International Law

What is International Law?

International law is a system of legal principles and norms governing relations between nations and countries. The establishment of International Law is usually associated with the emergence of the institution of a state, but this is not quite true - people from different tribes had to cooperate with each other, which was an origin of International Law. One of the hallmarks of international law is its voluntariness. There is no institution that would regulate and coordinate the implementation of International Law.

The functions of international law are as follows:

• Coordinating,
• Regulatory,
• Protective.

The coordinating function of international law is that, with its help, a country establishes generally acceptable standards of conduct in various areas of relationships.

The regulative function of international law is manifested in the adoption by states of firmly established rules, without which their joint existence and communication are impossible.

The protective function of international law protects the interests of each country and the international community as a union, giving international relations a sustainable character. Its protective role is manifested in the fact that international law contains norms that encourage states to follow certain rules of conduct.

Entry requirements for International Law applicants

Those who wish to study International Law (as well as other subdisciplines of Law) in foreign universities need to have high grades (or high GPA score) in History and Social Sciences. English fluency is always required, as all study programs in foreign universities are usually taught in English. All universities accept the results of TOEFL, IELTS or other equivalent language tests in case of the applicant’s native language in not English.

Those who wish to study abroad need also meet special visa requirements of the chosen country. Many universities would help successful applicants with visa issues.

Best Universities

According to QS Top Universities Ranking by Subject, the best university in the world specializing on Law study programs is Harvard University in USA. Some information about Harvard University, application procedure and entry requirements, as well as all study programs hosted by Harvard University, can be found in the university’s profile on our website.

The list of other worlds leading universities hosting Law study programs, include: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Yale University, Stanford University, New York University, London School of Economics and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley, Columbia University, University of Chicago, University of Melbourne and many others. Most of the top universities hosting Law study programs are located in USA or UK. Some specific requirements for international applicants from these countries can be found on our website.