Boost your career prospects. Do LLM in Canada

Do you know a similarity between Indian Law and Canadian Law? Both the countries’ laws are originally based on the British legal system. It is not surprising, considering that India was under British rule and Canada is still part of the British Commonwealth.

Did you know that Queen Elizabeth II is considered the Queen of Canada?

Did you just complete your LLB or are you about to? Are you wondering whether it is worth doing an LLM since you can anyway practice with a Bachelor’s in Law? Let’s first put the following concerns aside – Why should you do LLM and more specifically, why should you do LLM in Canada.

Why should you do LLM?

This is a question asked by many and addressed by many others. Here are the reasons we thought are the most relevant.

• An LLM after LLB will boost your employability
• A higher qualification obviously will garner your higher pay
• It is an opportunity for you to specialise in a particular area of law. Your knowledge will improve and so will your skills.  This includes your subject knowledge, communication or language skills and reasoning skills.
• All these will translate to more confidence in yourself

If you are looking for subject modules, subject specialisations and career prospects, check out our definitive guide about studying law abroad.

Why LLM in Canada?

Studying LLM in Canada has several benefits besides offering a holistic experience studying in a foreign land, experiencing different cultures and mingling with people all around the globe. There were more than 5.3 lakh international students in Canada in 2020, at all levels of study as per the Canadian Bureau of International Education and the majority (34%) were from India.

• Canada is international student-friendly. As per the 2018 survey by the Canadian Bureau of International Education, ‘Canada’s reputation as a tolerant and non-discriminatory society’ is the second top reason for students choosing Canada. It also has the reputation of being a safe country.
• Canada has several top law schools; the University of Toronto, McGill University and the University of British Columbia are just some of the institutions that have the best law schools in the world.
• The job prospects in the country are promising. As per the Job Bank, the job opportunities for lawyers in Canada is Fair to Good with Good being the highest rating.
• Canada has the best policies for international students and post-study work. This was evident in the latest IDP survey.
• You can consider practising law in Canada

Institutions offering LLM in Canada

There are several colleges in Canada offering law and legal studies bachelor's and master's degrees. Here are some of the popular ones.

1.University of Alberta

The University of Alberta is ranked 119^th as per the QS World University Employability Rankings. The university offers several scholarships like the International Student Scholarship and the University of Alberta International Country Scholarship.

At the University of Alberta, students can opt for a course-based or thesis-based Master of Laws LLM program. Thesis-based LLM will involve substantial research and you’ll be required to produce 3 major research papers to complete the course.

• Duration: The course duration might vary based on the experience and previous education. However, the minimum duration is 12 months.
• Cost: Around 5.7 lakhs for the course-based LLM, Around 5.3 lakh per year for the thesis-based LLM
• Requirements: An undergraduate JD or LLB degree
  • A minimum IELTS score of 7.0 with no band less than 6.0.
  • Complete the FGSR Academic Integrity and Ethics Training Requirement. It is for 3 hours and is provided by the Faculty of Law.
  • Complete the Graduate Ethics Training (GET) Course.

2.University of Ottawa

The University of Ottawa is a great place to study LLM in Canada. The university has a strong faculty of law called the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. It is considered a prestigious institution for law and legal studies. It is ranked among the top 150 institutions for law and legal studies as per the Times Higher Education rankings and the QS World University Rankings. Within Canada, it ranks 8^th.

The university offers 7 LLM courses. The general LLM and the LLMs concentrating on specific topics.

• Master of Laws (LLM)
• Master of Laws (LLM) Concentration in Global Sustainability and Environmental Law
• Master of Laws (LLM) Concentration in Health Law, Policy and Ethics
• Master of Laws (LLM) Concentration in International Humanitarian and Security Law
• Master of Laws (LLM) Concentration in Law and Social Justice
• Master of Laws (LLM) Concentration in Law and Technology
• Master of Laws (LLM) Concentration in Legislative Studies

Duration: All courses last for 4 terms (This is between 16 months to 2 years)

Cost: The tuition fee per year is around 5.7 lakh.

Requirements: Undergraduate Law degree

                             An average of at least 70% in the undergraduate degree (This will be calculated following their graduate studies guidelines).

If you would like to learn more about the course or the university, please reach out to our counsellors.

3.York University

York University holds the 43^rd position in the World University Rankings 2021 for the subject Law. The university is also ranked among the first 500 institutions for its Graduate Employability.

York University offers 7 master’s degree courses in Law. Of these, there are 4 LLM courses. You can pick the one that suits you best based on your skills and interest.

• LLM in Canadian Common Law
• LLM in International Business Law
• LLM in Tax Law
• Research LLM - Master of Law

These are examples of LLM courses in Canada that start online. Here are the important details of the courses:

• Duration: The duration for LLM in Canadian Common Law, International Business Law and Tax Law are calculated based on credit hours. These courses require 36 credit hours. Research LLM is a full-time, 1-year course.
• Cost: Canadian Common Law, International Business Law and Tax law costs around 26 lakhs per year. Research LLM degree costs around 12 lakhs per year.
• Requirements:
  • honours degree/4-years of study
  • GPA of minimum ‘B’
  • IELTS of 7.5. Other English Proficiency tests are also accepted.

4.University of Saskatchewan

The University of Saskatchewan is ranked in the first 500 best universities in the world as per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. The university offers 1 LLM course which is thesis-based. Scholarships and travel grants are also given to qualified students. Travel grants are given if students have to travel for their thesis research or for presenting their work at conferences.

• Duration: 12 – 16 months
• Cost: Around 4 lakh per year
• Requirements:
  • Bachelor’s degree in Law
  • Good scores in the last 2 years of undergraduate study (check with the university for more details)
  • IELTS score of 6.5 with no band less than 6

5.Queen's University

Queen’s University at Kingston ranks among the 150 best universities in the world, for their graduate employability. They are also among the 200 best universities in the world for law and legal studies. The university offers 4 master’s degree courses in Law of which Master of Law (LL.M.) and Master of Law (LL.M.) Specialization in Political and Legal Thought (PLT) are the LLM ones.

• Duration: Both these courses are 1-year long
• Cost: Around 8 lakhs per year
• Requirements:
  • LLB with a minimum B+ average
  • IELTS score of minimum 7

Here are some more universities that you can try if you are interested in doing LLM in Canada.

Reach out to our counsellors for more information about the course, university, or entry requirements.

6.University of Victoria

The University of Victoria offers 1 LLM course. The focus of your LLM study should be your thesis.

• Duration: The course requires a minimum of 12 months, but you can take a maximum of 5 years to complete the course.
• Cost: Tuition fee is around 3 lakh per 2 terms
• Requirements:
  • LLB or equivalent law degree
  • An average of B+ (6.0 GPA) in the last two years of your undergraduate study
  • A minimum overall IELTS score of 7.0 with no band less than 7.0

7.University of Windsor

The University of Windsor offers a full-time LLM course, that includes research methods, a graduate seminar and legal theory.

• Duration: There are 2 options for students; One-year regular LLM or

Two-year LLM with Certificate in University Teaching and Learning.

• Cost: Around 14 lakh per year
• Requirements:
  • LLB. If you do not have an undergraduate Law degree, you must have outstanding grades and skills to complete LLM.
  • A minimum IELTS score of 7.0

8.University of Toronto

Toronto is one of the top-ranking universities in the world with a graduate employability ranking of 16 and a World University Ranking of 17 for Law and Legal Studies as per the QS rankings. The university offers 15 master’s degree courses in Law, one of which is LLM.

• Duration: It is a full-time, 1-year course.
• Cost: Around 26 lakhs per year
• Requirements:
  • LLB or an equivalent degree
  • minimum B+ average in the last year of their undergraduate study
  • A minimum IELTS score of 7.5 with no band less than 7.0

Check with our counsellors or with the institution for more details about the eligibility requirements.

9.University of British Columbia

The University of British Columbia is a highly ranked institution for doing LLM in Canada. It ranks 34 as per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021. It ranks 33 for being the best in law and legal studies.  

UBC offers 3 Masters degree options. LLM - Master of Laws (Common Law) (LLMCL), LLM - Master of Laws (LLM) and LLM - Master of Laws in Taxation (LLMT). The LLM offered is a research-intensive degree.

• Duration: Full-time, 1-year
• Cost: Around 5.5 lakh per year
• Requirements:
  • The academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor's degree from UBC
  • A minimum overall IELTS score of 7.0 with a minimum of 7.0 in reading and writing.

Please note that there are more requirements which should be met by the students. Check with our counsellors or with the institution for more details.

10.McGill University

McGill University ranks 40 as the best university in the world according to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2021. They are in the 16^th position for being the best university in the world for law and legal studies. They offer an LLM course that concentrates on the production of a 30,000-word thesis and completion of some coursework. There is also an option to specialise in domains such as Air and Space Law, Bioethics, Environment etc.

• Duration: For details about the course duration, please get in touch with our experts
• Cost: The tuition fee is above 10 lakh per year for the thesis programme and around 15 lakh for the non-thesis programme.
• Requirements:
  • LLB or equivalent
  • A minimum cumulative grade point average (CGPA) of 3.0 out of 4.0 (or equivalent)
  • A minimum IELTS score of 6.5.

Meeting these requirements does not guarantee admission. You will be evaluated on more aspects such as reference letters and the quality of the research proposal.

If you would like to explore more options, head to our site, and try the Course Matcher Tool that can match you with the right course based on your qualifications and interests.

If you are interested to study in Canada at any of these universities or would like to have more information, feel free to get in touch with our experts who have sent thousands of students abroad. Don’t forget to check out our international student advice page for all current updates about studying abroad.