The LL.M is characterized by an interdisciplinary academic strategy that integrates theory and practice, favours active exchange of ideas, and further the comparative and critical thinking skills of the students.

The academic curriculum of the programme unfolds into three phases:

During the Distance-learning Phase (23 November 2020 – 15 January 2021), students will have access to the online platform of the LL.M. Programme, on which in addition to self-study, they will have to carry out readings, group works and other interactive activities with the support of a tutor. At the end of this phase, an exam is foreseen.

The Residential Phase (27 January - 25 June 2021) comprises of theoretical lectures, seminars and practical exercises including workshops, simulations, study visits, moot courts and other activities organized in cooperation with international organizations, NGOs, research institutions and entities belonging to the UN system. The international group of selected students will be attending classes both in the morning and in the afternoon (full-time commitment for 6 class hours a day/4-5 days a week) at the UN Campus.

The Graduation Project, at the end of the residential phase, will consist in a Moot Court simulation that will further help students to develop skills in written and oral courtroom advocacy on selected matters of substantive international criminal law. The Graduation Ceremony will take place on 9 July 2021.

Upon successful conclusion of the course, students will have acquired in depth and up-to-date knowledge on the main subjects around which the global debate on international and transnational crime and justice articulates:

International Law Dimensions of Peace and Conflicts, including transitional justice and peacekeeping operations;
Transnational organized crime and transnational crimes, including corruption, trafficking in persons, smuggling of migrants, environmental crime, terrorism, and cybercrime;
Global efforts to strengthen the rule of law and justice reform in developing democracies and post-conflict environments, including corrections;
International Humanitarian Law;
International Criminal Law and International Criminal Procedure;
International Human Rights Law;
Public International Law;
Criminal Law and Procedure in a Comparative Perspective.

The programme further envisages dedicated sessions on career guidance and professional development in the UN system. For instance, students will have the possibility to participate to individual sessions with representatives of the United Nations Volunteers (UNV) programme.

The selected students, in order to be awarded the final Master of Laws Degree worth 40 UPEACE credits (equivalent to 40 US credits/60 ECTS), need to:

a. receive passing marks in all the assessments and foreseen exams;

b. meet the minimum average of attendance by attending at least 2/3 of each weekly schedule and at least 75% of the total residential schedule over a two-month period.