OsgoodePD’s Professional LLM in International Business Law is a graduate program designed specifically for lawyers and professionals with legal work experience. 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 LLM in International Business Law specialization offers an in-depth examination of Canadian and comparative private law concepts. The required course provides an overview of the classification and operation of major legal systems around the world. Designated Elective courses address varied elements of international business practice, including business transactions, cross-border taxation, international arbitration, and international trade. You will explore current trends in international law practice, learning about relevant international legal instruments, regulatory changes, and important ethical considerations. International Business Law students may take courses from many of our business-related specializations, including Business Law, Intellectual Property, Securities, and Financial Law. International Business Law students who are internationally-trained lawyers pursuing accreditation to practice law in Canada may take NCA-accredited electives as well.
Who is the Specialization for?
Lawyers or law graduates with legal work experience who have a strong demonstrated interest in international business law and wish to establish or develop a practice in this area of specialization
Professionals without a law degree who have at least five years of senior-level work experience directly related to international business law in areas such as governance, compliance, risk management, or finance
Note: International Business Law is available on both a full-time and part-time basis. Our full-time Professional LLM options are geared to applicants who are in a career transition period or wish to take time away from work to focus on their studies. While full-time students are welcome to work part–time during their studies, we encourage those working full–time to consider our part-time option.
Alumni Spotlight
Ramanuj Basu
Ramanuj is a senior manager working in the Economic Sanctions compliance office for a Canadian bank. Ramanuj credits his internship, facilitated through Osgoode, on forming the basis for him to establish credibility in the Canadian market.
Student Services
As a full-time Professional LLM student, you’ll benefit from a wide range of student services designed to help you meet your academic and career goals.
Career Development: We understand that our full-time students are often interested in making a career transition after their studies, so we place significant emphasis on providing a range of resources, events, and one-on-one counselling to help our students meet their goals.
Academic Success: Full-time Professional LLM students come from across the globe and from many different professional backgrounds. To help you achieve academic success, we offer resources and counselling throughout your program.
Student Life: Our students are uniquely positioned to participate in student life on York University’s Keele Campus and through Osgoode Hall Law School groups and events, as well as in professional legal events and networking through the Osgoode Professional Development centre.
Our full range of services and more details about each one can be viewed below.
List of 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
Learn about the program
Get started with our on demand information sessions!
Our Study Law in Canada and Practise Law in Canada on demand information sessions are designed to help you better understand our program offerings and provide you with the confidence to choose the program that best fits your background and interests.
Course Requirements
The Professional LLM in International Business Law requires completion of 36 credits including a research requirement. The program is designed to be completed in one year (three active terms) through a combination of required courses, Designated Electives, and up to 12 credits of Outside Electives.
What You Can Expect
The program is designed to be completed in one year (three active terms) by completing 12 credits (two to four courses) per term. Full-time students must attend courses in-person.
Courses in the International Business Law specialization are scheduled in a variety of ways, primarily as daytime intensive courses or weekly evening courses. Courses may be held at our downtown Toronto location or on the York University Keele campus.
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)
- International students from civil law or distance education backgrounds: GNRL 6514 Introduction to Canadian LLM Studies (no weighting)
You will start the International Business Law program by completing your required course(s). You should expect your first term to be heavier, particularly if you are taking introductory and required courses. These courses are designed to support new students and to scaffold your knowledge and skills, so they tend to have a larger number of class hours and assignments than elective courses do.
Required Course
The required course is runs every Fall and Winter, and it must be taken in your first term of study.
Elective Courses
You must complete at least 18 credits from International Business Law course list (not including BLIS 6501). Most electives are drawn from within your home specialization. Some courses with topics related to your specialization may count as Designated Electives for your program even if they are housed within a different specialization. You’ll know a course is a Designated Elective for your program if it appears under your program on the Course Planner below. Courses that do not appear when you select your program do not count as Designated Electives for your program. (They count as Outside Electives instead.)
Up to 12 credits may be drawn from courses in unrelated specializations, so long as you have any required prerequisite knowledge for those courses. Internationally trained lawyers working toward accreditation may use their Outside Elective space to take NCA-accredited courses. To see course offerings for upcoming terms, review the Course Planning information below.
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 we advise planning your courses in advance.
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 International Business Law specialization accepts new students twice each calendar year, in the Fall term and the Winter term.
Fall 2024
Application Deadlines:
International Applicants are Encouraged to Apply by: February 1, 2024
Final Deadline: May 1, 2024
Faculty
Program director
Barnali Choudhury
Germán Morales Farah
Instructors include
Sharon Wang
Alison R. Manzer
Janet Walker
What Our Graduates Say
LLM in International Business Law
Fang (Anna) Lei, BS, MS, LLM
Senior Associate at Borden Ladner Gervais LLP
I really appreciated that this program provided an internship. It gave me the chance to learn about the legal system in Canada. The IBL program will help expand your vision to broader areas, and help you to assist your international clients do business in Canada.
LLM in International Business Law
Santiago Costa, LLB, LLM
Lawyer and Founder, Bayfront Law
I would recommend this program without reservation. You’ll be exposed to prominent professors at the cutting edge of their field.
Tuition and Fees
Full-time students pay in three installments over three terms.
Students who complete the program in fewer than three terms will have their final installment(s) added at the end of their program. Students who require more terms will be subject to additional tuition fees.
Please note that the tuition/fees displayed here are subject to change, and may vary depending on your entry term.
Domestic
$7,601.58per term for 3 terms
$22,804.74total
$16,017.18per term for 3 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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