Looking to get specialized training in a particular area of law?

This short-term graduate program (15-17 credits) allow students to acquire the necessary basic knowledge required to develop a specialization or to pursue further studies in another graduate-level program. It also presents an opportunity for active professionals to gain new skills.

Speciality areas

• North American common law
• Business law
• Information technologies law
• Labour law
• International law

Apply for admission (in French)

A short-term specialization in a professional sector

This graduate program (30 credits) focuses on teaching the foundations of a specialization, as well as integration and application of that knowledge. The D.E.S.S. program was designed for professionals looking to refine their training or undertake a short-term specialization. This program comprises 10 courses, 8 of which must come from the area of specialization; namely, business law or international law. 

There are simple formalities for transferring from one program to another—for example, from a Micro-Program to a D.E.S.S or from a D.E.S.S. to a Master of Laws with a supervised research project.

Speciality areas

• Business law
• International law
• Journalism

Apply for admission (in French)

This program intends to meet the training needs of students who hold a common law degree and who are seeking to enter a bar admission program in a Canadian province (except Quebec) or territory. It is designed to provide a solid foundation in the methodology as well as the substantive and procedural rules of Canadian law. This includes a working knowledge of the Civil Law system of Quebec, a definite asset for the Canadian legal profession.

Presentation

The versatility and diversity of law

The J.D. Program in North American Common Law is the only one of its kind in Quebec and Canada. It is the only graduate program that gives Quebec jurists training in Canadian and U.S. common law, based on the comparison between three legal systems. 

The program enables students to acquire the knowledge required to understand how institutions work, as well as the history of Canadian and U.S. common law, in the interest of effectively comparing them with the institutions of civil law.

Thanks to this comparative approach to English-Canadian and U.S. law, jurists will be better equipped to address complex questions using legal knowledge from different systems, which will, in turn, enable them to develop innovative solutions to modern legal questions. An in-depth understanding of private common law is key for Quebec jurists, given the importance of North American economic trade and the spread of legal professions across Canada and the world.

Students must fulfill the specific and very rigorous eligibility requirements for this program before being accepted.

• 32 mandatory credits

Program director : 

Pr Matthew P. Harrington

Program structure (in French)

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Dive into an in-depth research project on a legal question

This Master of Law program offers students the opportunity to comprehensively study a specific topic taken from one of the broad areas of law or from an area of specialization. This research program has two objectives: offer courses that complement general knowledge learned at the undergraduate level and help students develop, through the writing of a thesis, the ability to orient and execute a mid-sized research project in a specific area of law.

With supervised research project or seminars
With thesis

In order to obtain their degree, students must complete a supervised research project or a thesis, according to their research area. Developing research or writing a thesis is at the heart of this program. Students will work in close collaboration with a professor, who will supervise their research projects. The supervising professor is chosen by the student. 

Speciality areas– Master of Laws with a supervised research project

Speciality areas – Master of Laws with essay

Business Law, with option Presentation  Description (PDF format - in French)

Information Technology Law, with option  Presentation (in French)

International law, with option  Presentation (in French)

Law, with option

Full details of the Master of Laws program (in French)

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An international program, where civil systems converge

The Master of Laws in Comparative Private Law program was designed for international students, who wish to learn from the comparison of different legal systems. In one year of full-time studies, students will acquire a historical, comparative and global perspective on private law around the world by analyzing their similarities and particularities, and by studying the evolution of each. This program also offers the opportunity to take optional courses on the fundamentals and methodologies of common law.

Read the brochure (in French)

Program (in French)

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Apply for admission (in French)

Webinaire (in French)

Notarial law is an important section of the Faculty of Law. This discipline is supported by research work and the activities of the Chaire du notariat de l'Université de Montréal.

I want more informations

The Masters of Laws, Comparative Common Law option has two main objectives:

i) to deepen knowledge of the common law tradition in a stimulating environment combining both theory and practice;

ii) to develop the ability to design and implement a research project in a specific field through the writing of an essay.

The Master of Laws, Comparative Common Law option is designed to meet the training needs of Canadian and foreign jurists interested in Canadian law, taking into account the globalization of trade and the specific legal needs it generates. Based on a theoretical, critical and pragmatic approach, teaching will use a variety of methods, including lectures, seminars and problem-based learning.

The program has been designed to allow students trained abroad to meet the requirements of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada’s National Committee on Accreditation (NCA). In order to receive a Certificate of Qualification, an individual application must be made to the NCA which will assess it on its merit. NCA policy requires all applicants who plan to complete their assigned requirements at law school to seek approval of the NCA prior to starting the courses.  To do so, please email nca@flsc.ca.

The program is held in English. An English test and/or a personal interview may be required.

Complete overview of the program

Master of Laws

Option : Business law in a global context

Exclusively open to international students, this program offers advanced studies in North American law, comparative law and international law, and looks at the growing complexity of law in a globalized world. Students who successfully complete this program will have acquired important analytical and research skills that will enable them to pursue successful, high-level careers. All courses in the program are offered in English only.

Academic Director: P^r Hugo Tremblay

Detailed overview (Admissions and Program Guide)

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Presentation

Students enrolled in another university (or any other university-level institution), may enrol in this Université de Montréal program as a visiting student researcher. This program provides research training that fulfills requirements in their program.

Consult the Guide for Visiting Student Researchers

Visit the Études supérieures et postdoctorales (ESP) website