This Master’s degree brings together international law and sustainability studies to equip legal professionals with the tools to tackle urgent global problems such as climate change, environmental degradation, biodiversity loss, human-rights infringements, and social inequality. The programme encourages students to critically examine how legal systems can be harnessed to promote sustainable and just societal transformation and to identify where existing legal frameworks fall short and require reform.
Over two years you will explore how international and transnational legal regimes can advance sustainability, combining theoretical reflection with practical research training. Core subject areas include public international law and international economic law; law of the sea and transnational private law; business and human rights; and the theories, concepts and methods of international sustainability law. The curriculum asks students to evaluate the role of international law in achieving environmental protection, social justice and global equity.
The programme is organised to develop intercultural competence by having students study in two different academic and cultural settings. Year one is delivered at Leuphana University Lüneburg (Germany), where the focus is on foundations in international and sustainability law. In year two students specialise at one of Leuphana’s partner universities: the University of Glasgow (Scotland), the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), Università degli Studi di Milano Statale (Italy), or the University of the West Indies (Barbados). This design combines rigorous scholarship with international perspectives and practical research skills.
Key facts / requirements
This two-year, full-time master’s programme is delivered jointly by Leuphana University Lüneburg and one of its international partner universities and leads to two LLM degrees upon successful completion. The curriculum blends rigorous legal study with a strong orientation toward global sustainability challenges, equipping students to understand and influence how law can support sustainable development at transnational and international levels.
In the first year at Leuphana University Lüneburg (Germany), students acquire a solid grounding across core legal fields that intersect with sustainability: international law, transnational law, economic law, environmental law, and sustainability law. Courses examine the role of legal frameworks in driving or constraining the global sustainability transformation. The second year is spent at one of four partner institutions — the University of Glasgow (Scotland), the University of the Western Cape (South Africa), Università degli Studi di Milano Statale (Italy), or the University of the West Indies (Barbados) — where students deepen their expertise according to the academic focus of that host university.
The programme culminates in a master’s thesis written at the partner university, allowing students to carry out independent research on a topic at the intersection of international law and sustainability and to apply comparative and interdisciplinary perspectives developed across both study locations.
All academic admission criteria for this master's programme are published on the programme’s Admission & Requirements webpage. That official page contains the up-to-date, authoritative information on eligibility and the academic standards you must meet before applying.
Requirements and processes can change, so always check the Admission & Requirements page shortly before you apply. If anything on the page is unclear or you are unsure whether your previous qualification meets the criteria, contact the programme’s admissions team for clarification.
Winter Semester (International)
1 May 2026
Winter Semester (EU/EEA)
1 June 2026
Graduates are prepared for careers that require specialist knowledge at the intersection of law and sustainability, including positions in international organisations, governmental and regulatory agencies, NGOs and advocacy groups, law firms with environmental or international practice, and policy or consultancy roles. The programme’s strong research component and double-degree structure also provide a solid foundation for doctoral studies or academic careers.
The international mobility and exposure to different legal systems enhance employability in transnational and comparative legal work, as well as roles that address global sustainability governance, human rights compliance, corporate responsibility and environmental policy.
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