Career prospects

The LLM in Public International Law has a strong connection to practice, so it offers you an excellent introduction to the legal profession.  Moot courts, visits to legal and professional organisations and guest lecturers from the field provide a concrete vision of what it is like to work in public international law. With the ability to critically reflect on today’s driving legal issues – such as human and environmental rights –  you will be well-prepared for a legal career. 

The Job Market Monitor 2013 indicates that many alumni from Utrecht University School of Law programmes find jobs immediately after graduating. An average of four months post-graduation, all of them have found employment. A small percentage go on to follow a PhD programme or other study after their Master. Many students come into contact with their future employer during their Master, i.e. during their internship, at a career fair, or by carrying out (thesis) research on behalf of an organisation or business. The Utrecht University Faculty of Law, Economics and Governance has strong links with practice.

The Master in Public International Law prepares you for tomorrow’s job market:

• Students learn to adapt quickly to a new or renewed topic, and to quickly understand the development of rules and doctrines. This is a skill focused on what the professional workspace expects of graduates (in addition to readily available knowledge).
• Students gain an empathetic understanding of real-life case studies and develop practical argumentation skills (in International Law Moot Court I and II and International Environmental Law.
• Through a pro bono clinic, students grant legal advice to a variety of institutions (Capital Selecta modules).
• Students consider the complex and succinct legal issues that an internationally oriented lawyer will face in future advice or litigation practice.
• Students organise career events in cooperation with relevant student associations, such as to establish the new Utrecht Centre for International Studies.

Graduates from prior years have done well in a range of employment areas, including:

• Corporate and private law practice
• National public service as a diplomat or civil servant
• International courts
• Consultants for governments, international political organisations and NGOs
• Academic or legal research

On average, Utrecht University School of Law has 40 PhD students who are working under the supervision of a professor towards the title Doctor of Law. A PhD programme typically takes four years, during which you will produce and submit a thesis. We also encourage you to establish yourself as a researcher during this time by publishing articles related to your research, and contributing to seminars and conferences. If you wish to find out more about openings for paid PhD positions, please go to vacancies.

If you are interested in studying for a PhD and would like to consolidate and improve your research skills first, we offer the LLM in Legal Research – an excellent introduction to academic research.

• Diplomat, lawyer, or policy officer in national government (for example, as a legal advisor in Foreign Affairs).
• ​Teacher or researcher/PhD in the field of international public law.
• Lawyer or policy officer in international government, NGOs, or businesses (for example, legal advisor at Greenpeace).
• Attorney specialising in the area of international public law.

Are you considering starting your own business? Now is a good time to prepare. Utrecht University can offer you a number of opportunities to explore entrepreneurship.

You could, for instance, take electives from Master's degree programmes that cover entrepreneurship in their curriculums:

• If you’re interested in becoming an expert at creating the prerequisites for running a successful business, take an elective at the Master’s programme Business Development and Entrepreneurship of Utrecht School of Economics.
• If you have a background in Economics and Business, and wish to do a Master’s programme in Entrepreneurship: check out the Master’s programme Business Development and Entrepreneurship.
• If you have a background in Science or Medicine, you can take classes Science and Business Management classes.
• If you're interested in sustainable business practices and sustainable innovation, take an elective at Sustainable Business and Innovation.

The Utrecht Center for Entrepreneurship (CE) also organises Spring schools, Summer schools, Winter schools, Honours classes and short seminars on entrepreneurship for non-Dutch students. All courses are offered in English except when the entire group is Dutch.

StudentsInc

Would you like to run a business while still at university? Do you want to graduate on running your own business? StudentsInc (Dutch language website) is home to a number of student businesses and offers programmes to develop your entrepreneurial skills.

UtrechtInc

Have you (nearly) graduated and do you want to start a business? UtrechtInc is the place to find financing, office space, expertise and coaching. UtrechtInc is there for

• starting entrepreneurs and alumni, doctoral candidates, and researchers (preferably from Utrecht University, Hogeschool Utrecht, UMC Utrecht)
• who are still in the ideas phase OR further along (less than five years) and have
• and have a (IT) start-up focusing on health, environmental sustainability, or education.

Would you like to know more? Visit the UtrechtInc site, register your idea, and drop by for a cup of coffee.

Enactus

Would you like to know whether entrepreneurship is right for you? Are you driven, socially conscious, and ambitious? Are you willing to spend a year working on a business for at least 8 hours a week? Enactus Utrecht (Dutch language website) offers you the opportunity to run a business and provides workshops and professional coaching.

Useful links

• Register at the Chambers of Commerce.
• You can read about all the other things you need to take care of on the Revenue Service (Belastingdienst) website.
• Join relevant groups on LinkedIn to share knowledge online and expand your network.
• Will you run an especially sustainable, innovative, and/or internationally oriented business? The Netherlands Enterprise Agency can support you with subsidies, knowledge, regulation, and more.

Upon completion of your current Master's degree programme, you can follow a one-year (Dutch language) teacher training programme. This will grant you a first degree teaching qualification for secondary education. That means you will be able to work in the upper and lower years of vmbo, havo, and vwo in the Netherlands.

Take a look at UU's Master's degree programme selection site.

When you complete your Master's degree programme, if you enjoy doing research in your area of expertise, perhaps you should pursue a PhD. You will start out as a research assistant or trainee research worker. Check the two-years Master's Programmes of Utrecht University.

The best way to find a research traineeship is to contact the professor in the field you want to specialise in. Another option would be www.academictransfer.nl.

If you'd like to pursue a PhD at Utrecht University, your PhD programme will fall under the auspices of one of the Graduate Schools. For more information, consult the Prout | PhD Network Utrecht website.