Skip to content

Studies & Degrees in International Business Law

International business law is the body of rules that applies when companies trade, invest and make agreements across borders. It is not a single code. A cross-border deal is shaped by the national laws of the countries involved, by international conventions and model laws, and by the contract the parties write. The United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL), which describes itself as the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law, works on the modernisation and harmonisation of the rules on international business.

Students learn the legal tools that companies use abroad: international sales and distribution contracts, company law and mergers and acquisitions, trade and customs rules, foreign investment, finance, competition law, intellectual property, taxation and the settlement of disputes through courts or arbitration. Comparing legal systems is part of the work, because a lawyer has to know which country's law governs a contract and where a dispute will be heard. Legal English is a working tool in this field, since many cross-border contracts and negotiations are in English.

Qualifications and levels

  • Law degree. International business law is normally a specialisation built on a first degree in law. In Spain the Grado en Derecho has 240 ECTS credits; the Universidad CEU San Pablo in Madrid, for example, teaches it on campus in its Faculty of Law. Some universities combine law with business administration or international relations.
  • Master's degree or LLM. Most specialised programmes are at this level. Official master's degrees in Spain have 60, 90 or 120 ECTS credits. Elsewhere the usual name is LLM (Master of Laws). The Bucerius Master of Law and Business in Hamburg, run with WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management, is one model: it awards an LLM or MLB, is taught entirely in English, is full-time with an internship and asks for more than one year of work experience.
  • Professional qualification. A degree alone does not make a practising lawyer. In Spain, law graduates must complete specialised training and pass an evaluation to obtain the professional title of lawyer (abogado), under Law 34/2006. In England and Wales, the Solicitors Qualifying Examination route requires a degree in any subject or an equivalent qualification, passing SQE1 and SQE2, and two years of full-time work experience or the equivalent. In the United States, lawyers typically need a law degree and a state licence, which usually means passing a bar examination.
  • Short courses. Lawyers and law students also take short courses, for example in legal English, contract drafting or arbitration. Ask each school what recognition its qualification has.

Where to study

SpainExchange lists 9 active schools for international business law. Four are in Spain, and Italy, Ukraine, Germany, Mexico and Ireland have one each.

The Spanish schools are in Madrid and Barcelona: the Universidad CEU San Pablo and the Universidad Pontificia Comillas in Madrid, and ESADE (Universitat Ramon Llull) and UIBS / Barcelona Business School in Barcelona. Abroad, the list includes the Bucerius/WHU Master of Law and Business programme in Hamburg, the School of Law of the Ivan Franko National University of Lviv in Ukraine, the Benemérita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla in Mexico and the Swiss School of Management in Rome.

The list also includes English for Law, a legal English school in Dublin. It teaches one-to-one courses designed and given by legal professionals, covering practical areas such as contract drafting and the stages of mergers and acquisitions.

Law degrees are taught in the language of the country and focus on its legal system. Master's programmes in international business law are more often taught in English and admit graduates from different legal systems. Check the language of instruction and the admission requirements of each programme.

Careers

Graduates work in the corporate and commercial departments of law firms, in the legal departments of companies that operate internationally, in banks, in compliance, in arbitration and mediation, and in international organisations and public bodies that deal with trade. Typical roles are associate in a law firm, in-house counsel, contracts manager and compliance officer. Languages and an understanding of business are valued alongside legal knowledge.

In the United States, the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects that employment of lawyers will grow 5 percent from 2025 to 2035, faster than the average for all occupations.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need a law degree to study international business law?

Usually, yes. Most programmes are master's degrees for law graduates. Some programmes that combine law and business also admit graduates of other disciplines; check each school's admission requirements.

Does a master's in international business law allow me to practise as a lawyer?

Not by itself. Each country sets its own route. In Spain, for example, law graduates must complete specialised training and pass an evaluation to obtain the professional title.

In which language is international business law taught?

Law degrees are taught in the national language. Many specialised master's programmes are in English; the Bucerius Master of Law and Business in Hamburg, for example, is taught 100% in English.

How long does the training take?

In Spain, the law degree has 240 ECTS credits and an official master's degree has 60 to 120 ECTS credits. Professional qualification as a lawyer comes on top of the degree.