New Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's in International Law to start in fall 2026
2025-12-15 The interdisciplinary Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's in International Law of Security, Peace, and Sustainable Development (ILSPSD) aims to train a new generation of lawyers and political decision-makers. The joint master's program, run by a consortium of renowned European universities, is offered as part of the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master's Program, which focuses on courses of excellence, and is coordinated by Leuphana as the lead university.
War in Europe, climate change, international rule of law and institutions under pressure: the global community is facing complex, often intertwined challenges. "We cannot tackle these global problems with individual disciplines," says Leuphana Vice President Prof. Dr. Jelena Bäumler. The professor of public law and international law with a focus on sustainability is the deputy program director for the Erasmus Mundus Master's program at Leuphana.
The two-year master's program was designed in response to the growing need for graduates with leadership potential in the fields of international law and international affairs. Future career prospects may lie in national governments or international organizations such as the United Nations or the European Union, but also in NGOs or international law firms. "The curriculum brings together all fields of international law and international relations relevant to global security, peace, and sustainable development and offers specializations in the areas of human rights, peace, and security," explains program director Prof. Dr. Valentin Schatz, junior professor of public law, European law, and international law, specializing in environmental and maritime law.
In addition to Leuphana, several other European partner institutions are involved in the program, including the University of Glasgow, the Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals, the Université libre de Bruxelles, the Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and the University of Tartu. Students spend the first semester in Lüneburg, the second in Barcelona, and can choose between the four other partner locations for their second year of study. Depending on the chosen study path, the program concludes after two years with two or even three master's degrees. A global network of 30 associated partners complements the study program with guest lectures and summer schools, among other things.
The new program is aimed at graduates of law and political science as well as related disciplines such as international relations or corresponding interdisciplinary bachelor's programs.
A total of 70 full scholarships are available during the five-year funding period. These cover not only living expenses (EUR 1,400/month over two years), but also the full tuition fees.
Further information
The application deadline for the Erasmus Mundus scholarships for this program is February 1, 2026.
Several online information sessions about the program will be held during the application period:
- December 16 at 3:00 p.m.
- Further dates in January are available on the program's information page.
- Email address for the degree program: ilspsd@leuphana.de