Master of Law in International Law

The growth of the global marketplace and its interdependence among nations places a premium on lawyers who understand the international implications of various public, private, and commercial activities. Houston holds a commanding international presence and the Law Center's LL.M. program in International Law capitalizes on the city's substantial global connections. The program allows concentration in public or private aspects of international law, and it provides an opportunity for lawyers to structure their LL.M. curriculum to meet individual interests and needs. LL.M. candidates may choose to focus their studies in a particular area of international law, or they can select from a wide variety of courses to achieve a broad understanding of public and private aspects of international law. The Law Center recently established the Center for U.S. and Mexican Law, which is the first independent research center in the United States dedicated to the study of Mexican law and U.S. Mexico relations. Initiatives such as this allow our LL.M. students to gain an in-depth understanding of international and comparative law and their roles in our domestic legal process. Students must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours, including 15 credit hours in international law courses, and they have the option of writing a 50-page thesis of publishable quality. LL.M. students who earned their law degree outside of the United States must also complete two coursesIntroduction to American Law and Lawyering Skills & Strategiesas part of the 24 credit hour requirement.

Applicants who received their law degree in the United States must hold a J.D. degree from an ABA-accredited law school. Applicants must demonstrate their ability to perform satisfactory graduate work as evidenced by high grade-point average or high class rank in law school. Most U.S. applicants to the University of Houston Law Center have graduated in the upper one-third of their law school classes.

The minimum TOEFL score required is 79 for the internet-based test.
The minimum TOEFL score for the paper-based (pBT) exam is 550 or higher.
The minimum TOEFL score for the new revised paper-based exam is: Reading 20, Listening 20, and Writing 20.
The minimum IELTS score required is an overall score of a 6.5.