School of Social Sciences

International Business and Commercial Law LLM

Year of entry: 2026

Course length: 12 months Full-Time

About the course

The demand for skilled, versatile lawyers remains high within the business world, as multinational companies are increasingly faced with complex legal and governance threats to their productivity and efficiency.

Our LLM International Business and Commercial Law course provides you with a unique combination of skills, knowledge and expertise that is required for companies to ensure that business runs smoothly within the increasingly globalised society.

Taught by leading experts, you'll explore the legal challenges faced by international businesses and analyse the fundamental legal frameworks to solve them, developing sought-after skills in the business world.

You'll become part of one of Europe’s leading law schools that produces internationally renowned research. As a student, you will be guided by our diverse academic experts who have research links with overseas organisations such as the United Nations, the World Trade Organization and a number of legal authorities.

See the full course profile on our website >

Join a university with a strong heritage of providing legal education since 1872, where graduates include Dame Christabel Pankhurst and Lord Stephens, the current Justice of the UK Supreme court

Benefit from our first-class facilities, including a purpose-built moot court where you can develop your legal skills

Gain practical experience throughout your studies, such as by offering legal advice at our Legal Advice Centre or promoting positive change through the Manchester Innocence Project

Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers with the skillset needed to make a real-world contribution

(High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2025)

Compulsory Units

LLM Dissertation.

Optional Units

Academic Skills for Legal Studies;
Postgraduate Competition Law in an International Context;
International Sale of Goods;
International Banking Law;
Global Economic and World Trade Law;
Transnational Corporate and Capital Markets Law;
Intellectual Property Law;
Trademark Law and Policy;
Patent Law and Policy;
Copyright Law and Policy.

These are examples of units offered in 2024/25 and are subject to change.

See the full list of units and find out more on the full course profile >

Where will your course take you?

Today’s turbulent legal landscape is in increasing need of graduates with a broad skill set and deep legal knowledge to navigate complexities and drive informed decision-making.

Our courses allow you to develop a variety of both subject-specific and transferable skills suited to a wide variety of roles, such as reasoning skills, advocacy skills, problem-solving and high attention to detail.

Most of our recent graduates have gone on to work with leading organisations in trade, investment, financial, or regulatory legal interest, international organisations, government, charities, or industry, and at top universities, with job titles such as Senior Legal Counsel, Commercial Property Solicitor, Policy Analyst, Manager, and Researcher.

Many of our graduates choose to continue their research by studying a PhD in Law, either at Manchester or at another leading university, where they expand the boundaries of our knowledge and pursue careers in research or academia.

Shenali Jashani

International Business and Commercial Law LLM Graduate

“I loved studying at Manchester and particularly enjoyed studying Law. Other law grads thought to pursue a legal career as a commercial/corporate solicitor working for a big City firm. I wanted a career with more variety perhaps with the ability to work on a range of projects across departments, sectors and countries.

I applied for the graduate scheme at Fujitsu, one of the largest ICT companies in the world, which offers a huge range of opportunities to graduates from all disciplines, whether it is STEM or Humanities and I couldn’t help but be quite excited by the potential projects I could be part of.“

Ishita Chelawat

International Business and Commercial Law LLM Graduate

“The University of Manchester has the prestige and reputation I wanted for studying an LLM. I gained experience facing real legal challenges. I used my ability to critically analyse and understand people, their stories and perspectives. In Manchester I have found my second home."