Application Form
Online Information Sessions (via Zoom)
Throughout spring, the GOMIL-Team hosts multiple information sessions for everyone interested in joining the LL.M. program. Our staff and alumni students will answer questions regarding the application process, academic activities, administrative matters, and student life. Registration is required. After registering, you will receive the Zoom link by email.
This page provides detailed information on the application and admission process. Please read the following information carefully. Please understand that we are unable to accept incomplete applications or applications that are not submitted by the stipulated deadline.
Admission requirements
To be eligible for the GOMIL LL.M. program, applicants must fulfill three core admission requirements: proof of relevance of previous studies, proof of relevant language skills, and proof of professional work experience.
Our admission requirements are a bachelor's or higher degree in law, political science, international relations or another related subject. This means:
- Achievements in law totaling at least 60 ECTS, or
- Achievements totaling at least 60 ECTS in the fields of economics, political science, social sciences, philology, sociology, or history, including at least 15 ECTS (at least two modules) in the field of law.
Thus, admission is unlikely if you have not passed any law modules. However, although our most typical applicants are law graduates, we also welcome applications from graduates of other disciplines to ensure diversity of backgrounds, skills and experiences leading to fruitful and mutually beneficial exchange of knowledge and ideas.
When filling out the application form, we will also ask you – if applicable – to what extent your education and/or your extracurricular activities covered references to international law.
If English is not your native language or was not the language of instruction of your previous studies, you will need to demonstrate that your English language skills are sufficient for the purposes of pursuing higher education, including the unconstrained participation in classroom discussions and the production of clear and grammatically correct academic texts.
If you choose to demonstrate your English proficiency through one of the standardized tests, please note that you must achieve at least the minimum score required for admission to postgraduate legal studies at Göttingen. In particular:
- TOEFL at least 100 points for the internet-based test
- IELTS with a minimum score of Band 7
Other test certificates can also be accepted if the score achieved corresponds at least to level C1 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages.
A further prerequisite for admission to the master's program is proof of at least one year of relevant qualified professional experience. The professional experience is considered relevant if it requires qualifications obtained during prior studies.
If you are still finishing your bachelor studies or have less than one year of professional experience when applying to the GOMIL Program, it will not impede your application. It is only important that you complete your studies and have one year of professional experience before the beginning of the Program.
The professional experience requirement can be fulfilled through various practical activities, including internships and traineeships. For example, German law graduates' practical training (Referendariat) satisfies this requirement. However, if a practical activity constitutes a mandatory part of your bachelor's program, it cannot be counted as professional experience.
Your CV counts as proof of working experience. We reserve the right to request additional proof from you / your employer.
When filling out the application form we will also ask you – if applicable – to what extent your professional activities relate to international law.
The application process requires the submission of the following key documents which must be uploaded in PDF format:
- CV
- Transcript of records and diploma
- Proof of language (e.g. TOEFL/IELTS) if no exemption (e.g. studies in English or native speaker) applies
Selection criteria and procedure
The following points are evaluated in the selection procedure:
Overall grade of the degree: Since our students come from various countries with different grading systems, we ask you to provide information on the highest possible grade and the lowest grade to pass in addition to your average grade. This allows us to compare between different grading systems.
Special knowledge and experience in international law: This comprises working experience in international organisations, specialized modules in international law, moot court experience, publications in international law, volunteering work associated with international law, a completed Bachelor thesis referencing international law. Accordingly, you are asked to provide information on to what extent your education and/or your extracurricular activities covered references to international law and to what extent your professional activities relate to international law.
Monthly selection: The number of students accepted each year is strictly limited in order to ensure that the class size allows for efficient exchange of opinions and constructive group work. We allocate these limited places in monthly evaluation rounds (starting in January), which means that earlier applications are also evaluated earlier. Only the best applicants are admitted prior to the final application deadline.
Application deadline: 31 May
Your application for admission has to be sent by 31 May if you would like to begin your studies in October of the same year.
However, in order to increase your chances and secure other benefits, it is advisable to apply much earlier than this final deadline.
Students from outside the European Union are strongly encouraged to apply at least several months earlier than the formal deadline in order to have enough time for obtaining the German student visa. It is the responsibility of the students themselves to find out how long the visa application process in their country normally takes and to ensure that they have sufficient time to obtain the visa before the beginning of the studies.