
|
University of Bochum:
M.A. (Ethics - Economics, Law & Politics)
(multidisciplinary studies with holistic approach; 4
semesters; with master thesis; in English) |
|
|
Technical University of Dresden:
LL.M. (International Studies in Intellectual Property Law
and Data Law) [see also
consortium website]
(2 semesters, one of them at a partner university
[Exeter, Krakow, London, Prague, Strasbourg, Szeged, Tallin or Tokyo];
starts twice a year; requires 1 year of practical experience; in German and English or English; tuition fee: from 3.600 €) |
|
|
University of Erlangen-Nuremberg:
M.A. (Human
Rights)
(interdisciplinary studies; 4 semesters; with master thesis;
in English) |
|
|
University of Frankfurt/Main:
LL.M
(Legal Theory)
(2 semesters; with master thesis;
requires 1 year of practical or research experience; in English; tuition fee:
7.200 €) |
|
|
Fulda University of Applied
Sciences:
M.A. (Human Rights Studies in Politics, Law and Society)
(interdisciplinary studies; 4 semesters; with master
thesis; in English) |
|
|
University of Göttingen:
LL.M (International Law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 year of practical experience; in English; tuition fee:
7.800 €) |
|
|
University of Göttingen:
Erasmus Mundus MA
Euroculture - Society, politics and culture in a global context
[see also
consortium
website]
(interdisciplinary studies, not at the Faculty of Law;
with master thesis; 4
semesters, including 1 semester at one of 10 foreign partner universities; requires bachelor's degree in home country; in English;
tuition fee for non-EU citizens:
18.000 €) |
|
|
University of Hannover:
LL.M (European Legal Practice)
(4 semesters; with master thesis; joint international study program of the universities
Hannover, Lisbon and Rouen; requires knowledge of English AND of German,
French or Portuguese) |
|
|
Leuphana University Lüneburg:
MA (Governance and Human Rights)
(professional master studies; 4 semesters part-time,
primarily online; with master thesis; in English; listed by UNHCHR Office as official human rights
training programme; tuition fee: 9.900 €) |
|
|
Leuphana University Lüneburg:
LL.M (International
Law and Sustainability)
(4 semesters; with master thesis; requires
81 % completion of bachelor program at time of application;
dual degree program with University of Glasgow (Scotland), University of
the Western Cape (South Africa), Università degli Studi di Milano
Statale (Itally) or University of the West Indies (Barbados); in English; tuition fee:
5.900 € - 21.000 €) |
|
|
Leuphana University Lüneburg:
Erasmus Mundus Joint Master in International Law of Global Security, Peace & Development
(ILSPSD) [see also
consortium website]
(4 semesters; with master thesis; joint, double, or
multiple master degree
program with the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (Spain),
the University of Glasgow (Scotland), the Université libre de Bruxelles
(Belgium), the Universidade NOVA de Lisboa (Portugal) and the University
of Tartu (Estonia); in English; tuition fee: 24.000 €) |
|
|
University of Potsdam:
MBA/LL.M
(European Film Business and Law)
(interdisciplinary studies; 4 semesters; requires 1 year
of practical experience; mostly online;
with project module and master thesis; in English; tuition fee: from 21.000
€) |
|
|
University of Siegen:
LL.M (Deutsches und Europäisches Wirtschaftsrecht [German and European
Business Law])
(interdisciplinary studies; 4 semesters; with internship
and master thesis; in English and German; see
information for international applicants) |
|
|
Also for undergraduates: University of Passau:
CECIL (Certificate of Studies in European, Comparative and International
Law)
(1 or 2 semesters; certificates for 20 or 40 ECTS credit
points; includes courses on academic legal writing and/or legal presentation
skills; requires 2 years of previous studies of law; in English) |
II. Postgraduate programs requiring a master's degree, four-year bachelor's
degree or equivalent degree for admission
|
|
Freie Universität Berlin:
MBL-FU (Master of
Business, Competition and Regulatory Law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 year of
practical experience; in English; tuition fee:
9.500 €) |
|
|
Humboldt University Berlin:
IDR LL.M (International Dispute Resolution)
(with a strong emphasis on international arbitration; 2 semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 year of
practical experience; in English; tuition fee: 12.900 €) |
|
|
Humboldt University Berlin:
LL.M
(Master of Law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 year of
practical experience; in English; on European and German law in its
international context and compared to other legal systems; tuition fee:
15.000 €) |
|
|
Technical University of Berlin:
MBL European and International Energy Law
(2 semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 year of
professional experiene; in English; tuition fee: 11.200 €) |
|
|
University of Bremen:
LL.M (Transnational Law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; in English) |
|
|
University of Bremen in
cooperation with University of Oldenburg (Hanse Law School):
LL.M
(Law in a Sustainable and Digital Europe)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; optional double degree
with University of Groningen; admission with three-year bachelor's
degree possible with practical experience or qualifying examination; in English and German) |
|
|
European Banking Institute & Frankfurt School of Finance &
Management:
LL.M (EBI Master in EU Banking & Financial Regulation)
(4 semesters; with master thesis; part-time
blended-learning program for professionals; requires 210 ECTS degree or
180 ECTS degree and 1 year of practical experience or additional
coursework in the program; in English; tuition fee:
ca. 30.000 €) |
|
|
University of Frankfurt/Main:
LL.M (Finance)
(interdisciplinary studies, also practice-orientated; 2
semesters; with internship and master thesis; in English; tuition fee:
23.000 €) |
|
|
University of Frankfurt/Main:
LL.M (International Finance - for Asian Graduates)
(interdisciplinary studies, also practice-orientated; 2
semesters; with special legal and management training and master thesis; in English; tuition fee:
20.000 €) |
|
|
University of Frankfurt/Oder:
LL.M (Master of International Human Rights and Humanitarian Law)
(3 semesters; with study trip, internship and master thesis;
requires 1 year of practical experience; includes
distance (online) learning; in English; tuition fee: 7.900 €; also smaller diploma and certificate programs
offered) |
|
|
University of Göttingen:
LL.M
(European and Transnational Law of Intellectual Property and Information
Technology)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 year of practical experience;
admission with three-year bachelor's degree possible if more credits are
achieved in the program; in English; tuition fee: 8.500 €) |
|
|
Bucerius Law School (Hamburg):
LL.M/MLB (Master
of Law and Business)
(interdisciplinary studies, also practice-orientated; 2
semesters; with master thesis; requires 1 - 3 years of practical experience;
in English; tuition fee: 25.000 €) |
|
|
University of Hamburg:
MEIL (Master of European and International Law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; in English; tuition
fee: 7.000 €) |
|
|
University of Hamburg:
LL.M . (European
and European Legal Studies)
(interdisciplinary studies; 2 semesters; with internship
and master thesis; in English; tuition fee: 8.500 €) |
|
|
University of Hamburg:
EMLE (European Master in Law and Economics)
(interdisciplinary studies,
offered by a consortium of 10 universities; 3 trimesters (students can study
at 3 different universities); with master thesis; in English; tuition fee
for non-EU citizens:
12.000 €) |
|
|
University of Hamburg:
LL.M . (Law
of the Sea and International Environmental law [LoSIEL])
(2 semesters; with master thesis; in English; tuition fee:
11.200 €) |
|
|
University of Kiel:
LL.M.Int. (Magister Legis Internationalis)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; in English, more
options available in German); in English;
specialisation in German law, business law, international and
comparative law or foundations of law;
|
|
|
University of Mannheim:
M.C.B.L. (Master of Comparative Business Law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; in English; tuition fee: 8.500 €) |
|
|
Munich
Intellectual Property Law Center:
LL.M IP (Intellectual
Property and Competition Law)
(2 semesters; with study visits, conference attendance,
optional intership and master thesis; requires 1 year of practical
experience; with individual tutoring; in English; tuition fee:
39,500 €) |
|
|
University of Münster:
LL.M (Comparative and Global law)
(2 semesters; with master thesis; in English) |
|
|
Saarland University (Saarbrücken):
LL.M European
and International Law
(2 semesters; with 4
different tracks and master thesis; in English, some courses can be
taken in German; tuition fee: 6.800 €)) |
|
|
University of Würzburg:
LL.M (Digitilization
& Law)
(interdisciplinary studies; 3 semesters; with master
thesis; requires 1 year of practical experience; includes LL.M degree and certificate of specialization in IT
Law; in English; tuition fee: 7.500 €) |
E. Study program databases
Doctoral programs
Foreign lawyers
who want to obtain a doctoral degree in Germany, usually first have to
complete general postgraduate
studies in German law for foreign lawyers (magister programs). During this
time they may already look for a doctorate supervisor. Afterwards they may
prepare their doctoral thesis in German language; only a few universities accept
doctoral theses in legal science in English. Structured doctoral study programs are
not common in the field of legal science, but some German universities offer them.
Some require advanced German language skills, others only English.
Vacant paid doctoral
research positions are usually especially advertised (e.g. in the
PhDGermany Database of the DAAD). See for further information
on doctoral studies in Germany the
special
web page of the DAAD.
Scholarship programs for law students for studying in Germany
[A.
Overviews] [B. Scholarship programs of the
DAAD] [C. Scholarship
programs of political foundations] [D.
Other scholarship programs]
There are many scholarship offers
for studies of foreign students in Germany. Orientation is not easy, since the
offers are heterogeneous - different sponsors, objectives and target groups,
different requirements and conditions and different deadlines for application.
Some programs are open for all foreign students, others only for those from
certain countries. So the first step will be to get an overview. The best tool
for this purpose is the
DAAD scholarship database.
A. Overviews
B.
Scholarship
programs of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
C. Scholarship
programs of political foundations (close to political parties)
D. Other scholarship
programs
General information on studying
in Germany
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Prof. Dr. Thomas Schmitz