Program Overview

Pre-Masters Programme at our International Study Centre prepares you for your degree at Lancaster University. You will focus on English language, university-level study skills, and academic modules that relate to your degree subject.

Your postgraduate preparation
The Pre-Masters Programme is available over two or three terms at the International Study Centre, providing you with the skills necessary for postgraduate study at Lancaster University. You will  build on the knowledge gained in your earlier studies whilst developing your practical English language and mathematical abilities, as well as study and research skills.

You will develop an intellectual appreciation of issues relevant to your chosen degree through classes designed specifically for international students. These will be based on study and careers skills, as well as subject specific modules, which prepare you for your chosen Masters degree at Lancaster.

How does it work?
When you apply to the International Study Centre, you will choose between two pathways, depending on your career aims. Upon acceptance to the Pre-Masters Programme, you will also receive a conditional offer to study a Masters degree at Lancaster University after successful completion of your Pre-Masters.

Business, Law and Social Sciences
By studying the Pre-Masters Programme in Business, Law and Social Sciences, you can prepare for a successful future in a wide range of roles across business and management, law and the social sciences. The programme leads to a variety of Masters degrees at Lancaster University, including some at the Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) – one of the top 100 business schools in the world.

Programme structure
During this programme, you will study subject specific modules to prepare for your future Masters degree, as well as academic study and English language skills. You will discover how to undertake independent research, as well as developing your writing fluency for postgraduate level. The programme also explores contemporary global issues whilst encouraging you to expand your knowledge by critically analysing the subject matter.

International Law and International Relations
The LLM International Law and International Relations examines global politics and international law and the fascinating interplay between the two. Jointly delivered by the Law School and the Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion (PPR), it enables you to explore the theory and the practice of international relations and international law, and deepen your understanding of the ways that legal principles apply to inter-state relations.

Our Law School is home to the Centre for International Law and Human Rights, the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice. PPR is home to the Richardson Institution for Peace Studies, and also the Cultural Political Economy Research Centre. These influential centres underpin our postgraduate teaching and you will have access to the expertise of academics researching in the field of international relations, international law and other legal and socio-legal issues.

The pathway for the LLM ensures a duality: a total of 6 modules from the Law School and PPR, and a 15,000 word dissertation, which enables you to pursue your own interests whilst becoming practiced at looking at issues from different perspectives.

Your core modules are International Law, Major Approaches to the Study of International Relations, Research Methods in Law or Theory and Methods in Postgraduate Studies and the LLM Dissertation.

You will study further elective modules from the Law School and/or PPR. We pride ourselves on the breadth of options available and you can focus on the issues that most interest you. Elective modules may include (among others): Theorising Security and War; Environmental Law; Politics and International Relations of the Middle East; Conflict Management and Contemporary Conflicts; and, the Rights of Peoples.

The dissertation is an independent, in-depth inquiry into a research topic of your choosing. The topic will link to a key legal or political question or issue and may also directly relate to your professional/career interests. This is your opportunity to make a contribution to the academic community with new, original research and writing. A dissertation supervisor can provide you with support and introduce you to relevant research; their personal research interests will closely align with your chosen topic wherever possible.

Our teaching approach is international in scope and comparative by nature, and we actively encourage you to build a beneficial network of academics, peers and alumni during your time with us. All of this will help you to broaden your experience, deepen your understanding, and prepare for your next step.

Your postgraduate LLM degree can open doors to a wide range of careers and provides a training opportunity for those pursuing careers in areas such as foreign and international affairs, national and international non-governmental organisations, journalism and international business.

Whilst on this degree you will have the chance to develop: the skills required to critically evaluate cutting-edge research; inter-disciplinary skills; and, analytical and communications skills. All of which can be a real boost in any sector and highly prized by employers.

The LLM/MA is also an ideal stepping stone to PhD study and academia.

Please note: We welcome applications from students without prior study of politics, law or international relations, but you would be expected to work hard to make up the gap to master advanced level study of these subjects.