Master of Laws (LLM)

The Master of Laws (LLM) programme at HKU Law is a highly competitive programme. We welcome students with outstanding results from their first law degree at top universities worldwide to apply. Many have come to the programme with a wealth of legal experience and other postgraduate degrees. The programme provides students maximum flexibility to develop their legal interests and expertise in a friendly, engaging, international environment.

Students in the programme can either choose a general focus or one of the following specialisations:

• Competition Law and Policy^
• Maritime Law^ (*Subject to the University's Approval)
• Medical Ethics and Law^

^Also open to non-law graduates (i.e., students without a prior Law degree)

LLM with Specialisation in Competition Law and Policy (CLP)

This specialisation leverages the faculty's long-standing strength in competition law, with staff members who are leading competition law scholars in the region and globally. With competition law being one of the fastest growing areas of law in Asia, the specialization will help fulfil needs for postgraduate education in competition law (taught in English) in the East Asian region.


LLM with Specialisation in Maritime Law (ML)

This specialisation aims to improve legal practice in the maritime sector by providing professionals with interdisciplinary knowledge and comparative insights, leading to enhanced fair industry standards and service quality.


LLM with Specialisation in Medical Ethics and Law (MEL)

The specialisation is designed as an integrated interdisciplinary course of study that addresses contentious issues of great importance affecting the health, law and business sectors. It aims at empowering students with knowledge about the big ethical and legal questions of medicine and health. The specialisation, with modules taught by experts from the HKU Centre for Medical Ethics and Law (CMEL), offers healthcare professionals, lawyers, policymakers, and scientists, among others, insights to deal with ethical, legal and policy challenges confronting healthcare and the public health system.

LLM with a General Focus

Students must complete 72 credits, including a capstone experience, following the regulations and syllabuses for this programme. Students may also choose courses from the individual areas of law below and courses from our LLM specialist programmes in any given academic year.

Candidates who opted for a general award may also select a range of modules in the following areas of law:
• Admiralty and Shipping
• Commercial, Corporate and Financial Law
• Competition Law and Policy (Subject to the University’s approval for 2024 Entry)
• Human Rights and Public Law
• Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law
• International and Comparative Law
• Medical Ethics and Law
• PRC Law


LLM with Specialisation in Competition Law and Policy

Key Courses of the Competition Law and Policy Specialisation
[IMPORTANT NOTE: It is possible for some of the courses below not to be offered in any given year.]

(Compulsory) LLAW6154 Competition law I
(Compulsory) LLAW6155 Competition law II
(Capstone) LLAW6022 Advanced research methodology
(Capstone) LLAW6054 9-credit dissertation


LLM with Specialisation in Maritime Law

Key Courses of the Medical Ethics and Law Specialisation
[IMPORTANT NOTE: The following is subject to approval to be granted by the University. It is possible for some of the courses below not to be offered in any given year.]

(Compulsory) LLAW6172 Carriage of goods by sea
(Compulsory) LLAW6107 Insurance law
(Capstone) LLAW6022 Advanced research methodology
(Capstone) LLAW6054 9-credit dissertation


LLM with Specialisation in Medical Ethics and Law

Key Courses of the Medical Ethics and Law Specialisation
[IMPORTANT NOTE: It is possible for some of the courses below not to be offered in any given year.]

(Compulsory) LLAW6272 Medical Law and Ethics
(Compulsory) LLAW6274 The Beginning and End of Life
(Capstone) LLAW6300 Digitalisation: health, law and policy
(Capstone) LLAW6291 Mental Disability and the Law
(Capstone) LLAW6318 Public Health Ethics and Law
(Capstone) LLAW6275 The legal foundations of global health and development
(Capstone) LLAW6250 The regulation of biomedical research
(Capstone) LLAW6054 9-credit Dissertation
(Foundational) LLAW6160 Legal system and methods

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.

For admission in the academic year 2025-2026: To be advised

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

(b) shall either:

(1) 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

(2) obtain 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 who is seeking admission on the basis of a 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 with regard to IELTS and TOEFL tests*:

- 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

*For admissions purposes, the test score report is regarded as valid if obtained within two years of the application deadline.
The Faculty does not accept scores from “IELTS Indicator” and “TOEFL iBT Home Edition” for admission.

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

(b) shall either:

(1) 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

(2) obtain 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; or

(3) hold a bachelor's 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 or professional qualifications; and

(c) for a candidate who is seeking admission on the basis of a 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 with regard to IELTS and TOEFL tests*:

- 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

*For admissions purposes, the test score report is regarded as valid if obtained within two years of the application deadline.
The Faculty does not accept scores from “IELTS Indicator” and “TOEFL iBT Home Edition” for admission.

“The LLM programme at HKU is an unrivalled opportunity to develop relevant, practical skills for the evolving Asian legal market. In my time in the programme I was able to take a diverse curriculum, including courses in business and corporate finance, Hong Kong constitutional and human rights law, technology law, and PRC law, all taught by experienced practitioners from business and legal backgrounds. For an aspiring American lawyer with an interest in Asia it was a truly unique experience, and I’m sure the impact on my career will be palpable in the coming years.”

-- Mr. Judd Abramson (from the US, UPenn JD, HKU LLM 2012), Associate, The Law Firm of Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP, New York, USA

“The LLM at HKU is about diversity. I had the opportunity to choose from an extremely wide range of courses, be that human rights, intellectual property law, arbitration, or international economic and financial law. The LLM programme has allowed me to explore legal fields previously unbeknown to me as well as to deepen my knowledge of areas I was already familiar with – and all this in one of the world’s most fascinating jurisdictions: Hong Kong is deeply rooted in the common law tradition, yet its laws and culture have been and will continue to be influenced greatly by Mainland China and the rest of the world. This diversity is ever-present in the daily life on campus, too, where scholars and students from all legal traditions and from every corner of the world come and work together, and one can be sure to not just acquire valuable legal skills, but also form friendships for life.”

-- Ms. Michelle Kalt (from Switzerland, LLM 2014), Legal Intern with the Permanent Court of Arbitration

“The LLM programme at HKU provides an excellent foundation for aspiring legal scholars. Those passionate about the law are given the opportunity to learn and contribute to a range of specialist areas: from International Humanitarian Law to PRC Law, with a great deal in-between. Teaching is of the highest quality, with local and international academics nurturing legal scholarship with patience, care and skill. Yet the greatest achievement of the LLM at HKU is its multi-dimensional focus: critical legal analysis is not limited to issues raised in Hong Kong and China but across Asia, Europe and the United States. In sum, the LLM broadens the scope and depth of a candidate’s legal knowledge to an unprecedented level – which is ultimately what every lawyer, whether in academia or in practice, truly desires.”

-- Mr. Justin Ismail (from Hong Kong; Oxford BA, HKU LLM 2014)

“The LLM programme at the University of Hong Kong has unique features. It offers a great opportunity to learn about the most relevant current legal issues both in Asia and internationally. If you take into consideration the increasing importance that Asia, especially China, has gained in the world economy, being able to understand the major challenges that the region is facing and its global implications is a significant asset for any international lawyer. Besides, living in Hong Kong is an outstanding experience since it is one of the most dynamic and prosperous cities in the world. Not only can you learn about Asia, but you can also live it. That is why the LLM programme at HKU is highly recommendable.”

-- Mr. Juan Ignacio Stampalija (LLM 2012), Assistant Professor of Law, Universidad Austral School of Law, Buenos Aires, Argentina

“The law keeps on changing everyday. Good command of legal theory and awareness of its contemporary development are important for every legal practitioner. The LLM programme of HKU offers a great variety of courses for practitioners to pick and choose according to their professional needs and provides them an excellent opportunity to sharpen their competitive edge.”

-- Mr. Lewis Law (LLM 2013), Senior Government Counsel in the Civil Division, Department of Justice of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region

For 2025 – 2026 Intake

Please register here by 26 November 2024 (Tuesday), 12:00 noon (HKT).

For 2025-2026 Intake

Main Round:

 
Clearing Round:

 
Interested applicants should submit their application at https://admissions.hku.hk/tpg/programme-list.

Admission offers may be made on a rolling basis, and hence early applications are strongly encouraged.
 
Please click here for details on the application instructions and required supporting documents.



Programme-related Enquiries

✉ lawpgs@hku.hk