Master of Laws in Energy and Environmental Law (MEEL) (Adv.)

Requirements

General conception.

The Master has been devised as a specialised, intense programme. The programme has all the hallmarks of an Advanced Master, or 'Master after Master', inclusive of the emphasis on research carried out by the students themselves. The core approach of the programme has a number of consequences:
- the student number is consciously kept modest, so as to ensure the quality of the group. This is important, e.g. vis-à-vis the necessary coaching of research activities;
- the selection is carried out with a view to ensuring the best mixture between active professionals, on the one hand, and 'novices' to the sector, on the other.

Quality of the selected students.

From among the applicants, those students will be chosen who correspond to the required profile, including a proficient level of written and spoken English, as well as a proven academic track record, research skills, and finally, an interest in the areas of energy law and environmental law. The current ratio between rejected/approved students shows that this stringent selection is well underway. These high expectations are important for, as well as demonstrated by, a number of considerations:

- the good name of the Institute and of the University:

- the exquisite quality of the visiting faculty. The bulk of the programme is taught by visiting faculty, over 20 professionals with a background in academia, private practice, international organisations, and national governments. The faculty (more details on the website) is taken inter alia from the Universities at Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial College, London, Leeds, Southampton, Leiden, Amsterdam, Maastricht, Tilburg, Ghent, Bruges (College of Europe), and Trier, as well as from the European Commission, the Energy Charter Treaty Secretariat, and the Bars of Brussels and London. Obviously, the programme convenors can only interest such faculty on a sustainable basis, if the quality of the students is high;

- the European Commission has granted the programme a one-off sponsorship of EUR 19.000, after having made the programme subject to stringent quality requirements.

- the Fullbright Commission reportedly requires US students with an interest in the field, to take the degree at our Institute, if they want to qualify for a scholarship, thus recognising the fame of the programme and of the Institute.

Previous degree required

Students have to have either an initial LL.M. degree or equivalent (e.g. a UK LL.B. degree). Admissability to the program is assessed on the basis of an examination of the full file by the Selection Board.

Admission decisions are based upon evaluation of a complete application file: -

Master in de rechten
- Master of Law
- Any equivalent degree in Law
Formal condition for entry is a Law degree which gives access to legal practice in the student's respective jurisdiction. For most students this means an LLM degree, for others (e.g. the UK) an LLB degree. Students have to prove proficient knowledge of English via the usual formats (TOEFL / IELTS.: TOEFL (Computer-based test 250 pt., Internet-based test 100 pt., Paper-based test 600 pt.) or IELTS (7 - 7.5 pt.)). The Selection Board will select those students with a solid academic background, who can additionally show (through a motivation letter) strong personal and intellectual interests in energy, and environmental issues. Minimum two strongly supportive references are also paramount. The Master program traditionally attracts a mixture of recently graduated students and professionals, and admission policy reflects this.