Groningen - Study Law in Holland

General Information

Ever since its establishment in 1614 the University of Groningen has been educating people to serve society. All this knowledge and experience has stimulated the University to become what it is now: a modern, international university where work is being carried out at the frontiers of knowledge. It is a university with its own character. This is partly due to its geographical situation in the north of the country. The University is bold enough to be different: sober, but inventive; reliable, but surprising; solid, but prepared to accept challenges. The University of Groningen not only admitted the first-ever female student in the country but also produced the first Dutch space traveller: pioneering is a trait that is fundamental to this university. The University of Groningen is a classical university that knows the challenges of the future.

The Faculty of Law of the University of Groningen is a modern, internationally oriented institution that has existed for nearly four centuries. Since it has the ambition to measure itself with the best law faculties in Europe, advanced systems of quality control have been implemented to continuously improve the Faculty’s research and education. And although the Faculty has grown to become one of the largest law faculties in the Netherlands, it has kept its friendly and informal atmosphere and its concern for good relations amongst its staff, students and alumni.

Groningen, an old but modern city of about 190,000 inhabitants, is the cultural, commercial and business capital of the province of the same name in the north of the Netherlands. It was founded over 950 years ago and is a centre of trade and transport, culture, education and science. It has two large hospitals, several theatres and museums, bookshops specialized in all European languages, and art galleries. Its industry includes sugar, tobacco and coffee factories, and the printing of schoolbooks.

Groningen is a University city; the presence of the University staff and students can be felt in all aspects of city life. But it is not only the University that leaves its mark. Other educational facilities, vocational training, art academy, etc. also give the city a very special and particularly youthful character. Over 50% of the inhabitants is under 35!

Programmes

The Faculty of Law in Groningen offers the following English-taught programmes:

Bachelor programme:

International and European Law

This unique bachelor’s programme provides you with thorough knowledge of both public international law and European law. You will study law from a conceptual point of view, where no national law system is taken as a basis. The concepts in each field of law that build all law systems in the world are discussed to give you a solid basis in the legal way of thinking and legal structures. On top of that, all factors influencing both European law and public international law, like international relations, economics, decision-making structures, will be studied. A truly international law programme with unique features and a highly international population.

Master programmes:

Criminal Law and Criminology

This LLM programme provides you with more than just international criminal law: all aspects of criminal law are part of the programme plus a criminological component.
Core courses: Proof, Evidence and Law, Comparative Criminal Law, International Criminal Tribunals, International and Comparative Criminology and Cooperation in Criminal Matters.

European Law

A broad European Law programme, which covers all aspects of European Union Law, but leaves sufficient room for students to specialize in specific areas of European Law. This European Law programme is part of the Groningen Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, created by the European Union and as such you will be taught by leading European Law experts. Core courses: Judicial Protection, International Market Law, EU External Relations Law, European Human Rights, EU Constitutional and EU Institutional Law, Competition Law

European Law, specialization Energy and Climate Law

A brand new specialization in Energy and Climate Law, which will enable you to know all you need to know about the topic. As the city of Groningen is the capital of the Energy Valley and holds the largest gas field in Europe, all main energy extracting activities are close by. As a result of that, many guest lectures and site visits are part of the programme. This specialization is part of the Groningen Centre of Energy Law. Core courses: Energy Law, Climate Law, Energy Contracting, International Environmental Law.

International and Comparative Private Law

A full-fledged commercial law programme that offers you a lot of freedom to choose your own focus within the programme. The build-up of the programme gives room for both private law and private international law, whereas commercial arbitration is also extensively covered. Many of the lecturers within this programme are also linked to the Ulrik Huber Institute for Private International Law in Groningen. Core courses: Comparative Private Law, International Contracts Law, Cross-border Commercial Transactions, Comparative Private International Law.

International Economic and Business Law

This programme offers a unique combination of both business law and economic law. It therefore leaves a lot of room for students to find their own focus within this programme, either more corporate law oriented or more leaning towards WTO-law, investment law, etc. Core courses: Insolvency Law, Company Law, International Contracts Law, International Trade Law, Corporate Governance

International Law and the Law of International Organizations

A flexible public international law programme, in which students can adjust their focus to their future plans. The programme can therefore be both very specific and focused on one topic, but also a broad public international law programme. Core courses: International Institutional Law, Advanced Public International Law and a choice of about 10 other public international law courses in different areas of public international law.

International Law and the Law of International Organizations, specialization Human Rights

This programme offers a broad approach to human rights. It is therefore a specialization in the broadest sense: it covers all aspects in and surrounding human rights. This will provide students with a context in which human rights function.Core courses: International Human Rights, International Humanitarian Law, Refugee and Asylum Law, Human Rights seminar, International Institutional Law, Law of International Peace and Security.

Testimonial

Attending an LL.M. Programme at RuG has been a very rewarding choice indeed. The list of courses offered is broad enough to cover one’s academic interests and their content fully corresponds to the legal practitioner’s professional needs. The number of attendants per class is kept to such limits so as to facilitate learning and interaction in class. Professors are highly qualified and thus provide students with the most updated developments systematically, yet simultaneously leaving room for discussion.

Additionally, the people forming RuG’s administrative staff are always there for the student, either by everyday contact for practical matters or by organizing events that encourage a student’s integration in the social and political life of the University, the city of Groningen and the Netherlands as a whole. Thanks to them, I felt particularly at home.

The educational facilities are exceptional, thanks to the vast number of books and periodicals forming the catalogue of the University’s Library.

Compact in size, with a vast population of Dutch and international students, Groningen is definitely an ideal city for students itself.
It is for all these reasons that I returned to Groningen after 5 years of my first stay there as an Erasmus student in 2001.
Eleftheria Gerontidi, Greece