LLM (Law, Technology and Governance)—
full-time and part-time
College of Business, Public Policy, & Law
Course overview
Shortlisted for national Postgraduate Course of the Year Award 2013
This is a unique and pioneering programme with a focus on the interconnection between law, technology, science, and innovation. The LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance offers students an opportunity to explore in depth substantive social issues and questions of law and governance as these mechanisms evolve to deal with ever-changing technology and rapid scientific advances.
It gives students the benefit of the expertise of members of the Law School, with a national, European and international perspective. In addition, academics from other institutions and key figures in public service, private practice and national and international organisations regularly contribute to the programme and enrich the overall learning experience.
Our graduates practice law with large corporate law firms or in their own boutique practices, work as researchers in (for example) the Judges’ Library and the Attorney-General’s office or have gone on to study for PhD degrees in Galway and elsewhere.
For more information about the programme, please visit the Law School website at www.nuigalway.ie/law
Key facts
Entry requirements
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1 degree in law. In exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a degree in another discipline or a degree of less than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be considered where they have professional experience in law.
Duration:
1 year, full-time
2 years, part-time
Next start date: September 2013
ECTS weighting: 90
Average intake: 25
Closing date: You are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer; see offer round dates.
Course outline
An active and dynamic learning environment is on offer, with significant interaction between students and staff. Its objective is to produce highly-skilled and competent graduates with a significant expertise in their chosen subjects.
Fundamental to the programme are a number of core modules designed to equip students with critical legal research, writing and presentation skills. Optional modules probe current controversies and legal debates caused by advances in science, technology and globalisation.
The dissertation, which is completed over the summer months, provides an opportunity for students to research in detail an area of their own choosing along the themes of the programme, expanding their expertise on a specific topic.
Students must take all of the mandatory modules listed below, together with the dissertation, and three optional modules. There are no written examinations: all modules are examinable by coursework.
Mandatory modules
- Advanced Legal Research and Methods
- Law, Regulation and Policy
- Law, Governance and Enterprise: Contemporary Issues
- Dissertation
Optional modules (modules available may vary)
- Communications Law: Law, Technology and Change
- Comparative Copyright Law and Policy
- Copyright in the Digital Era
- Corporate Governance
- Data Protection, Privacy and Retention
- Internet Regulation and Governance
- Competition Law and Intellectual Property
- Internet Torts
- The Law of Electronic Contracts
- The Patenting of Biotechnology
- The Regulation of Biotechnology
Applications and selections
Who teaches this course?
Ms. Caterina Gardiner
Ms. Anna-Louise Hinds
Mr. Rónán Kennedy
Ms. Marie McGonagle
Dr. Laurent Pech
Mr. Paul Lambert
Ms. Ciara Staunton
Requirements and assessment
Find out more
PAC code
GYL08, full-time
GYL18, part-time
Fees for this course
EU (Total): €6,015 (FT); €3,120 (PT)
- Student levy: €224
Non-EU (Total): €13,250
Current students
Thomas Mullen
Law, Technology and Governance
“The LLM in Law, Technology and Governance is proving to be the most enjoyable phase of my study of the law, both for the subject matter and the teaching dynamic. I am thoroughly enjoying the programme’s exploration of the compelling legal issues posed by the digital world and I am deriving particular benefits from the interactive nature of seminars. I would strongly recommend this LLM programme to anyone who is intrigued by the challenges and opportunities we face in today’s ‘Information Society’ and who wishes to pursue this interest in an engaging learning environment.”
Past students
Aonghus McClafferty
Law, Technology and Governance
“I enjoyed the interaction and close personal attention that the lecturers give to the students. They had a genuine interest in helping us all do as well as we could in the course and also encouraged us in other activities such as submitting papers to external conferences.
This programme offers students the chance to study innovative and developing areas of law. This programme takes you beyond the classroom and library and encourages study and research by igniting a genuine interest in the wide range of modules. Furthermore it provides interaction with people exploring the same areas with class outings to research conferences and more.”
