Mapping the law, bridging worlds
Visit the Université de Montréal website for complete information about the graduate programs.
Short Graduate Program
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
Specialized Graduate Diplomas (DESS)
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
Juris Doctor (J.D.) in North American Common Law
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 :
Master of Laws (LL.M.)
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
North American common law | Business law | Notarial law | International law | Tax law (joint program with HEC Montréal) |
Speciality areas – Master of Laws with essay
Business Law, with option Presentation Description (PDF format - in French)
North American business law | Financial markets and products law | International economic relations and business law | Business contract law and practices |
Information Technology Law, with option Presentation (in French)
General | Law, information and communications | E-commerce |
International law, with option Presentation (in French)
General | Private international law | International business law | International law, transnational law and justice |
Law, with option
Access to justice | Comparative law | Private law | Public law | Penal law |
Labour law | Theories in law and ethics | Social law | Environmental and sustainable development law | General |
Master of Law in Comparative Private Law (LL.M.)
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.
Master of Laws in Notarial Law (LL.M.)
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.
Master of Law in Comparative Common Law
Program requirements
Graduates of a foreign university:
- Possess a Bachelor of laws degree or an equivalent degree.
- Have obtained an average of at least 3,0 on 4,3 or the equivalent.
Graduates of a canadian university:
- Possess a J.D. of the Université de Montréal.
- Have obtained, at J.D. of the Université de Montréal, an average of at least 3,0 on 4,3.
An english test and/or a personal interview may be required. The program held in English.
In and of itself, the LLM Degree in (BLGC or Comparative Common Law) is not recognized by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada. However, the courses followed by a student may be taken in consideration by the National Committee on Accreditation when assessing the requirements that must be met to obtain a Certificate of Qualification. For more information on this subject, see : https://flsc.ca/national-committee-on-accreditation-nca/
Business Law in a Global Context (LL.M.)
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: Hugo Tremblay, Professor
Programs for Visiting Student Researchers
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