Study Programme
Below you will find the courses of Year 1 and 2 of the Master's programme Legal Research.
You can also download the Master's programme Legal Research year schedule as a PDF file for easy reference. Please note that the names of the courses may change next year.
Content of your two-year programme
You start with several compulsory subjects to help you understand the ‘dynamics’ of law as well as legal methodology. In the first semester, you also take the compulsory non-credit course Academic Writing and Presentation Skills. In addition, throughout the first and second year, you complete two research projects, take a minimum of three elective courses, and write your Master’s thesis. In writing your research projects and thesis, you will be supervised by an experienced professor or senior lecturer. In addition, you will be supported by the ‘Methodology Round Table’, which consists of monthly interactive sessions in which you discuss research issues with your peers.
With respect to the elective courses, you are (in principle) free to choose from the entire range of legal disciplines on offer within the Utrecht University School of Law. These courses should form part of your own research profile, which you develop in consultation with the tutor who supervises you throughout the two-year programme.
When completing this programme, you will have gained in-depth knowledge of the field of research in your preferred legal discipline as well as developed a strong set of legal and academic skills. You will also have learned to produce texts that are relevant to legal academics and to participate in a variety of individual and collaborative projects.
Collaboration Utrecht University and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Since 2020 this programme has a collaboration with the VU in Amsterdam. After completing the first year at Utrecht University, it is possible to follow the second year partially or fully at VU (building your own research profile). The VU has made all legal master's courses open to participation by LRM students, and makes it possible for all of you to be supervised in your research projects and theses by scientific staff of the VU. The only course you always take in Utrecht is the Methodology Round Table (MRT). It is also possible to take (part of or all) electives in Utrecht (at the law school or at another faculty), to do an internship as an elective, to take electives abroad or to do so at other Dutch universities.
Educational and examination methods
Below you can see the overview of the educational and examination methods in this programme.
Legal Skills Academy
The School of Law takes skills-teaching seriously, integrating professional, legal practice and academic skills into all our Masters’ curricula. Its new Legal Skills Academy puts skills-teaching in the spotlight, so that by the time you finish your Masters you have not only become proficient in the complexities of the Legal Research programme, but you also have the confidence and skills needed to perform as a professional in legal practice. Your participation in inter alia moot courts, blog-writing and simulated negotiations will give you valuable experience in applied lawyering that will help your CV stand out in a competitive job market.
Academic Calendar
Consult our Academic Calendar, where you can find more information about the Master's schedule per period, course registration periods and holidays.