Leading Finance LLMs preparing graduates for global success

Globalisation has dramatically changed the way financial markets behave. “During the past two decades, financial markets around the world have become increasingly interconnected,” writes Gerd Häusler, Counsellor and Director of the IMF’s International Capital Markets Department. “Financial globalisation has brought considerable benefits to national economies and investors and savers, but it has also changed the structure of markets, creating new risks and challenges for market participants and policymakers.”

The right finance LLM programme will factor these new challenges into its curriculum, ensuring you have the tools to deal with future hurdles. Finding an institution led by educators who are either part of the industry or have the right contacts is integral. This way, you learn from their current insights and are prepared for any working environment. 

Here are three universities whose finance LLMs have all these elements and more, preparing you for the new challenges and opportunities ahead:

Goethe University’s finance LLM has an interdisciplinary curriculum with a variety of courses. Source: Goethe University

Goethe University

A key highlight of studying at the Institute for Law and Finance (ILF), Goethe University, is its important location. Frankfurt, Germany, is a major banking and financial centre in continental Europe as seen from the fact that the European Central Bank, the central bank of the Federal Republic of Germany, the German Stock Exchange, regulatory authorities, many commercial banks and consultancy firms as well as top international law firms are all located here.

The English-taught LL.M. Finance programme overcomes the traditional separation of the academic disciplines of law and business/economics. The programme teaches you aspects of both law and business/economics and focuses on their intersection and interplay. Thus, you will gain the competence and insights to appreciate the legal framework, constraints on economic decisions and economic consequences of legislative directives and legal practice. You will be taught by faculty comprising prominent academics and leading practitioners from both areas of expertise. As the ILF offers more than 35 law and business/finance elective courses annually, you can choose the combination of courses that best suits your interests and which would allow you to specialise in the areas in which you wish to start or establish your careers.

An integral and important component of the LL.M. Finance programme is the seven to eight weeks of mandatory internship at one of the ILF’s sponsors from the financial, regulatory, central banking, international law and accounting areas. Such internships provide extremely valuable learning experience and excellent networking opportunities to students. The ILF assists its students in finding appropriate internships.

With a small cohort of around 50 LL.M. Finance students per year, a conducive learning environment with direct and personal contact with lecturers is ensured. During their year of study at the ILF, students can also attend various conferences and seminars on current issues relating to law and finance held at the ILF. In addition, many extra-curricular activities (such as a field trip to Berlin, Christmas party, basketball games, get-togethers with alumni) are also organised specially for students so that they can enjoy a year of fun-filled activities while studying at the ILF. ILF graduates will earn an internationally recognised and accredited LL.M. Finance degree from Goethe University. Apply to the ILF’s LL.M. Finance programme today.

About 94% of the school’s research is considered world-leading or internationally excellent. Source: University of Bristol

University of Bristol

The University of Bristol‘s LLM Banking and Finance Law programme readies you to join various sectors, including legal, business, finance and regulation or sets you up to be a specialist in-house lawyer. This is mainly because of the transferable skills you pick up. In this degree, you will develop and deepen your understanding of banking and finance law, boosting your prospects in the field you’re already in or giving you the foundation for a research career. 

About 94% of the school’s research is considered world-leading or internationally excellent. As a result, its LLM programmes often integrate the latest discoveries, a factor well-respected by leading global law firms, international businesses and financial organisations. This gives you a distinct edge when re-entering the working world, making you a sought-after asset as there is a need for expert lawyers who can take on the current business and financial challenges that companies face. 

As a student exploring a relatively new and intellectually demanding area, you will enjoy an in-depth study of the impact of the law, regulation, policy and practice on banking and finance. The curriculum for the LLM is research-rich, led by world-leading academics who have carried out internationally recognised research on the subject. Under their guidance, you’re set to demonstrate exemplary legal, analytical and research skills by the time you graduate.

University of Luxembourg’s Master in European Business Law helps you contextualise current business law developments. Source: University of Luxembourg

University of Luxembourg

The Faculty of Law, Economics and Finance (FDEF) at the University of Luxembourg ranks among the best in the world. This is because of its multilingual academic and research environment. Located in the heart of Europe, it enjoys the proximity of European institutions, Luxembourg’s leading international financial centre and a vibrant business community. Its European and global outlook is apparent in all of its programmes. 

For instance, the Master in European Business Law helps you contextualise current business law developments from a national, European and global perspective. The rigorous theoretical and practical teaching will prepare you to specialise in numerous areas — including company law, contract law, intellectual property, data law, e-commerce and arbitration — and in several countries and regions.

This master’s will give you insights for your analysis to go beyond national jurisdictions. You’ll be trained on how to draw upon European legal sources and propose more innovative solutions. This out-of-the-box thinking is guided by faculty who are experts in their field, either academics or practitioners, including some European Human Rights Court members. 

The law clinic adds an experiential dimension to this programme. Here, you will meet and assist actual clients while working alongside a psychologist and experienced practitioners on cases. You will also gain exposure and face real-world challenges at internships. 

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International