Law and Economics

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  Learn how to apply economic analysis to legal reasoning

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  Benefit from our strong ties to practice

How can competitive markets contribute best to welfare, innovation and prosperity of EU citizens? How can regulation and enforcement of markets contribute to societal challenges in digitalization, sustainability and industrial policy? 

How can markets and organisations function effectively, while taking into account legal, economic and societal challenges? Why do companies behave (or misbehave) the way they do, and to what extent is this behavior acceptable? In this highly international environment of powerful corporates and policymakers, competition, regulation and supervision challenges require profound expertise in both economics and law. This advanced Law and Economics programme provides you a unique interdisciplinary perspective to combine legal reasoning with economic analysis. 

Bridge the gap between law and economics

In this LLM programme in Law and Economics we focus on the practical and academic toolkit to operate in the world of leading corporates, law firms, policy-making organisations, regulatory and supervisory bodies, and consulting. You will focus on such issues as the economic and legal aspects of market regulation and supervision, competitive strategy, competition policy, private equity, mergers and acquisitions, and finance and banking. You will learn from an interdisciplinary team of legal experts and economists who enhance the challenging course content with both theory and real-world knowledge. As a graduate of this programme, you will be uniquely prepared to bridge the gap between law and economics and contribute to addressing the relevant challenges of public and private organisations. 

I support students' initiatives to do more with their interesting research findings and knowledge gained during our programme. Bring your ideas on and utilize your new knowledge for more than your grades only: contribute to the society!

Specialise in EU Competition or Regulatory Law

In our curriculum we first lay a solid foundation in both EU competition law and EU regulatory law, after which you can choose to focus on either competition law or regulatory law, coupled with a mandatory course on supervision and enforcement. Hereafter, we offer a wide range of elective courses (called Capita Selecta) where you can further specialise. The year culminates in your thesis research.

For those students with a bachelor in Dutch law this track can lead to the Dutch ‘civiel effect’ qualification (if bachelor requirements are met).

Strong ties to practice

The unique aspect of this programme is the interaction between students, professors and professionals from both legal and economics disciplines. Each year Dutch, European and other international students are admitted. This cosmopolitan environment is ideal for developing an understanding of the perspectives and practices of other countries. The small scale of the programme encourages active participation. This is facilitated by joint courses and guest lectures and site visits to leading law firms, consultancies and enforcement agencies. Utrecht University’s Law and Economics professors – recognised as leading academics in their field –offer academic and real-life insights on the most relevant regulatory challenges. Moreover, through their strong ties to national, European and international practice, students benefit from an extensive network in finding employment after graduating. Moreover the programme has a thriving international alumni network.