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School of Law
Postgraduate Programmes
in Law, Technology
and Governance
Are you interested in…
…online privacy?
…illegal downloading?
…Internet defamation?
…regulation of stem-cell research?
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School of Law at NUI Galway
The School of Law has a long and distinguished tradition of teaching and research, which dates back to the midnineteenth century. It is a tradition that the School is extremely proud of and strives to maintain.
The School offers a wide range of postgraduate programmes in human rights, legal theory, criminal law,
commercial law and public law. The School of Law is constantly working to attain the highest quality in teaching
and research.
The School of Law is comprised of full-time professors and lecturers, together with part-time teaching staff who
are academics specialising in particular subject-areas or practising solicitors and barristers. There are
approximately 500 students studying law to degree level.
Our postgraduate programmes in Law, Technology and Governance include:
• LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance
• LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance (part-time)
• Postgraduate Diploma in Commercial Regulation and Compliance
• Postgraduate Certificate in Commercial Regulation and Compliance
• Postgraduate Certificate in E-Commerce Law
• Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property Law
• Postgraduate Certificate in Information Technology Law
Why Take These Courses?
Career Opportunities
These are unique and pioneering
programmes with a focus on the
interconnection between law,
technology, science, and innovation.
They offer an opportunity to explore in
depth substantive social issues and
questions of law and governance as
these mechanisms evolve to deal with
ever-changing technology and rapid
scientific advances.
Successful completion of these
programmes will open a number of
career options. If you intend to become
a solicitor or barrister, or are already
qualified and want to expand into new
career pathways, the topics covered are
all busy areas of practice and will open
attractive options, both in Ireland and
abroad.
They also give students the benefit of
the expertise of members of the School
of Law, with a national, European and
international perspective. In addition,
academics from other institutions and
key figures in public service, private
practice and national and international
organisations regularly contribute to
the programmes and enrich the overall
learning experience.
The School of Law offers an active and
dynamic learning environment with
significant interaction between
students and staff. Its objective is to
produce highly-skilled and competent
graduates with a significant expertise in
their chosen subjects.
If you want to work in the public sector
or public service, the focus on policy
issues will give you a perspective which
will be of considerable benefit. If you
want to continue to further study, the
programme offers a solid foundation
for doctoral research.
Our graduates practice law with large
corporate law firms or in their own
boutique practices, work as researchers
in (for example) the Judges’ Library
and the Attorney-General’s office or
have gone on to study for PhD degrees
in Galway and elsewhere.
What Our Graduates Say
“I enjoyed the
interaction and
close personal
attention that the
lecturers give to
the students.
The lecturers had
a genuine interest
in helping us all
do as well as we could and also
encouraged us in other activities such as
submitting papers to external
conferences.
This programme offers students the
chance to study innovative and
developing areas of law. This
programme takes you beyond the
classroom and library and encourages
study and research by igniting a genuine
interest in the wide range of modules.
Furthermore it provides the opportunity
for interaction with people studying the
same areas with class outings to research
conferences and more.”
Aonghus McClafferty, LL.M. in Law,
Technology and Governance graduate
Programme Duration
Programme Availability
The programmes commence in September. Certificate
and Diploma students finish in May; LL.M. students
finish in August. The part-time LL.M. takes two years.
Individual programmes and modules may not be available
every year. Please contact the School of Law for details.
For more information, visit www.nuigalway.ie/law
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LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance
The LL.M. in Law, Technology and Governance is a unique and pioneering
programme with a focus on the interconnection between law, technology,
science, and innovation.
Course Facts
Course Level:
9
Duration:
1 year, full-time
2 years, part-time
Entry
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1 degree in law. In
Requirements: exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a degree in another discipline or a
degree of less than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be considered
where they have professional experience in law.
Fees:
€6,015 (FT); €3,120 (PT)
Student levy: €224
Non-EU (Total): €13,250
Apply at:
www.pac.ie/nuigalway
PAC code:
GYL08, full-time
GYL18, part-time
Closing date:
Further details on closing dates can be found on
www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/assessmentdates/
First round offers will be made mid February, therefore you are advised to apply
early, which may result in an early offer.
The Michael Mac Namara
Scholarship sponsored by
RDJ Glynn Solicitors
RDJ Glynn Solicitors fund the
establishment of a generous
scholarship which is awarded on
the basis of a competition open
to all successful applicants for
the programme. A separate
application is required. Further
details are available on the
School of Law web site.
Programme Outline
Mandatory Modules
Fundamental to the programme are a number of
core modules designed to equip students with
critical legal research, writing and presentation skills
and to immerse them in the central themes of law,
regulation, governance and enterprise. Optional
modules probe current controversies and legal
debates caused by advances in science, technology
and globalisation and further explore these themes
in a range of areas.
Advanced Legal Research and Methods
Law, Regulation and Policy
Law, Governance and Enterprise: Contemporary Issues
Dissertation
The dissertation, which is completed over the
summer months, provides an opportunity for
students to research in detail an area of their own
choosing along the themes of the programme,
expanding their expertise on a specific topic. In
addition, the School of Law (with the assistance of
the Careers Service) offers all LL.M. in Law,
Technology and Governance students career
development training, with seminars designed to
assist them in preparing a CV, interview and
presentation skills.
Programme Requirements
Students must take all of the mandatory modules
listed below, together with the dissertation. There
are no written examinations: all modules are
examinable by coursework.
Optional Modules (modules available may vary)
Communications Law: Law, Technology and Change (10 ECTS)
Comparative Copyright Law and Policy (5 ECTS)
Copyright in the Digital Era (10 ECTS)
Comparative Corporate Governance (10 ECTS)
International and Comparative Data Protection (10 ECTS)
Internet Regulation and Governance (10 ECTS)
EU Competition Law and Intellectual Property (10 ECTS)
Internet Torts (10 ECTS)
The Law of Electronic Contracts (10 ECTS)
The Patenting of Biotechnology (5 ECTS)
The Regulation of Biotechnology (5 ECTS)
Full-time students take 40 ECTS of options.
The part-time schedule is:
• Year 1: Advanced Legal Research; Law and
Regulation; any 25 ECTS of options
• Year 2: Law Governance and Enterprise; any 15
ECTS of options; thesis
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Postgraduate Diploma in Commercial
Regulation and Compliance
The Postgraduate Diploma in Commercial Regulation and
Compliance offers students an opportunity to explore in
depth substantive social issues and questions of law and
governance as these mechanisms evolve to deal with everchanging technology and rapid scientific advances.
Course Facts
Course Level:
9
Duration:
1 year, full-time
Entry
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1
Requirements: degree in law. In exceptional circumstances, applicants
holding a degree in another discipline or a degree of less
than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be
considered where they have professional experience in law.
Fees:
€4250
Apply at:
www.pac.ie/nuigalway
PAC code:
GYL14, full-time
Closing date:
Further details on closing dates can be found on
www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/assessmentdates/
First round offers will be made mid February, therefore you
are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer.
Postgraduate Certificate in Commercial
Regulation and Compliance
The Postgraduate Certificate in Commercial Regulation and
Compliance offers students an opportunity to explore in depth
substantive social issues and questions of law and governance
as these mechanisms evolve to deal with ever-changing
technology and rapid scientific advances.
Programme Outline
Students must take the modules Advanced Legal
Research and Methods and Law, Regulation and
Policy, plus optional modules to a total of 40 ECTS.
There are no written examinations: all modules are
examinable by coursework.
Mandatory Modules
Advanced Legal Research and Methods (10 ECTS)
Law, Regulation and Policy (10 ECTS)
Optional Modules (modules available may vary)
Communications Law: Law, Technology and Change
(10 ECTS)
Comparative Corporate Governance (10 ECTS)
Comparative Copyright Law and Policy (5 ECTS)
Copyright in the Digital Era (10 ECTS)
Internet Regulation and Governance (10 ECTS)
International and Comparative Data Protection
(10 ECTS)
EU Competition Law and Intellectual Property
(10 ECTS)
Internet Torts (10 ECTS)
The Law of Electronic Contracts (10 ECTS)
The Regulation of Biotechnology (5 ECTS)
Programme Outline
Students must take the modules Advanced Legal
Research and Methods, plus optional modules to a
total of 20 ECTS. There are no written examinations:
all modules are examinable by coursework.
Mandatory Modules
Advanced Legal Research and Methods (10 ECTS)
Optional Modules
Course Facts
Course Level:
9
Duration:
1 year, part-time
Entry
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1
Requirements: degree in law. In exceptional circumstances, applicants
holding a degree in another discipline or a degree of less
than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be
considered where they have professional experience in law.
Fees:
€2120
Apply at:
www.pac.ie/nuigalway
PAC code:
GYL15
Closing date:
Further details on closing dates can be found on
www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/assessmentdates/
First round offers will be made mid February, therefore you
are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer.
(20 ECTS required; modules available may vary)
Law, Regulation and Policy (10 ECTS)
Communications Law: Law, Technology and Change
(10 ECTS)
Comparative Corporate Governance (10 ECTS)
Comparative Copyright Law and Policy (5 ECTS)
Copyright in the Digital Era (10 ECTS)
Internet Regulation and Governance (10 ECTS)
International and Comparative Data Protection
(10 ECTS)
EU Competition Law and Intellectual Property
(10 ECTS)
Internet Torts (10 ECTS)
The Law of Electronic Contracts (10 ECTS)
The Regulation of Biotechnology (5 ECTS)
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“… close attention must be paid to social
networks … because of the opportunity for
so much sharing of content and information
including by minors and the possibility that
users will not fully understand how to
control the visibility and transfer of such
content and information.”
Data Protection Commissioner in audit of Facebook Ireland
Postgraduate Certificate in E-Commerce Law
The Postgraduate Certificate in E-Commerce Law offers students an
opportunity to explore in depth substantive legal issues raised by the rapid
development of online commercial transactions.
Course Facts
Course Level:
9
Duration:
1 year, part-time
Entry
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1 degree in law. In
Requirements: exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a degree in another discipline or a
degree of less than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be considered
where they have professional experience in law.
Fees:
€2120
Apply at:
www.pac.ie/nuigalway
PAC code:
GYL17
Closing date:
Further details on closing dates can be found on
www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/assessmentdates/
First round offers will be made mid February, therefore you are advised
to apply early, which may result in an early offer.
Programme Outline
Students must take the modules Advanced Legal Research and Methods, Law of Electronic
Contracts and Internet Regulation and Governance. There are no written examinations: all modules
are examinable by coursework.
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“The recording companies complain that
their entire business has been decimated by
piracy on the internet. They claim that a
whole generation is growing up, who
instead of purchasing recordings in hard
format or by legal download, simply access
the sites on the internet that enable them to
download for free the millions of music
tracks that are available illegally
worldwide.”
Mr Justice Charleton in the High Court case of EMI v UPC (2010)
Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual
Property Law
The Postgraduate Certificate in Intellectual Property Law
offers students an opportunity to explore in depth
substantive legal issues raised by the importance of
intellectual property and innovation in the development of
modern society and the knowledge economy.
Programme Outline
Students must take the modules Advanced Legal
Research and Methods and Patenting of Biotechnology.
They must also take at least one of Comparative
Copyright Law and Policy and Copyright in the Digital
Era, plus other options to make up a total of 30 ECTS.
There are no written examinations: all modules are
examinable by coursework.
Mandatory Modules
Advanced Legal Research and Methods (10 ECTS)
Course Facts
Course Level:
9
Duration:
1 year, part-time
Entry
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1
Requirements: degree in law. In exceptional circumstances, applicants
holding a degree in another discipline or a degree of less
than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be
considered where they have professional experience in law.
Fees:
€2,120
Apply at:
www.pac.ie/nuigalway
PAC code:
GYL13
Closing date:
Further details on closing dates can be found on
www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/assessmentdates/
First round offers will be made mid February, therefore you
are advised to apply early, which may result in an early offer.
The Patenting of Biotechnology (5 ECTS)
Choose at least one
Comparative Copyright Law and Policy (5 ECTS)
Copyright in the Digital Era (10 ECTS)
Optional Modules (modules available may vary)
Communications Law: Law, Technology and Change
(10 ECTS)
Comparative Corporate Governance (10 ECTS)
International and Comparative Data Protection
(10 ECTS)
Internet Regulation and Governance (10 ECTS)
EU Competition Law and Intellectual Property
(10 ECTS)
Internet Torts (10 ECTS)
The Law of Electronic Contracts (10 ECTS)
The Regulation of Biotechnology (5 ECTS)
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Postgraduate Certificate in Information
Technology Law
The Postgraduate Certificate in Information Technology Law offers students
an opportunity to explore in depth substantive legal and social issues raised
by the rapid development of information and communications technology,
particularly the Internet.
Course Facts
Course Level:
9
Duration:
1 year, part-time
Entry
Applicants must hold a Second Class Honours Grade 1 degree in law. In
Requirements: exceptional circumstances, applicants holding a degree in another discipline or a
degree of less than a Second Class Honours Grade 1 standard may be considered
where they have professional experience in law.
Fees:
€2,120
Apply at:
www.pac.ie/nuigalway
PAC code:
GYL16
Closing date:
Further details on closing dates can be found on
www.nuigalway.ie/postgrad/assessmentdates/
First round offers will be made mid February, therefore you are advised to apply
early, which may result in an early offer.
Programme Outline
Students must take the modules Advanced Legal
Research and Methods and Internet Regulation and
Governance. �They must also take one of
International and Comparative Data Protection and
Copyright in the Digital Era. There are no written
examinations: all modules are examinable�by
coursework.
Programme Modules
Mandatory Modules
Advanced Legal Research and Methods (10 ECTS)
Internet Regulation and Governance (10 ECTS)
Choose one
International and Comparative Data Protection
(10 ECTS)
Copyright in the Digital Era (10 ECTS)
“All I can do as a
judge is to decide
whether or not the
three frozen embryos
have the protection
of the Constitution
or the law.”
Mr Justice McGovern in the High Court
case of MR v TR (2006)
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Further Information
For more information,
see www.nuigalway.ie/law
or
contact Mr. Rónán Kennedy, Programme Director
T: +353 91 495 626
E: llmltag@nuigalway.ie
www.nuigalway.ie/law