International Business Law induction information

About your programme

Module information

You’ll complete your course one block or ‘semester’ at a time. In each semester you’ll study modules. Some are core modules you have to take – others you’ll be able to choose between when you arrive, personalising the course to your interests.

In your first semester you will study the following modules:

• International Economic and Business Law 

International Economic and Business Law

Against the backdrop of globalisation this module examines the rules governing international economic relations and transboundary economic conduct by States, international organisations and private actors.

• Credits: 20
• Law and Justice in a Globalised World 

Law and Justice in a Globalised World

This module provides a thorough and critical introduction to contemporary legal phenomena in the context of a complex, globalised world. In particular, the module considers the nature of law in a globalised economy, the relationship between legal orders, and the realities of legal and constitutional ‘pluralism’ and develops a range of perspectives to better understand and evaluate these new legal orders.

The module looks at highly sophisticated forms of supra- and international legal integration, such as the EU and the WTO, as well as more unique structures such as international sports law and commercial arbitration, to ask deeper questions and law and legal method in the world today and in the future. The module also considers the changing nature of law in the face of radical technological change, such as digitisation, artificial intelligence and virtual courts.

• Credits: 20
• Approaches to Legal Research 

Approaches to Legal Research

This module will explore how legal research can be approached with a variety of perspectives and orientations:

• doctrinal methods seek to engage law on a level of close reading and logic;
• contextual ‘socio-legal’ methods seek to understand the wider influences of law and legal doctrine;
• comparative methods seek to examine the relationships between different legal orders;
• theoretical methods seek to elaborate and question the conceptual structures of law’s doctrines and institutions; and
• critical methods seek to question the political and ideological underpinnings of these doctrines and institutions.

In traversing this wide variety of legal research methods, this module will persistently engage with the underlying examination of what it means to ‘do law’ in both academic and professional contexts, exposing students to the practices of professional legal research and the processes of legal knowledge-making.

• Credits: 20
• Global Competition Law 

Global Competition Law

The module will consider how the global political and economic environment shapes and influences the objectives underpinning competition law systems. This module will also analyse the development, regulation and enforcement of competition law in the UK and EU as well as assessing the potential impact of Brexit.

The module will also engage with selected contemporary issues including the use of ‘big data’, price setting algorithms in on-line marketplaces, and the use of ‘AI’ such as ‘robo-sellers’.

It critically evaluates measures relating to the internationalisation of competition law such as International Competition Network, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, WTO, and international cooperation agreements.

• Credits: 20

Further information about the structure of your course can be found within the programme specification document.