OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in Financial Law is a graduate program designed specifically for working professionals. Each of our distinct specializations focuses on interdisciplinary learning and provides you with a unique mix of academic, applied, and theoretical perspectives. You will learn through interactive discussions and explore practical issues related to your specialization. You’ll have access to a wide range of elective options to broaden your legal knowledge or explore new areas related to your professional interests.
The Financial Law specialization offers an in-depth examination of the legal and policy frameworks of Canadian and international banking and financial services law. Required courses address financial, banking, bankruptcy, and insolvency law. You will explore and be challenged by complex legal problems facing the industry. The courses will be taught by a diverse range of academics, professionals, and industry leaders, all of whom are experts in their areas of teaching and practice.
Who is the Specialization for?
Lawyers and legal professionals in the banking and financial services sector, including in-house counsel at financial institutions (i.e. banks, credit unions), government lawyers in the financial services regulatory area, and lawyers in private practice
Senior professionals who do not have a law degree but have more than five years of professional experience in the financial services industry, particularly those in roles related to compliance and legal risk who wish to add a strong advanced foundation in banking and financial services law to their professional profile
Lawyers or law graduates with legal work experience who have a strong demonstrated interest in financial law and wish to establish a practice in this area of specialization
Alumni Spotlight
Joanne Thornton
Joanne is the Bank of Montreal‘s head of Volcker Rule Compliance Office. After years of going over different options, Joanne describes the unique aspects of OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in Financial Law and the career benefits that it has in terms of day-to-day applicability and future growth opportunities.
Student Services
All Professional LLM students can benefit from our wide range of student services:
Academic Services
Program Orientation
Introductory Courses
Workshops & Resources
Confidential Academic and Wellness Counselling
Career Support
Job Postings
Resources/Guides
Workshops & Events
Counselling
Campus Life
Student Social Activities
Osgoode & York U Extra Curriculars
Professional Networking Events
All of our academic and career development services are available remotely, and counselling hours have varied schedules to suit the needs of part-time students.
Attend an upcoming information session
Course Requirements
The Professional LLM in Financial Law requires completion of 36 credits including a research requirement. The program is designed to be completed in two years (six active terms) through a combination of required courses, related electives and up to 6 credits of outside electives.
What you can expect
The program is designed to be completed in two years (six active terms) by completing 6 credits (one or two courses) per term.
Many of the courses in the Financial Law specialization are scheduled as weekly evening courses (typically in 7-10PM sessions). However, you will encounter intensive courses as well (typically Thursday evening, all-day Friday and all-day Saturday).
In your first term of admission, you may be assigned a course as a condition of your admission. Admission condition courses count towards your degree requirements. Students with the following profiles usually have required introductory courses:
- Internationally-trained lawyers: GNRL 6209 – Canadian Graduate Legal Research & Writing (Online) (3 Credits)
- Professionals without a law degree: GNRL 6149 Introduction to Graduate Legal Studies (3 Credits)
Required Courses
Required courses typically offered once every two years. Students must complete required courses in their first and second term of the program before they can move on to elective courses:
BFSL 6800 – Introduction to Financial Law* (3 credits) – Fall (first term of cohort)
BFSL 6914 – Advanced Banking Law (3 credits) – Fall (first term of cohort)
*Mandatory for non-LLB/JD students only
BFSL 6901 – Advanced Bankruptcy and Insolvency Law (3 credits) – Winter (second term of cohort)
Elective Courses
Elective course offerings vary from term to term. Some options include Insurance Regulation, Banking Documentation, and Enterprise Risk Management. To see course offerings for upcoming terms, review the Course Planning information below.
You must complete at least 30 credits in total from Financial Law courses. Up to 6 credits may be drawn from courses in unrelated specializations, so long as you have any required prerequisite knowledge for those courses.
Research Requirement
The research requirement can be fulfilled through one of the following three options. Most students elect to fulfill the requirement through option 3:
- A Major Research Paper (70 pages, 6 Credits)
- An Independent Significant Research Paper (30 pages, 3 Credits)
- A Significant Research Paper (30 pages) completed as the means of assessment for one of the courses within the specialization.
Course planning
Courses are not available every term, so proper course planning is advised. A full course-load is considered to be 12 credits per term. A full-time degree is typically 3 terms.
This tool is for planning purposes only. Selecting courses using this tool does not enroll you in the course or reserve a space in the course for you.
Application Dates
The Financial Law specialization is a cohort program that accepts new students once every other calendar year, in the Fall term.
Faculty
Program director
Stephanie Ben-Ishai
Instructors include
Stéphane Fournier
Peter Farkas
Alexander Coutts
Tuition and Fees
Part-time students pay in six installments over six active terms.
You will be billed an installment for each term in which you enroll in courses. If you complete the program in fewer than six terms, you’ll be billed your remaining installment(s) at the end of your program. If you need more than six terms to complete your credits, extra term fees will apply.
Please note that the tuition/fees displayed here are subject to change, and may vary depending on your entry term.
Domestic
$3,800.79per term for 6 terms
$22,804.74total
$8,008.59per term for 6 terms
$48,051.54total
Students are also subject to supplementary fees including health benefits. Find out more about supplementary fees here.
Admission requirements
Admission to Professional LLM specializations is competitive. At OsgoodePD, we can help you navigate the process. The Admissions Committee reviews each applicant’s completed file and takes into consideration criteria such as academic background, professional work experience, and whether the program fits your stated goals. The information below represents the minimum requirements for admission consideration to our graduate degree programs – meeting these criteria does not guarantee admission.
JD/LLB degree or undergraduate degree (a graduate degree is an asset to non-legal professionals)
Overall B (75%) average (or equivalent)
Professional work experience (JD/LLB graduates require at least 2 years, while non-legal professionals require at least 5 years of related senior-level experience)
Acceptable English language proficiency (see requirements)
How to Apply
Create Your OsgoodePD Applicant Profile
Create an applicant profile in our online application portal. This portal allows us to gather your information, transcripts, and other documents electronically. You will receive an email with directions outlining how to create a new password for your application, along with a link to access the application.
Upload Application Documents
The following documents are required:
- Resume/CV
- Writing Sample
- Contact Information for Two References
- Transcripts
- Official Proof of Language Proficiency (if applicable)
For more information, see our Application Documents to Upload section.
Pay and Submit
Once your application is completed, you will be required to pay a non-refundable $130 CAD application fee.
Wait for Review
Timelines for decisions vary by program, but we will be in touch if we have questions about your application or need more information.
Frequently Asked Questions
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