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Programme information

The ELS programme comprises three tracks (or specialisations): EU law, Ius Commune and the ‘free track’. The EU law specialisation focuses on EU law and how it is (to be) applied by and in the Member States. The Ius Commune specialisation involves comparative law, studies common principles of European private and public law and explores how these principles can help to develop and shape EU law. The free track allows students to combine the main features and benefits of the EU law and Ius Commune specialisations.

Each of the three tracks comprises eight courses and a Master’s thesis. One course is compulsory for all ELS students, Advanced European law, which is taught by Prof. Bruno De Witte. The course involves an integrated study of EU law, in the sense that it emphasizes the interaction between the two traditional subdivisions of ‘Institutional EU law’ (which deals with decision-making processes and the role of the judiciary) and ‘Substantive EU law’ (which deals with the content of EU law in the various policy areas).

In addition students will have to choose 5 out of a series of courses. For the EU law track these are the following courses:
- European Environmental law
- European Competition Law
- International and European tax law
- European Migration law and Citizenship
- Issues of European Integration
- European Labour and Social Security law
- External Relations of the EU
- State Aid and Public Procurement

Students choosing for the Ius Commune specialisation can choose from:
- European Property Law
- Comparative Constitutional Law
- Family law in Europe
- Comparative Company law
- European Criminal Law
- Issue of European Integration
- Comparative Corporate Governance
- European Tort Law

Students who choose to do the ‘free track’ must choose 5 courses from the above courses for either the EU law track or the Ius Commune track.
Students may substitute up to two courses of the aforementioned courses by courses of the one of the other ‘track’ of the ELS programme, courses of one of the Faculty’s other Master programmes, a traineeship or participation in a Moot Court competition. This allows students to tailor their programme to their interests and ambitions.