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^

^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 a General Focus
Candidates are required to complete 72 credits, including a capstone experience in accordance with the regulations for this degree and the syllabuses. Candidates must choose one capstone course and seven electives from the following Course List subject to the requirement that (i) they must choose at least one course each from at least four of the Clusters listed under Electives on the Course List; and (ii) no more than two courses from any single Cluster listed on the Course List.

Candidates who opted for a general award may also select a range of modules in the following Clusters:
• Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
• Chinese Law
• Competition Law and Digital Regulation
• Corporate and Financial Law
• Human Rights and Public Law
• Information Technology and Intellectual Property Law
• International and Comparative Law
• Maritime Law
• Medical Ethics and Law
• Others

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
• LLAW6155 Competition law II
Capstone:
• LLAW6054 9-credit dissertation#
• LLAW6014 18-credit dissertation#
• LLAW6187 Competition law and intellectual property*
• LLAW6141 Contemporary issues of comparative platform governance*
• LLAW6195 Intellectual property and competition in the digital economy*
• LLAW6295 Issues in consumer law: theory and policy*
• LLAW6311 Sustainability and competition law*
# Candidates can only enroll in either LLAW6014 or LLAW6054. Enrollment in these two courses requires prior approval of the specialisation programme leader(s). Candidates must successfully complete LLAW6022 Advanced Research Methodology in order to be eligible to submit a dissertation. Part-time candidates can only enroll in either LLAW6014 or LLAW6054 in their second year of studies.
* Courses marked with an asterisk are designated as both capstone courses and designated electives. If more than one of these courses is selected, one of them will count towards fulfilling the capstone requirement. The remaining course(s) will count as designated electives or, if more than two designated electives are selected, as other electives.

LLM with Specialisation in Maritime Law
Key Courses of the Maritime 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
• LLAW6327 Law of marine insurance
Capstone:
• LLAW6054 9-credit dissertation#
• LLAW6014 18-credit dissertation#
• LLAW6329 Admiralty law and practice*
• LLAW6332 Advanced topics in maritime law*
• LLAW6328 Maritime arbitration*
• LLAW6225 PRC shipping law (in Putonghua)*
• LLAW6330 Shipping finance law*
• LLAW6331 Shipping management and law*
# Candidates can only enroll in either LLAW6014 or LLAW6054. Enrollment in these two courses requires prior approval of the specialisation programme leader(s). Candidates must successfully complete LLAW6022 Advanced Research Methodology in order to be eligible to submit a dissertation. Part-time candidates can only enroll in either LLAW6014 or LLAW6054 in their second year of studies.
* Courses marked with an asterisk are designated as both capstone courses and designated electives. If more than one of these courses is selected, one of them will count towards fulfilling the capstone requirement. The remaining course(s) will count as designated electives or, if more than two designated electives are selected, as other electives.

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 courses leading to the degree of Master of Laws, a candidate:

(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
- TOEFL (Internet-based Test): A score of 100 or above

**For admissions purposes, please note:
- IELTS and TOEFL tests must be taken within two years prior to September 1 of each admissions year; and
- Scores from "IELTS One Skill Retake", “IELTS Indicator” and “TOEFL iBT Home Edition” will not be accepted.

• To be eligible for admission to the courses leading to the degree of Master of Laws (with Specialisation in Competition Law and Policy or with Specialisation in Maritime Law), a candidate:

(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
- TOEFL (Internet-based Test): A score of 100 or above

*For admissions purposes, please note:
- IELTS and TOEFL tests must be taken within two years prior to September 1 of each admissions year; and
- Scores from "IELTS One Skill Retake", “IELTS Indicator” and “TOEFL iBT Home Edition” will not be accepted.

“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 2026-2027 Intake
TBC

Video Recording for the September 2025 Intake:

For 2026-2027 Intake

Main Round:

• December 12, 2025 (Friday), 12:00 PM (GMT+8)
 
Clearing Round:

• February 27, 2026 (Friday), 12:00 PM (GMT+8)
 
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.



Admissions-related Enquiries

✉ lawpgs@hku.hk