Law for Jurists Who Obtained Their First Degree Abroad, LL.M.
The Faculty of Law offers a postgraduate programme on German law for students who have already obtained a foreign law degree. The aim of this international postgraduate degree programme is to familiarise students with German law and enable them to deepen their specialisations. The Faculty of Law awards the degree Master of Laws (LL.M.) on successful completion of the master’s examination.
Programme facts
| Degree | Master of Laws (LL.M.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 2 semesters, 60 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | uni-assist (VPD) + the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €0 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €355.65 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →What you study
The basic skills in German law are taught in the compulsory modules “Fundamentals of Law” and “Legal Terminology, Methods and Professional Qualifications”. In order to supplement these basic skills, students determine their own focus by selecting a competency unit. You can choose from the following options:
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
The career prospects provided by the master's program itself depend on the student's country of origin. The course of study primarily prepares students for qualified cross-border work in their home country. In the past, particularly high-performing graduates have qualified with the Cologne Master for positions in international commercial law firms based in Germany or other EU countries or as clerks in the German public service. Others have followed up their course of study with a legal doctorate. The experience since the course was founded in 1987 also shows that the master's program can significantly facilitate preparation for the aptitude test to become a European lawyer within the meaning of Sections 16 ff. EuRAG for lawyers with a legal degree obtained in an EU state other than Germany. Passing this exam is required to practice the profession of lawyer in Germany without having to take the German legal state examinations.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (North Rhine-Westphalia), international students | €0 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €355.65 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | In order to apply for the master’s programme for students who graduated abroad, you require a bachelor’s degree in law with 240 credits or another qualification comparable to the German law qualification First Examination. |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | uni-assist (VPD) + the university, winter semester until 15.07 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to C1 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application uni-assist (VPD) + the university until 15.07uni-assist checks documents for 4–6 weeks — send them well before the deadline.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.07.2027 (274 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.