Master of Laws in Laws

Although legal studies are one of the oldest university studies, students are still attracted to them today. The explanation is quite simple. The ever-increasing complexity of today’s society has a direct impact on our legal systems. It results in a ‘judicialization’ of sector after sector. Most important decisions require sound legal advice. Legal experts take on key positions in society. Those who entered law school in the past, did so to become a lawyer, a magistrate or a notary public. In those days, the emphasis was on civil law and criminal law. Our programme, however, has become more polyvalent since then. Graduates nowadays no longer exclusively enter the bar, but also find their way into the private sector, government services or international organizations. Law school is also an ideal starting point for a political career.

The Master’s curriculum is highly flexible. It contains six mandatory course units and room for twelve-odd electives. There are several lists of electives to choose from: ‘course units with a skills component’ (work placement, international moot court, a legal clinic...), ‘in-depth course units’ (in-depth study of a branch of law), and ‘broadening course units’ (specific legal or metalegal subjects). Your choice of electives depends on your personal interests, your future career choices, the teaching style, etc. Mostly, our lectures are interactive and a good preparation for a future professional career. More often than not there is no ‘traditional’ end-of-term or end-of-year assessment but continuous assessment instead. You also complete a Master's dissertation. This is an independent research in which you investigate an important legal topic in a strictly legal, metalegal and comparative manner. You start working on your Master's dissertation in the first year, only to submit the final piece at the end of the second year. The structure of the curriculum allows for an extended period of studying abroad. Those with a wish to extend their horizons of course receive the necessary advice and support.

In addition to the (domain) Master’s programme described above, you can also choose a Master’s Programme in Teaching (in Dutch: Educatieve Master) (120 ECTS). More information (in Dutch): www.ugent.be/educatievemaster.

The Legal Profession
About one-third of our graduates opts for a work placement at the bar. This is a three-year work placement. At the bar, our graduates receive additional training of specific professional knowledge, and knowhow of entrepreneurship, communication and negotiation. You can opt for this work placement as an additional study period, offering you further legal training. It is an experience that may prove itself useful in the further course of your career beyond the bar, or it may even inspire you to start your own legal practice. We see that many graduates decide to go and work elsewhere after finishing the work placement at the bar.

Magistracy In recent years, our politicians have realized that the court backlogs are mainly due to a shortage of magistrates. For that reason, the magistracy has been significantly expanded. Candidates must first successfully pass a selective and comparative written and oral government exam. After passing the exam, candidates take on a legal work placement, the duration of which depends on the position you wish apply for: member of the public prosecutor’s office (‘standing magistrates’) or a judgeship (‘sitting magistrates’). After completing the work placement you can apply for a vacancy among the standing resp. sitting magistrates.