International Tax Law (Advanced)

Degree: Master of Laws in Advanced Studies in International Tax Law
Mode of Study: Full-time
Duration: 1 year
Start date: End of August
Language of instruction: English
Location: Leiden
Croho/isat code: 75026
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Entry requirements

Entry requirements

Applicants should:

  • hold a law degree or a degree in economics or business administration (master’s level or comparable, with a demonstrated legal orientation) or will expect to do so before the courses start. Candidates’ studies should include at least one substantive tax course; alternatively, they may already have obtained a few years experience in tax practice after their graduation (with a law or accounting firm, or in a Ministry of Finance or Revenue Service) or in teaching or research at a graduate institution. Where the qualifying degree is a law degree, it must be one that gives access to the legal professions in the country where the degree was obtained.1

  • demonstrate a sufficiently high academic performance, validated by grades of their University degree/transcript and accompanying grade criteria, and letters of recommendation from current or previous professors and/or employers;
  • demonstrate previous excellence in participation in tax courses or achievements in tax practice, illustrated by, for example, grades and grade criteria, past experience related to the subject (professional accomplishments, publications);
  • have proven English-language proficiency, validated through a TOEFL test (600 paper-based/250 computer-based or 100 Internet-based) or IELTS test (7.0), occasionally complemented by a telephone interview. This requirement does not apply if you have:
    • completed your education in Canada, USA, UK, Ireland, New Zealand or Australia, or
    • an International Baccalaureate

Students who want to start in September and do not meet this level of English but have a minimum score of IELTS 6.0 or equivalent, may be offered a place on the programme on the condition that they attend a two-month pre-sessional English course at Leiden University.

[1]. Access to the legal profession may be organised in different ways, depending on the country. Again, with regard to countries, the Board of Admission is unfamiliar with, expert advice is obtained from the Admissions Office, Nuffic or through international contacts (professional and academic).

Note

All of Leiden University’s LL.M. and LL.M. Advanced Studies programmes are NVAO accredited. However, as the LL.M. Advanced Studies programmes are not funded by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Dutch and EEA students will be required to pay the same tuition fee as that of (other) international students.

Advanced Programme

“What is an Advanced Studies programme?”

The LL.M. Advanced Studies programmes differ from regular LL.M. programmes both in their level of teaching and learning. The Advanced Studies programmes are specifically designed for excellent students with legal experience and for qualified lawyers who wish to enhance their career prospects. Regular LL.M. programmes are the final part of the standard Dutch law curriculum, and form a required programme for Dutch students wishing to gain the right to enter legal practice in the Netherlands. The regular programmes the Leiden Law School offers are also accessible for international students (and attract many!), and are aimed at those participating directly after completing a bachelor‘s programme in Law.

In terms of level of study, the Advanced Studies programmes are substantially more in-depth and demanding. In just one academic year they offer a thorough and focused education on a specific area of legal expertise. Advanced Studies students benefit from teaching based on the Socratic method, as well as both a practical and theoretical approach to the subject area. The Advanced Studies programmes are not in the first place research programmes. Whilst they are an excellent vehicle for the further development of research skills and as such also offer entry into PhD research, the programmes are first and foremost professional in their orientation. They cater exclusively for a group of students who benefit from close contact with their professors and with expert practitioners from the relevant legal field. There are very few universities that offer LL.M. programmes at this level.