LLM in Corporate Governance and Public Policy


Duration
1 year Full time / 2 years Part time

Entrance Requirements
Applicants must have a degree in law (normally 2.1 or above, or equivalent) or a closely related academic subject (e.g. politics, economics, finance). Relevant corporate or regulatory experience will be taken into consideration for mature students transferring from the workplace.

Introduction
The LLM in Corporate Governance and Public Policy is a new course, specifically designed to provide a comprehensive guide to the practical, legal, ethical and theoretical issues involved in the direction and control of modern corporations. The course is international in focus and taught by leading academics and practitioners.

By situating the study of corporate governance within the wider context of governance, the course transcends a narrow legalistic focus on compliance. It also provides an excellent grounding in, and appreciation of, the roles played by disparate actors in the construction and recalibration of corporate governance regimes.

This introduction provides a basic overview. If you want more details of course content and structure, please contact Dr Ciaran O'Kelly, Course Coordinator ( c.okelly@qub.ac.uk ) or Professor Sally Wheeler ( s.wheeler@qub.ac.uk ) at the School of Law.

Where will course graduates find employment?
This innovative course is designed to meet a growing international need to produce postgraduate students with detailed knowledge of the complexity surrounding corporate governance and its relationship with wider public policy. It has been constructed following extensive discussion with senior personnel in legal, regulatory and corporate entities.

Global in application, the course provides students with the necessary skill base to pursue careers with national and international legal partnerships, corporations and regulatory authorities. The inter-disciplinary nature of the course, coupled with interaction with the research clusters on governance, regulation, corporate social responsibility and ethics and accountability already in existence at Queen's, provides students with the expertise to pursue academic careers.

Who is the course aimed at?
The course has been designed to prove equally attractive to those transferring from an undergraduate course and those who have gained practical experience in industry or public policy. The course numbers, initially, will be limited to 20 full-time students per year.

Teaching outline and methodology:
The course is taught within a directed learning framework through weekly seminars, which provide an overview to a particular area. Students gain an appreciation of how to design effective corporate governance structures that are applicable across a range of institutional settings. These seminars offer a starting point for the completion of assessed essay questions. The second major method of testing is a dissertation, the exact subject of which is to be chosen in consultation with the Course Coordinator.

Resources within the Law School:
Students registered on the LLM will be able to avail of an array of seminars and workshops grounded in corporate and political governance within the Law School and beyond. The course has been designed in conjunction with the Institute of Governance, Public Policy and Social Research, which works in partnership with all of the Schools within the Faculty. Students have the opportunity of attending, and contributing to, a range of international conferences hosted by the Institute.

The Law School provides postgraduate students with a range of excellent facilities including a computer room with high grade PC's. Students also have access to computerized research tools such as Lexis.

Outline Syllabus:
All students take 4 modules and one dissertation. These are:

    Module 1:

    110LAW860

    Introduction to Corporate Governance

    Module 2:

    110LAW861

    Legal Issues in Corporate Governance

    Module 3:

    210LAW833

    Research Methods

    Module 4 (elective):

    210LAW862
    210POL920

    Public Policy and the Market
    The Theory and Politics of Globalization
    Governance and Economic Competition

    Module 5:

    310LAW835 

    Dissertation


    Modules 1 and 2 are taught in Semester 1; modules 3 and 4 in Semester 2. The project and dissertation is undertaken between June and September.

    Module 1: Introduction to Corporate Governance includes:

    • Theories of Corporate Governance
    • Differentiating Shareholder and Stakeholder Regimes
    • The Construction of Corporate Governance Regimes
    • Designing Effective Corporate Governance


    Module 2: Legal Issues in Corporate Governance includes:

    • The Roles, Duties and Responsibilities of Directors in Corporations
    • The Roles, Duties and Responsibilities of Fiduciaries
    • The Changing Legal Landscape
    • The Limits of Criminal Deterrence
    • Beyond Compliance, Institutionalising Ethical Change

 


    Dissertation
    The dissertation is undertaken during June to September. Dissertations are up to 20,000 words in length. They should relate to the intersection between corporate governance and public policy. The exact nature of the dissertation and the selection of appropriate advisors will be taken by the student in consultation with the Course Coordinator.

    Closing date for applications
    The formal closing date is 30th June 2008. Potential students who miss this date should certainly not hesitate to contact us to determine whether places are still available.

     Further Information
     Academic Contact Dr Ciaran O'Kelly c.okelly@qub.ac.uk
    The School of Law Postgraduate Secretary
    For general queries please contact :


    Postgraduate Secretary
    School of Law
    Queen's University Belfast
    Belfast BT7 1NN
    Northern Ireland

    Tel: (44) 028 9097 3476
    Fax: (44) 028 9097 3376
    Email: pglawenquiries@qub.ac.uk

     Application

    See Admissions Office for details of :

    Application Procedure
    Details of Postgraduate Fees

    Scholarships