About the Faculty of Law

The faculty’s education is truly international: considerable attention is devoted to European and International law and comparative law in all bachelor’s and master’s degree programmes. Its staff, too, is composed of many different nationalities. Moreover, the faculty’s cooperation with universities outside the Netherlands allows students to spend a period of study or an internship abroad. 

Our teaching programmes aim at educating excellent jurists who – thanks to the acquired academic and professional knowledge and skills – are well prepared to take up the various roles they will fulfil in their future professional career.

The faculty’s teaching is characterised by its small-scale approach. During the entire curriculum there is a maximum of only 15 students (in the first year) to 19 students (in later years) in each tutorial group, which makes education intensive and student-centred. Next to acquiring systematic knowledge of the law, students learn how to solve problems. This method, referred to as Problem-Based Learning (PBL), was originally developed for the study of law in Maastricht, and has been copied in many other places. PBL increases students’ knowledge and in particular their ability to deal with new problems, rules, laws and complex situations – an important skill for every lawyer.

The faculty is known for its open and stimulating research climate in which staff have ample opportunity to develop their own research profile. Research focuses, next to Dutch law, on comparative law, international and European law, human rights and law and technology. The faculty publishes its own journal, the Maastricht Journal of European and Comparative Law, and has its own book series (the Maastricht Law Series). The Maastricht Graduate School of Law coordinates the education of PhD-researchers. Research is organised in research institutes. The faculty is also active within the Ius Commune research school.

Accreditations demonstrate that the university provides high-quality education and continuously strives to improve. This gives students the assurance that their programme meets national quality standards and that their degree will be recognised both nationally and internationally.

Accreditations also raise the profile of Maastricht University in other countries. This can be important for graduates, as it means that their degree is also recognised internationally.