LL.M. IN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS LAW

This LL.M. in International Business Law will be offered to international students with a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) (or equivalent) from their respective country. Students will complete their course requirements through a combination of in-person and/or online coursework.

Admission Requirements

English Proficiency

LL.M. students should be prepared to read and discuss legal materials. Because class preparation and participation is demanding, students with limited English language skills may struggle in the classroom.

For this reason, in addition to a completed Application through Slate and an active Credential Assembly Service (CAS) subscription with transcripts from each college or university attended, applicants will need to complete a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) exam and receive a score at or above the following levels:

• Required minimum scores on the TOEFL iBT 5(if taken prior to January 21, 2026 a TOEFL iBT 102 on the internet-based test (IBT) or a 610 for the paper-based test (PBT); or
• Required score on the IELTS is a 7.5. 

Pre-Matriculation Background Knowledge/Coursework

In order to ensure students have sufficient background knowledge to undertake the required LL.M. coursework at Akron, they will be required to demonstrate to the admissions committee pre-existing knowledge regarding the structure and nature of the U.S. legal systems (including rudimentary common law research approaches).

It is expected that many of the LL.M. applicants will be applying via procedures established with certain foreign legal educational institutions with which the University of Akron School of Law has a partnering program in place (e.g., Hanoi Law University (Vietnam), Royal University of Law & Economics (Cambodia), etc.). Where a Partnering Institution is involved, affiliated students will undertake the following two courses prior to matriculating at Akron Law:

1. Introduction to Law and the U.S. Legal System
2. Legal Research and Drafting for the LL.M.

These two courses will be taught under the auspices of the Partnering Institutions but based on teaching materials developed at Akron Law.

If an accepted student is not associated with a Partnering Institution, then it will be left to the admissions committee to determine if such student possesses the requisite knowledge. While it is not expected that Akron Law will itself teach the two specific courses applicable to Partnering Institution students, in some cases it may be possible for an accepted student not affiliated with a Partnering Institution to demonstrate sufficient background knowledge by auditing the courses offered by a Partnering Institution or by reviewing certain non-interactive background recorded lectures or other materials provided to them by Akron Law.

Curriculum

The following courses comprise the curriculum for this program, as supplemented by the Associate Dean where appropriate. An example of a typical course track is attached for reference. The actual course tracks for any particular student shall be determined by such students, consistent with any limitations imposed on such students by their LL.B. granting educational institution, Partnering Institution or foreign law licensing jurisdiction. 

Elective Course Offerings (30 credits required for LL.M. degree):

Application Process

Application is located at: https://www.uakron.edu/admissions/apply.dot