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Studies & Degrees in Administrative Law

Administrative law is the branch of public law that governs how public authorities are organised, how they take decisions and how those decisions can be challenged. Cornell Law School's Legal Information Institute defines it, for the United States, as the branch of law governing the creation and operation of administrative agencies. In Spain and other civil law countries it is the law of the public administrations: the validity of administrative acts, the common administrative procedure, sanctions, the liability of public bodies and review by specialised courts.

It is the law behind permits and licences, public contracts, fines, town planning, civil service employment and the regulation of sectors such as energy or telecommunications.

What students learn

The subject is national law, so content differs by country. In Spain, the core texts are the law on the common administrative procedure of the public administrations and the law on the contentious-administrative courts, which hear claims about the actions of public administrations subject to administrative law. In the United States the reference is the Administrative Procedure Act, which sorts agency functions into rulemaking and adjudication.

The bachelor's degree in Law (Grao en Dereito) of the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela shows a typical sequence: foundations of administrative law, the instruments of administrative activity, its forms and means, and the guarantees of the citizen. Master's programmes add subjects such as public procurement, administrative organisation and administrative appeals.

Qualifications and levels

Administrative law is rarely a first degree in its own right. Students meet it as a compulsory part of a law degree and specialise afterwards.

  • Law degree in Spain. Official bachelor's degrees have 240 ECTS credits. The Grado en Derecho of the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera lasts four years and is taught in Spanish; the law degree of the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela also lasts four academic years. To practise as a lawyer, a graduate must also complete specialised training and pass an assessment regulated by law; in practice this training is a master's degree.
  • Master's degrees. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. The Máster Universitario en Estudios Avanzados de Derecho Público of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid has 60 credits, is taught in Spanish on campus in Madrid, includes an optional course on administrative and contentious-administrative procedures, and gives direct access to the doctoral programme. In Uruguay, the Máster en Derecho Administrativo Económico of the Universidad de Montevideo lasts 500 hours, of which 300 are class hours and 200 are research for the final thesis. It is aimed at professionals who work in the public administration or in private activities linked to it.
  • Ukraine. At the Faculty of Law of Lviv University, the Department of Administrative and Financial Law offers an administrative and legal specialisation for master's students. A separate department of administrative law was first created there in 1904.
  • United States. Administrative law is a course within the Juris Doctor. Becoming a lawyer usually takes seven years of full-time study after high school: four of undergraduate study and three of law school.
  • Legal English. Lawyers who work across borders can take legal English courses. English for Law in Dublin teaches mainly one-to-one with a dedicated tutor.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 10 active schools for administrative law. Four are in Spain: the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera, the Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, ADEIT (the university-business foundation of the Universitat de València) and ESADE in Barcelona. Uruguay, Ukraine, Mexico, Venezuela, Ireland and Iraq have one each, among them the Universidad de Montevideo and the Lviv Ivan Franko National University School of Law.

Because the subject is national law, programmes are normally taught in the language of the country, and a qualification from one country does not by itself give the right to practise in another. Check both points before applying.

Careers

The public sector is the natural employer. In Spain, access to the higher civil service bodies (Group A) requires a university bachelor's degree, and entry is by competitive examination; the Universidad CEU Cardenal Herrera presents its law degree as preparation for these examinations. Graduates also work as public law lawyers, advising companies on permits, public contracts and regulated sectors, and as in-house counsel.

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics notes that attorneys in federal, state and local governments hold titles such as prosecutor, public defender or general counsel. It projects employment of lawyers as a whole to grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035.

Frequently asked questions

Can I study administrative law without a law degree?

As a full subject it is part of a law degree. Some master's programmes are open to other profiles: the Universidad de Montevideo addresses its master's to professionals who work in the public administration or in private activities linked to it. Check the admission requirements of each programme.

Is administrative law the same in every country?

No. Each country has its own rules and courts. Spain has a common administrative procedure law and contentious-administrative courts, while the United States relies on the Administrative Procedure Act and comparable state acts.

Is administrative law useful for civil service examinations in Spain?

Yes. It is a core subject of the law degree, and a bachelor's degree is the qualification required for Group A civil service bodies. Each examination publishes its own syllabus.