Humboldt Master of Laws Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Winter semester – Fixed core curriculum

• Introduction to European and German law
• Legal reasoning and legal theory
• Academic writing and jurisprudence
• Research perspectives

Summer semester – Elective specialisations

One of the following specialisation tracks can be selected for the summer semester:

• Justice & Security
  The module is concerned with current global challenges to justice and security, such as war, terrorism, climate change, societies in transition and authoritarian rule. It explores the existing legal frameworks and also asks how the law can respond to these challenges. In addition to more theoretical and doctrinal perspectives, the module incorporates historical angles and practitioner views.
• Law & Society
  The module is concerned with current legal challenges in the context of law and society as a field of interdisciplinary legal studies. Doctrinal legal research is complemented by social sciences, critically reflecting the opaque separation of knowledge by different academic disciplines. By this interdisciplinary approach, functions and interdependencies of law are examined in an integrative and methodologically reflected way.
• Innovation & Transformation
  The module is dedicated to the legal framework of innovation in times of global challenges. The lectures and seminars address the different fields of technology law, intellectual property, data protection and other areas of law in their function as a factor of technical and social transformation.
• General
  The module allows students to combine courses from the various specialisations and take an individual selection of in-depth courses.

Master's thesis

Maximum of 100,000 characters (without spaces)

The programme's study and examination regulations can be found here.

The application deadline for the academic year 2027/28 (starting in October 2027) will be announced on the degree programme's website in autumn 2026.

• Knowledge of foreign (non-German) law equivalent to 120 ECTS credits – as part of a law degree programme
• Qualified practical professional experience of not less than one year, completed after obtaining a first degree (BA) and before the application period

In addition to the tuition fee, programme participants will have to pay a student union contribution ("Semesterbeitrag") of around 355 EUR per semester. This money contributes to financing student self-government and administering student social welfare, e.g. discounted meals in university cafeterias and cheap housing in dormitories, as well as a Germany-wide ticket for public transport.

Estimated cost of living in Berlin (for 10 months): 10,000 EUR to 15,000 EUR (but of course depending on individual needs)

Students with a residence permit can work part-time, up to 140 full days or 280 half-days per year. While working within these limits is allowed, LLM students may have limited time for employment during the semester.

More information can be found here in section 'Are foreign students allowed to work in Germany while studying?'.

• The Humboldt Master of Laws' career prospects event
• Humboldt-Universität's general Career Center

https://www.hu-berlin.de/en/study/before-your-studies/find-living-space