Climate Law & Justice LLM
The LLM in Climate Law & Justice offers an interdisciplinary approach to tackling the legal dimensions of climate and social crises. You will explore how law interacts with climate change, inequality, and global governance across international, regional, and national levels, with a focus on the Global South. The programme combines critical reflection and practical skills to prepare future leaders in climate justice and legal transformation.
- Academic contact: mingzhe.zhu@glasgow.ac.uk
- Teaching start: September
- Glasgow: Gilmorehill campus
- LLM: 12 months full-time; 24 months part‑time
Why this programme
- This LLM integrates climate law with social and environmental justice, offering practical and policy-oriented insight into how legal change can support just transitions. We invite you to think critically, engage deeply, and create law as part of the solution.
- Benefit from world-class teaching delivered by leading academics of diverse professional, cultural, and disciplinary backgrounds. The University of Glasgow’s interdisciplinary environment allows you to combine legal studies with sustainable finance, energy systems, and international politics.
- The city of Glasgow, with its strong legacy in climate action and role as host of COP26, offers a rich setting for engagement with policy makers, NGOs, and professional networks. This metropolitan city further provides an international and multicultural environment that fosters comparative legal learning and cross-cultural dialogue on global climate governance.
- You will have access to our excellent facilities including the dedicated School of Law library. Our main University Library also contains our extensive collection of legal materials and official publications.
- Law at Glasgow is ranked 4th in the UK by the Good University Guide 2026 and 8th in the UK by the Complete University Guide 2026.
- Watch: Climate Law & Justice LLM programme overview
Programme structure
You will take six courses and submit a dissertation as falling within the area. Courses are delivered through a blend of lectures and seminar-style teaching.
You are required to take three core courses and three optional courses. One optional course can be chosen from other courses within the School of Law's LLM portfolio. Please note, enrolment on courses is subject to availability and timetabling.
For the dissertation, you can choose between a written dissertation or a collaborative dissertation research project with a partner organisation. Please note, the collaborative dissertation option is subject to availability.
Core courses
- Law and Just Energy Transition
- Fundamentals of Environmental Justice
- Climate Change Law and Governance
Optional courses
- Corporate Social Responsibility & the Law
- Finance & Social Justice Project
- International Human Rights Law
- International Law and International Economic Governance
- Law & International Development
- Law and Sustainable Finance
Dissertation
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Dual Degree (Paris I - Glasgow) - Master of Laws
More information
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Dual Degree (Bergen - Glasgow) - Master of Laws
More information
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Programme alteration or discontinuation
The University of Glasgow endeavours
to run all programmes as advertised. In exceptional circumstances, however, the University may withdraw
or alter a programme. For more information, please see: Student contract.
Career prospects
By the end of the programme, you will be prepared to take leading roles in climate litigation, policy advisory, or further doctoral research, with employers ranging from law firms to UN agencies and environmental organisations.
The programme builds strong skills in climate governance, legal advocacy, and interdisciplinary analysis, supported by practical engagement with policymakers and communities.
A global perspective is embedded throughout the programme, including attention to legal challenges and solutions relevant to the regional and local realities.
Find out more about career paths and opportunities in the field of international law.
Fees & funding
Tuition fees for 2026-27
LLM
Home & RUK
- Full-time fee: £11,943
International & EU
- Full-time fee: £29,355
Fee status
Deposits
International and EU applicants are required to pay a deposit of £2,000 when an offer is made.
Deposits: terms & conditions
The following guidelines will apply in determining whether a deposit will be refunded. Where the deposit is refunded, a 25% administration fee will be deducted unless otherwise stated.
a: Deposits WILL be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- Where the University is unable to offer you a place on the programme as specified on the offer. A full refund will be issued in this case.
- Death of a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
- SERIOUS ill health of the applicant or a close family member (parent/guardian, grandparent, sibling, spouse, child/dependent). Official evidence (signed and stamped) must be provided.
- Applicant does not meet conditions of offer. This may be academic or language test requirements. Satisfactory evidence must be uploaded to the student’s applicant self-service to prove that they have not met the conditions of their offer (note that applicants who do not meet the language condition of their offer must show reasonable attempt to meet this, i.e. they must provide at least two language tests which were taken after the date the deposit was paid).
- Visa / ATAS refusal: we will only consider a refund if the visa / ATAS refusal was based on matters outside of the applicant’s control.
- If a refund request is received within 14 days of the deposit being received a full refund will be issued under the Consumer Protection Regulations.
b: Deposits WILL NOT be refunded to applicants under the following circumstances:
- An applicant decides not to attend the University for any reason not outlined above.
- Personal financial constraints / unsuccessful scholarship application.
- Applicant has decided to defer – in this situation the University will retain the deposit and hold it against the applicant’s account to secure their place for the following year of entry. You may defer twice. After the second deferral standard conditions will apply.
- There is still time to meet the English language test requirement before the final upload date. Please see section a) 4.
- Visa / ATAS was applied for too late. Please see section a) 5.
- Any documents used for admission are proven to be fraudulent. We work in partnership with Qualification Check to check academic qualifications. English language qualifications are verified with the provider.
- The refund request is received more than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email.
Timeframe for requesting a refund
Refund requests must be received no later than 30 days after the official course start date as outlined in your offer email. As per section b)7 above the request will be denied.
Receiving a refund
- To comply with Money Laundering Regulations, the University will pay all refunds to the original payer using the source payment details. This is known as a “return to source” payment.
- All appropriate documentation and evidence relating to the original payment must be provided, when requested.
- All payments and refunds are in GBP currency - the University is not responsible for any exchange rate fluctuations or beneficiary bank charges associated with the refund.
- Where University approved payment methods have not been used, this may cause significant delays or prevent payment altogether.
- We will aim to issue the deposit refund within 8 weeks of receipt of information per point 2 above. At peak times this may be longer.
How to request a deposit refund
Please go to our enquiry form and select 'Fees and Deposit' as the enquiry reason and then 'Can I have a deposit refund?'.
Please upload all supporting documentation to your applicant self-service portal before submitting the above request.
Additional fees
- Fee for re-assessment of a dissertation (PGT programme): £370
- Submission of thesis after deadline lapsed: £350
- Registration/exam only fee: £170
Funding opportunities
GREAT Scholarships 2026
In partnership with the British Council and the GREAT Britain Campaign, University of Glasgow is offering 5 scholarships to students in Greece, Spain, Pakistan, Kenya and Bangladesh applying for postgraduate courses in any subject (excluding MBA and MSc Research courses). All eligible courses can be viewed under the 'eligible programmes' tab on this webpage.
The scholarship offers financial support of £10,000 to students pursuing one-year postgraduate study in the UK. This discount cannot be combined with another University scholarship.
The scholarships above are relevant to this programme. For more funding opportunities search the scholarships database
Entry requirements
2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in Law.
We may also consider a 2.1 Hons (or non-UK equivalent) in politics, international relations, economics, environmental science, geology, energy engineering, or other relevant subject areas.
While we welcome applicants from non-legal backgrounds, it is important to note that this LLM remains a law-focused degree. If applying with a degree that is now Law please provide a personal statement and an academic reference. Your personal statement and reference should demonstrate why you are well-prepared to undertake a law-focused degree, and explain how you would benefit from studying it.
English language requirements
For applicants from non-English speaking countries, as defined by the UK Government, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level.
International English Language Testing System (IELTS) Academic and Academic Online (not General Training)
- 7.0 overall with no subtest less than 6.5
- IELTS One Skill Retake Accepted
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Common equivalent English language qualifications accepted for entry to this programme:
TOEFL (ibt, mybest or athome)
- 96 overall with no subtest less than Reading 23; Listening 23; Speaking 23; Writing 24
- Only tests taken before January 2026 can be accepted for entry
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test, this includes TOEFL mybest.
Pearsons PTE Academic
- 70 overall with no subtest less than Reading 62; Listening 62; Speaking 75; Writing 68
- Online PTE not accepted for entry
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Cambridge Proficiency in English (CPE) and Cambridge Advanced English (CAE)
- 185 overall with no subtest less than 176
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Oxford English Test
- 8 overall with Reading and Listening no less than 7 and Writing and Speaking no less than 8
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
LanguageCert Academic/ Academic Online
- 75 overall with two subtests no less than 75 and two subtests no less than 70
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Password Skills Plus
- 7.0 overall with no subtest less than 6.5
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Trinity College Integrated Skills in English III
- No subtest less than 105
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
Kaplan Test of English
- Two subtests no less than 500 and two subtests no less than 480
- Tests must have been taken within 2 years 5 months of programme start date. Applicants must meet the overall and subtest requirements using a single test.
University of Glasgow Pre-sessional courses
Tests are accepted for 2 years following date of successful completion.
Alternatives to English Language qualification
- Degree from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have studied for a minimum of their final year at Undergraduate level, or 9 months at Master's level, and must have completed their degree in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
- Undergraduate 2+2 and 3+1 degrees from majority-English speaking country (as defined by the UKVI including Canada if taught in English)
- students must have completed their final year of study in that majority-English speaking country within the last 6 years.
For international students, the Home Office has confirmed that the University can choose to use these tests to make its own assessment of English language ability for visa applications to degree level programmes. The University is also able to accept UKVI approved Secure English Language Tests (SELT) but we do not require a specific UKVI SELT for degree level programmes. We therefore still accept any of the English tests listed for admission to this programme.
Pre-sessional courses
The University of Glasgow accepts evidence of the required language level from the English for Academic Study Unit Pre-sessional courses. We would strongly encourage you to consider the pre-sessional courses at the University of Glasgow's English for Academic Study (EAS) Unit. Our Pre-sessional courses are the best way to bring your English up to entry level for University study. Our courses give you:
- direct entry to your University programme for successful students (no need to take IELTS);
- essential academic skills to help you study effectively at University;
- flexible entry dates so you can join the right course for your level.
More information on our Pre-sessional courses.
We can also consider the pre-sessional courses accredited by the below BALEAP approved institutions to meet the language requirements for admission to our postgraduate taught degrees:
- Heriot Watt
- Kingston Upon Thames
- Middlesex University
- Manchester University
- Reading University
- Edinburgh University
- ST Andrews University
- UCL
- Durham
For further information about English language requirements, please contact the Recruitment and International Office using our enquiry form
International students
We are proud of our diverse University community that includes students and staff from more than 140 different countries.
How to apply
To apply for a postgraduate taught degree you must apply online. We cannot accept applications any other way.
Please check you meet the Entry requirements for this programme before you begin your application.
Documents
As part of your online application, you also need to submit the following supporting documents:
- A copy (or copies) of your official degree certificate(s) (if you have already completed your degree)
- A copy (or copies) of your official academic transcript(s), showing full details of subjects studied and grades/marks obtained
- Official English translations of the certificate(s) and transcript(s)
- One reference letter on headed paper
- Evidence of your English language ability (if your first language is not English)
- Any additional documents required for this programme (see Entry requirements for this programme)
- A copy of the photo page of your passport
You have 42 days to submit your application once you begin the process.
You may save and return to your application as many times as you wish to update information, complete sections or upload supporting documents such as your final transcript or your language test.
For more information about submitting documents or other topics related to applying to a postgraduate taught programme, see how to apply for a postgraduate taught degree
Guidance notes for using the online application
These notes are intended to help you complete the online application form accurately; they are also available within the help section of the online application form.
If you experience any difficulties accessing the online application, see Application System Help.
- Name and Date of birth: must appear exactly as they do on your passport. Please take time to check the spelling and lay-out.
- Contact Details: Correspondence address. All contact relevant to your application will be sent to this address including the offer letter(s). If your address changes, please contact us as soon as possible.
- Choice of course: Please select carefully the course you want to study. As your application will be sent to the admissions committee for each course you select it is important to consider at this stage why you are interested in the course and that it is reflected in your application.
- Proposed date of entry: Please state your preferred start date including the month and the year. Taught masters degrees tend to begin in September. Research degrees may start in any month.
- Education and Qualifications: Please complete this section as fully as possible indicating any relevant Higher Education qualifications starting with the most recent. Complete the name of the Institution (s) as it appears on the degree certificate or transcript.
- English Language Proficiency: Please state the date of any English language test taken (or to be taken) and the award date (or expected award date if known).
- Employment and Experience: Please complete this section as fully as possible with all employments relevant to your course. Additional details may be attached in your personal statement/proposal where appropriate.
Reference: Please provide one reference. This should typically be an academic reference but in cases where this is not possible then a reference from a current employer may be accepted instead. Certain programmes, such as the MBA programme, may also accept an employer reference. If you already have a copy of a reference on letter headed paper then please upload this to your application. If you do not already have a reference to upload then please enter your referee’s name and contact details on the online application and we will contact your referee directly.
Application deadlines
International & EU applicants
Due to demand for degree places on this programme, the University has an application process with application rounds which recognises that different geographical areas complete and submit their applications at different times of the year. This process aims to ensure fairness and equity to applicants from all geographic regions.
Round 1 application dates: 1 October 2025 to 5 November 2025
All International and EU applications submitted within these dates will be reviewed with no priority given to any geographic region. You will receive our decision on your application by 16 January 2026.
Round 2 application dates: 6 November 2025 to 17 December 2025
All International and EU applications submitted within these dates will be reviewed with no priority given to any geographic region. You will receive our decision on your application by 4 March 2026.
Round 3 application dates: 18 December 2025 to 4 February 2026
Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 15 April 2026.
Round 4 application dates: 5 February 2026 to 25 March 2026
Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 6 May 2026.
Round 5 application dates: 26 March 2026 to 13 May 2026
Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 17 June 2026.
Round 6 application dates: 14 May 2026 to 8 July 2026
Priority will be given to under-represented geographic regions. You will receive our decision on your application by 29 July 2026.
All international applications submitted by 17 December 2025 will be reviewed and processed normally with no priority given to any geographic region. From 18 December 2025, priority will be given to applications from geographic areas which have been unable to submit applications before that point.
As we receive a great number of applications, prospective students are only allowed to apply once per year.
Home applicants
- 21 August 2026
Apply now
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