Master of Laws in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution [LLM(Arb&DR)]

Hong Kong is a world leading international dispute resolution venue standing at the conjunction point between East and West, ideally situated to resolve disputes in the greater China and Asian region.  The University of Hong Kong’s Faculty of Law is a world-class Faculty ranked amongst the top 21 law schools in the world according to Times Higher Education, with a global network of partners and a strong reputation in international dispute resolution.

Founded in 2007, the LL.M. Degree in Arbitration and Dispute Resolution has been internationally recognized as a leading provider of dispute resolution teaching and research.  Graduates obtain certifications with HKMAAL, CIARb and HKIA. Leading arbitration thinkers, practitioners, specialists and alumni contribute to a dynamic array of teaching and seminars throughout the year.

We welcome you to learn about our full-time and part-time program and join our diverse student body which has included leading practitioners from the business and financial community, specialists in the construction and engineering fields, mediation and arbitration practitioners, government officials, legislators, judges and members of international organizations specializing in dispute resolution.

What our Peers Say:

“in many aspects the LL.M. programme exceeds international standards…[it provides] opportunities for global activities, excellent instructors … and many internationally focused course offerings.”  (Professor Carrie Menkel-Meadow, External Program Examiner)

For more information on the programme and related activities, please visit LLM(Arb&DR) website.

Students are required to complete 72 credits, including compulsory courses and a capstone experience according to the Regulations and Syllabus. Students may also choose courses from any of the specialist programmes, but in any event, no more than two courses from other LLM specialist programmes.

Please refer to the Regulations and Syllabus of your respective intake for more details.

Remark: Not all courses will be offered in any given year. You may also refer to the course schedule per academic year for actual classes available.

To be eligible for admission to the programme, applicants shall:

(a) comply with the General Regulations and the Regulations for Taught Postgraduate Curricula; and

(b)(i) hold the degree of Bachelor of Laws with at least second class honours of this University, or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University or another comparable institution accepted for this purpose; or

(b)(ii) hold the degree in a discipline other than law with at least second class honours of this University, or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University or another comparable institution accepted for this purpose; and have at least two years of relevant experience and/or professional qualifications; or

(b)(iii) have obtained either the Common Professional Examination of England and Wales or the Common Professional Examination Certificate of this University provided that in either case, the candidate has also obtained a degree with at least second class honours of this University, or a qualification of equivalent standard from this University, or another comparable institution accepted for this purpose; and

(c) for a candidate seeking admission based on qualification from a university or comparable institution outside Hong Kong of which the language of teaching and/or examination is not English, shall satisfy the University English language requirement applicable to higher degrees as prescribed under General Regulation G2(b).

The Faculty has its specific requirements concerning IELTS and TOEFL:
- IELTS (Academic): An overall band of 7.0 or above with no subtest below 6.5
- TOEFL (Paper-based Test): A score of 593 or above
- TOEFL (Internet-based Test): A score of 97 or above

*The Faculty accepts the TOEFL/IELTS score report as valid when obtained within two years of the application deadline.

Upon completion of LLM(Arb&DR) programme, graduates are eligible to apply for the following professional accreditations:

1. Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (headquartered in London) - Membership (MCIArb) or Fellowship (FCIArb**)
2. Hong Kong Mediation Accreditation Association Limited - Accredited General Mediator (subject to completing Stage 2 and Stage 3 requirements as stipulated by the HKMAAL Mediation Accreditation Committee)
3. Hong Kong Institute of Arbitrators - Associateship (AHKIArb) or Fellowship (FHKIArb)

**Subject to achieving a minimum 55% (grade D+ from 2012-2013) in the LLM Arbitration Practice, Procedure & Drafting course (LLAW6157) and a minimum 70% (grade B- from 2012-2013) in the LLM Arbitration Award Writing course (LLAW6241); and a successful CIArb Peer Interview.

The Continuing Education Fund (CEF) subsidises adults with learning aspirations to pursue continuing education and training courses. Eligible applicants may refer to https://www.wfsfaa.gov.hk/cef for further details and application.

The following five courses of the LLM(Arb&DR) programme have been included in the list of reimbursable courses for the HKSAR Government Continuing Education Fund (CEF) purposes:-

- Arbitration Law (CEF Course Code: 21Z07655-8)
- Arbitration Practice, Procedure and Drafting (CEF Course Code: 21Z07656-6)
- Contract Law (CEF Course Code: 21Z07657-4)
- Mediation (CEF Course Code: 21Z07658-2)
- Negotiation: Settlement & Advocacy (CEF Course Code: 21Z07659-0)

According to the regulation of the CEF, applicants may submit an application for opening an account together with the application for the first reimbursement claim after the successful completion of the applicant’s first CEF course. There is no limit for the number of CEF claim submissions, and the subsidy ceiling is HK$25,000 per applicant.

[Note: Students are required to submit their reimbursement claims within one year.] 

For 2024-2025 Intake

Date: 11 December 2023 (Monday)
Time: 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM (HKT)
Mode: Online Session
Link to Zoom session: TBC

Registration: https://hkuems1.hku.hk/hkuems/ec_hdetail.aspx?guest=Y&ueid=90978

For 2024-2025 Intake
- Main Round: 12:00 PM (GMT+8), 5 January 2024 (Friday)
- Clearing Round: 12:00 PM (GMT+8), 29 February 2024 (Thursday)
- Interested applicants should submit their application at https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/programme-list
- Applications maybe processed on a rolling basis, and hence early applications are strongly encouraged.

Programme-related Enquiries
✉ lawpgs@hku.hk