Master's Degree Programme in International Business Law and
Public International Law
Admission procedure
Application period for the intake of autumn 2012 has ended. Application period for the intake of autumn 2013 will be from late November 2012 until the end of January 2013. More information about the next application period will be available online in September 2012.
Application procedure for intake of autumn 2012
Students will be selected to the International Business Law and Public International Law master´s degree programme based on the information provided in the application documents. Prospective students must apply via University Admissions Finland (UAF). Registration form must be filled in online. The application file including printed and signed application form and all required other documents must be sent to University Admissions Finland (UAF) by January 31, 2012 (16:15/4:15 pm GMT +2). University Admissions Finland will forward the applications and enclosures to the Faculty of Law after the deadline.
The application form as well as instructions how to apply and how to provide the UAF with all required documents are available online. Information about the application process can be obtained also from university’s academic adviser for international applicants (admissionsAThelsinki.fi) or from the Faculty of Law (llm-infoAThelsinki.fi).
Prospective students select either Public International Law or International Business Law as their specialization when they apply. The choice is binding. 30 student will be admitted to the programme. Studies begin in September 2012.
Eligible applicants
Eligible applicants include graduates with a Finnish Bachelor of Laws degree, an equivalent Bachelor’s degree in law or other Bachelor-level degree which provides the knowledge and skills necessary for Master’s level studies in law in the selected specialization. Students who are about to complete one of the foregoing degrees in time to present their final degree certificate upon enrolment (i.e. latest July 31, 2012) are also eligible to apply.
Admission criteria
Admission will be based primarily on previous performance in studies, the content of these studies, the quality of the degree and applicant’s letter of motivation. Applicants must have good proficiency in English (see language requirements). Previous international experience, other language skills and work experience may also be taken into account in the student selection. Attention will also be given to ensuring that the previous studies of admitted students provide an appropriate basis for studies in chosen specialization of the Master’s programme.
Language requirements
Applicants must have an academic level proficiency in English, as specified in Rector’s Decision No 075/2011. The faculty reserves the right to interpret this desicion.
Proficiency in English will also be considered sufficient if the applicant has completed the foreign language studies in English required for a Bachelor of Laws degree at a Finnish university (at least 5 ECTS credits) under the Government Decree on University Degrees (794/2004, Section 6). In this case the item "English as foreign language included in degree programme at Finnish Higher Education Institution (officially certified copy of degree certificate and transcript of records)" should be chosen from the application form.
Application form and enclosures
The online application form must be filled in, printed, signed and sent in with the required enclosures (see below). All documents must be mailed to the University Admissions Finland.
Applicants must enclose with their application the following documents as required by the university:
- officially certified copies of the degree certificate and transcript which indicate the qualification for eligiblity to apply (see above "Eligible applicants") and of any other degree certificates the applicant wishes to present for consideration (all documents with official translations)
- possible country-specific enclosures as specified by the university
- documentation of proficiency in English (according to Rector’s Decision 75/2011)
- an English-language motivation letter (included in the application form)
- in addition, if available:
- Diploma Supplement
- Certificate Supplement
More detailed instructions on submitting the application and its enclosures can be found on the website of the Admissions Services of the University of Helsinki.
If the original application documents are not in English, Finnish or Swedish, an officially certified translation must be enclosed. The applicant must submit officially certified copies of both the original documents and their translations. Information about application documents should be read through carefully.
The faculty may request further clarification of the applicant’s documents. On request, the applicant must submit additional information in writing within the time specified by the faculty.
The Faculty of Law will consider the applications only if the applicant 1) submits the application as requested by the University of Helsinki, 2) submits the application enclosures specified for the programme as requested by the University of Helsinki, 3) has previously completed a degree which gives eligibility for a programme leading to a Master’s degree and 4) meets the specified language requirements set for the programme. The faculty will not consider applications that fail to meet the minimum criteria specified above.
Application documents will not be returned.
Notification of the results of the student selection
The Dean will grant the right to pursue the degree after having heard the International Affairs Committee that has assessed the applications. All applicants whose applications have been considered by the faculty will be notified of the student selection results by email by April 2012. Successful applicants will also receive a letter notifying them of the admission to the degree programme.
Students can not be enrolled at the same time in two different programmes leading to a same level of degree at the Faculty of Law (for example in two different master´s programmes). If a student has already the right to complete a Master´s level degree at the faculty and this student is admitted to the Master´s programme in International Business Law and Public International Law, this student will not be granted a new study right, but the degree programme of the student will be changed to International Business Law and Public International Law. In this case the student will continue on completing the Finnish Master of Laws degree and the date of commencing studies once registered on student register will not be changed.
Accepting an offer of the study place
Successful applicants must inform the Academic Affairs Office of the Faculty of Law as specified by the Dean whether they accept a place in the degree programme by Tuesday 12 June 2012 at 16.15. Successful applicants must also submit their enrolment documents latest by Tuesday 31 July 2012 at 16.15 local Helsinki time. Students who fail to notify the faculty of accepting the study place and submit the required documents by the deadline will forfeit their place in the programme. Applicants on the reserve list accepted to the programme must accept the study place and submit their enrolment documents by a deadline specified by the faculty.
The faculty requires all students admitted to the programme to submit their original degree documents (pertaining to the degree qualifying them for application) for verification when their studies commence in autumn 2012 within the time period specified by the Dean.
Appeals
Applicants dissatisfied with the decision about admission may appeal to the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Law. The appeal must be submitted in writing and indicate in detail the decision against which the appeal is submitted as well as the grounds for the appeal. The appeal must arrive at the Faculty’s academic affairs office within 14 days of the publication of the admission decision. Applicants dissatisfied with the decision of the Faculty Council may appeal to the Helsinki Administrative Court. Decisions made by the Administrative Court are not subject to appeal.