The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program in Chinese Law

 

An Overview of the LL.M. Program

 

The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program in Chinese Law, starting from the year 2006, provides international students and professionals with Chinese legal education by Peking University Law School. It is focused on civil and commercial law and entirely conducted in English.

 

As the leading institution in legal education and research in China, Peking University Law School was established in 1904 and has held broad academic communications and collaborations with other celebrated legal institutions all over the world since the 1980s.

 

With China’s rapid economic growth and its integration into the global system and with the emergence of tremendous legal problems in international trade and investment, the knowledge of legal system and practice of law in China has become a significant resource for international students involved in domestic and international economic activities in China.

 

In this background, Peking University Law School develops the Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program in Chinese Law to address international students’ needs for a more comprehensive understanding of Chinese law, based upon its first-class academic resources and facilities.

 

In this program, leading faculty members from Peking University Law School will offer Chinese law courses specially designed for international students. Additionally, famous scholars and practitioners in Chinese law are invited to give lectures on specific topics. Besides Chinese law courses, students are allowed to take up a non-law course entitled General Information of China, including Chinese history, politics and economy to facilitate their understanding of China’s society. Further more, the LL.M. Program offers opportunities of advanced training in practicing Chinese law, ranging from fieldwork to internships in law firms and other important legal institutions.

 

20 students will be admitted into this program each year. Academic advisors will be assigned to each student for his/her study and thesis. Chinese students in Peking University Law School are also available to offer personal counseling.

 

The duration of the program is 2 years (4 semesters) and students may matriculate only in the fall semester. The first academic year is full-time for course study and the second for practice of law and thesis writing. With the option to stay in China or in their own residence in the second academic year, students should attend the thesis defense personally before the end of the 4th semester.

Course List

 

Courses in Fall Term 2006:

 

Course Name

Credit Units

Required / Elective

Chinese Judicial System

2

Required

Chinese Constitutional and Administrative Law

2

Required

Chinese Civil Law

2

Required

Chinese Corporate Law

2

Required

Theory and Practice of International Law in China

2

Required

Topics on Chinese Law

2

Elective

Seminar (1)

4

Required

Fieldwork (1)

1

Required

Elementary Chinese (1)

2

Required

 

Courses in Spring Term 2007:

 

Course Name

Credit Units

Required / Elective

Chinese Intellectual Property Law

2

Required

Chinese Foreign Investment Law

2

Required

Chinese Dispute Resolution in Civil and Commercial Matters

2

Required

Chinese Criminal and Criminal Procedural Law

2

Required

Chinese Financial Law

2

Required

General Information of China

2

Required

Seminar (2)

4

Required

Fieldwork (2)

1

Required

Elementary Chinese (2)

2

Required

 

All courses offered by Peking University Law School conducted in Chinese are also available to students in this program.

 

Teaching Staff

 

Bai Guimei

Professor of Law

Chen Ruihua

Professor of Law

Fu Yulin

Associate Professor

Guo Li

Lecturer

Liu Yan

Associate Professor

Lou Jianbo

Associate Professor

Shao Jingchun

Professor of Law

Wang Jiancheng

Professor of Law

Wang Shizhou

Professor of Law

Wang Xixin

Associate Professor

Wei Zhi

Associate Professor

Wu Zhipan

Professor of Law

Zhang Ping

Yahoo!-Founder Endowed Chair Law Professor

Zhang Qi

Professor of Law

Zhang Qianfan

Professor of Law

Zhu Suli

Professor of Law and Dean of Peking University Law School

 

Eligibility Requirements

 

The program is only designed for non-Chinese-nationality applicants under the age of 40.

 

Applicants should comply with Chinese laws and Peking University’s regulations.

 

An applicant must have a first law degree (J.D., LL.B. or the equivalent) from a law school. Those who don’t have any of the above-mentioned law degree but have a Bachelor’s degree and substantial law-related working experience can also apply for this program.

 

All applicants who are not native English speakers or who did not have a postsecondary education entirely conducted in the English language must take the TOEFL or IELTS examination. The Program requires a minimum score of 580 (Paper Based Test) or 240 (Computer Based Test) in TOEFL with 5.0 in TWE, or 6.5 in IELTS with 7.0 in IELTS writing.

 

A health certificate is required before registration.

 

Application Materials

 

An applicant should submit the following materials. All documents should be written in English. If the documents are not in English, they must be accompanied by a notarized English translation.

 

(1) Peking University Application Form for International Students (Master and Ph.D. Programs);

 

(2)  A personal statement (about 800 words);

 

(3) Official transcripts of postsecondary school training (original);

 

(4) An official certificate of your highest education (original) (Undergraduate students should provide an official letter stating expected graduation date);

 

(5) Two letters of recommendation by professors or associate professors (original);

 

(6) One photocopy of results of TOEFL or IELTS examination;

 

(7) One photocopy of valid passport (Passport type must be ordinary);

 

(8) A non-refundable application fee of 800 RMB.

 

Please use the wire transfer to make the payment. The University's wire instructions are as follows: (Please submit a copy of your wire transfer receipt in your application package.)

　　Beneficiary: Peking University
　　Beneficiary’s Account Number: 011-1-02000-045090-891311-51
　  Name of Bank: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, Beijing Municipal  Branch, Beijing, PRC
　　Address of Bank: Tianyin Mansion, NO.2, Fuxingmen Street (S),  Xicheng District, Beijing, PRC
　　Swift Code: ICBKCNBJBJM　　
　　Reference: LL.M. Program in Chinese Law, Peking University Law School

 

Applicants should send the application package to:

 

Office of the LL.M. Program in Chinese Law

 Room 5113, Peking University Law School

Beijing, 100871

People’s Republic of China

 

Deadline for Application

 

The deadline for application is May 29th, 2006.  All application materials should reach the program office before the deadline.

 

Admission Decisions

 

Admission decisions will be made by June 16th, 2006.

 

The Office of the LL.M. Program will first check whether the applicants submit all application materials and meet the eligibility requirements. Then the Admission Committee will make decisions according to the applicants’ materials after approved by Peking University.

 

Once the decisions have been reached, applicants will be notified promptly whether they have been admitted or denied.

 

Mode of Attendance

 

There are two academic years. The first academic year is full-time for course study and the second is for practice of law and thesis writing.

 

Registration Time:

 

September 2006. The students will be notified about the exact entrance time in the admission letter.

 

Credit and Thesis Requirements

 

Students are required to enroll in a minimum of 36 credits including all required courses and pass all course examinations.

 

In order to obtain the LL.M. degree, students must complete the master’s thesis relating to Chinese law and pass the thesis defense. A master’s thesis between 12,000 and 20,000 words is recommended. The thesis should be written in Chinese or English. Thesis that is written in English should provide an abstract in Chinese.

 

After approved by Peking University Degree Committee, the students can receive the LL.M. Program’s graduation certificate and degree diploma.

 

Tuition:

 

The tuition for the whole program from 2006 to 2008 is 160,000 RMB.

 

Students should pay 80,000 RMB in the first fall semester before registration and the other 80,000 RMB in the second.  The tuition should only be paid in RMB.

 

Room and Board:

 

Students should afford their own accommodation. Peking University Law School will assist the students to arrange their accommodation.

 

Scholarship

 

The program offers merit scholarships for 5 students, each of whom can receive 8,000 RMB.

 

Library and Internet

 

At Peking University, law students have ready access to the materials of legal research through library collection and networked electronic information sources. Databases like Lexis-Nexis and Westlaw are available in the law library.

 

Contact Us

 

Website: www.law.pku.edu.cn

E-mail Address: llm@law.pku.edu.cn

Tel: (8610) 62759300

Fax: (8610) 62756542

 

Mailing Address:

Office of the LL.M. Program in Chinese Law

 Room 5113, Peking University Law School

Beijing, 100871

People’s Republic of China