Master of International Law

What you will study

To qualify for the award, students must complete 48 credit points, comprising:

• Six credit points of compulsory core units of study.
• 42 credit points for elective units of study, including six credit points for elective units of study from the Department of Government and International Relations or the Centre for International Security Studies.

Each unit is valued at six credit points unless otherwise indicated.

Compulsory core unit

• International Law I

Electives

• Chinese Laws and Chinese Legal Systems (12 credit points)
• International and Comparative Labour Law
• Law of the Sea
• International Business Law
• International Commercial Arbitration
• International Environmental Law
• International Law-the Use of Armed Force
• World Trade Organisation Law I
• Chinese International Taxation
• UK International Taxation
• The State and Global Governance
• Transfer Pricing in International Tax
• Comparative International Taxation
• International Financial Transactions: Law and Practice
• Corp Soc Responsibility: Theory/Pol
• Asia Pacific Environmental Law
• Comparative Corporate Taxation

Contact the university or visit its website for this course's complete list of electives.

Entry Requirements

Applicants must have one of the following:

• A bachelor's degree with a credit average (65 per cent) from the University of Sydney or an equivalent qualification.
• A bachelor's degree from the University of Sydney or an equivalent qualification and the applicant provides evidence of two years of relevant professional experience.

English Language Requirements

You may need to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study this course.

If English is your first language, you may be able to meet the requirements if you have:

• Citizenship or permanent long-term residency (minimum 10 years).
• Completed secondary or higher education (tertiary) studies recognised by the university in an approved English-speaking country.

If English is not your first language, you may be able to prove English proficiency with an approved English skills test taken within two years of commencing the course.

• IELTS score: a minimum result of 7.0 overall and a minimum result of 6.0 in each band.
• TOEFL - IBT score: a minimum result of 96 overall, including a minimum result of 17 in Reading, Listening and Speaking and 19 in Writing.
• Pearson Test of English: a minimum result of 68 overall and a minimum result of 54 in each band.

The university may also consider factors such as previous studies in English. Contact them for more information.

Recognition of Prior Learning

The related study may be credited towards your degree. This may also include relevant work experience for some postgraduate courses. Contact the university for more information.

Outcomes

Learning Outcomes

By completing the Master of International Law, graduates will:

• Evaluate and apply comprehensive interdisciplinary knowledge in public international law, adapt to changes in scholarship and address complex legal challenges in international legal governance.
• Employ research principles relevant to public international law, undertake substantial research-based projects using specialised tools and communicate findings to diverse audiences effectively using appropriate multimodal strategies.
• Exercise expert judgement in critically analysing complex legal issues related to public international law and its governance and engage with public international law dynamically, reinterpreting and reframing issues.
• Integrate cognitive, technical and creative skills to address and resolve complex legal challenges, both at abstract and practical levels, while maintaining a high degree of autonomy and responsibility.
• Articulate objective or persuasive conclusions using outstanding written and oral communication methods appropriate to diverse audiences.
• Reflect within an ethical framework, recognising societal roles, making decisions in line with professional responsibilities and leading constructive change for disadvantaged communities.
• Engage in, adapt to and contribute to changes in professional practice or public international law scholarship, ensuring adherence to ethical standards.

Fees and CSP

Total indicative amount in 2026: Fee information is not yet available (Commonwealth Supported Place)

Total indicative amount in 2026: $40,700 (domestic full-fee paying place)

The indicative amounts to complete this course in 2026 are calculated based on the total credit points (48 credit points).

A student’s fee may vary depending on:

• The number of units studied per term.
• The choice of major or specialisation.
• Choice of units.
• Credit from previous study or work experience.
• Eligibility for government-funded loans.

You may also need to pay the student services and amenities fee.

Student fees shown are subject to change. Contact the university directly to confirm.

Commonwealth Supported Places

The Australian Government allocates a certain number of CSPs to the universities each year, which are then distributed to students based on merit.

If you're a Commonwealth Supported Student (CSS), you'll only need to pay a portion of your tuition fees. This is known as the student contribution amount – the balance once the government subsidy is applied. This means your costs are much lower.

Limited CSP spaces are offered to students enrolled in selected postgraduate courses.

Your student contribution amount is:

• Calculated per the unit you're enrolled in.
• Dependent on the study areas they relate to.
• Reviewed and adjusted each year.

HECS-HELP loans are available to CSP students to pay the student contribution amount.

FEE-HELP loans are available to assist eligible full-fee-paying domestic students.