LL.M. in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights (2024)

This innovative and intellectually challenging full-time degree in international humanitarian law and human rights focuses primarily on rules applicable to armed conflicts and their interaction, and promotes both academic excellence and independent critical thinking.

• Provide advanced, comprehensive and practical training in international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international public law, international refugee law and international criminal law, as well as the interplay between them
• Provide a solid exposure to practical work via internships with leading actors and participation in moot courts and public pleadings

Candidate must hold a full degree in law or have a significant amount of training in public international law and courses related to the programme (e[.]g. IHL, IHRL and international criminal law)
Professional experience in a field related to the programme is preferable

The LLM programme is structured around the following components:

• Core courses
• Optional courses
• Internship or Moot Court Competition
• Extra curricular activities
• LLM Paper

Director(s)

Prof. Gloria GAGGIOLI, Faculty of Law, University of Geneva and Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights, a joint Centre of the University of Geneva and the Graduate Institute of International and Development Studies (IHEID), Geneva

This one-year postgraduate degree course provides advanced, comprehensive and practical training in international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international public law, international refugee law and international criminal law as well as the interplay between them. Students gain access to world-renowned professors and leading experts in their respective fields. They will also benefit from direct connections with leading actors in the field such as the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) or the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and share ideas with other participants from an array of different legal backgrounds and perspectives. The programme allows students to tailor their studies according to their particular interests via a wide range of optional courses. Those optional courses will allow students to deepen their expertise in a particular issue such as the protection of cultural heritage, humanitarian skills, enforced disappearance, gender and international crimes, Islamic Law of Armed conflict or international cybersecurity law.

• Core courses
• Optional courses
• Writing of a LLM paper
• Internships with leading Geneva-based humanitarian and human rights organizations or moot court

Candidates must have:

• A full degree in law (received by June at the latest) enabling the applicant to sit the bar exam in the relevant country; or another degree if the applicant has a significant amount of training in public international law and courses related to our programme (e[.]g. international human rights law, international humanitarian law, international criminal law)
• A strong academic record
• A demonstrable interest in the subject matter of the programme (e[.]g. professional experience, internships, summer school, conferences attended, publications, etc.)

A sound command of English. You must be able to show, via a  recognized test , that your English is of a high enough standard to successfully engage with and complete your course at the Geneva Academy. This requirement does not apply if (1) your mother tongue is English; (2) you have taken an English-taught bachelor’s or master’s degree; (3) you have at least two years’ professional or academic experience in an English-speaking environment

The Geneva Academy experience is simply extraordinary. Having the opportunity to take the law out of the books and apply it to the contemporary and pressing challenges in the fields of international humanitarian law, human rights law, refugee law and international law in general is enriching. The opportunity to study, interact and exchange ideas with other highly qualified, motivated, and brilliant minds from all over the world is invaluable and rewarding - Edward Madziwa 2022-2023