Are you passionate about international relationships? Does the study of law fascinate you? If so then perhaps a course of study in international law would be perfect for you!

However while a love for love is essential for those wishing to gain a qualification in this particular field, it is also important for students to have an interest in history, culture and geography as students will be expected to learn of the different historical and belief systems that have had an impact upon different legal structures.

As with all courses, candidates will be expected to learn a number of different legal theories and apply these to real-life case studies. As such, students should have logical reasoning skills and strong analytical abilities. Similarly, law courses can be vigorous; not only are candidates required to attend lectures, but they are also expected to partake in independent learning, engaging with key critical texts and gaining work experience.

The majority of students deciding to study international law, do so with the intention of working in the legal profession as a lawyer. Studying an international law qualification allows graduates to study for the Legal Practice Course without studying for the Graduate Diploma in Law which will allow students to become International Law specialists.

However, not every graduate opts to pursue a career in international law. Many students decided to combine their International Law programme with modules in commerce or economics. As such, employment within the business and finance sectors is particularly popular alongside HR and PR roles.

Similarly, many who study International law also pursue careers within social industries such as journalism or working for charitable organisations such as Amnesty International or Oxfam.

Competition for places on an International Law degree programme will be particularly strong and as such the entry level requirements to study will reflect this. Most undergraduate courses will require that students have a minimum of 3 strong A-level qualifications (or equivalent) and those wishing to study at post-graduate level should already have a strong honours degree. Qualifications in subjects such as law, economics, English and history will all strengthen your application.

Although the minimum length of an International Law undergraduate degree course is 3 years, many prestigious programmes will last for four years to allow undergraduates the opportunity to gain work experience within the legal industry abroad.

The top Universities providing undergraduate training in the UK require all students to sit the national admissions test for law [LNAT] test before the course programme starts and will specify this in the prospectus. Post –graduate courses will last from a year (GDL) to three years for professional training. If you are a non-native speaker of English, then you will need to prove that there are no barriers that will limit you from accessing the course content. All foreign students will be requires to sit an IETLS test and score a minimum of 6.0 – 6.5 in order to demonstrate this.

There is such competition for places on International Law courses that the decisions you make today regarding your institution of study will have a significant impact upon your future; particularly if you want to qualify as a lawyer upon graduation. If you are planning on studying for the legal practice course, then make sure you attend a prestigious university that allows you to gain work experience within the legal industries as this will strengthen your application for post-graduate study. Many Universities will also offer language and/or business modules as well as the opportunity to study as part of an Erasmus scheme in order to gain adequate work experience.

Another consideration to take into account is the cost of your course, as well as the grade requirements. Most Universities will only accept graduates with high academic records, so before deciding that law is the course for you, check that your predicted grades meet these requirements. Given that a Civil Law course can consist of up to four years, budgeting is also vital. Can you afford the fees? Can you afford the living costs?

If you’re struggling to secure funding, there are a number of scholarships and grants available

Of course it is also important to choose somewhere that will make you happy for the duration of your course, particularly if you’re opting to live away from home. Wherever you choose to study, your degree will end up costing you a lot of money, so you need to ensure that you get the most out of your time as a student. As such it is important that you consider whether the surrounding culture will add to the pleasure of your University years as well as academic benefits of studying at a particular institution.