An Overview of the LL.M.
Program The Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program in Chinese Law is a
Graduate Law program offered by Peking University Law School,focusing on Chinese
civil and commercial law. The language of instruction is English.
Peking
University is a pre-eminent university in China, well-known for her long
history, rich culture, distinguished alumni, enlightened education policies and
exciting campus life. Established in 1904, the law school has become a leading
institution for legal education and a potent force for legal development in
China. The Law school frequently joins forces with the government, law firms and
business community in the development of cutting edge legal, social and
commercial policies. The Law School also has many international links and
partnership programs with leading universities and legal institutions around the
world. PKU Law School is ranked 21
st globally at QS 2016 for law,
3
rd in Asia.
With China's rapid economic growth and growing
presence on the world stage, the knowledge of Chinese law has become an
essential resource for international students and legal professionals engaged
with China. Peking University Law School established the LL.M. Program in
Chinese Law to address the needs of an international community seeking a
comprehensive and systematic understanding of Chinese law from a first-rate
legal institution.
This program provides an intensive instruction in
Chinese law. Leading faculty members will offer Chinese law courses specially
designed for international students. Teaching will comprise of both lectures and
small-group seminars. In addition, Peking University regularly attracts top
scholars and practitioners in Chinese law and students will have first-hand
access to such distinguished presenters. There are also optional subjects in
non-law areas such as politics, economy and society to facilitate students’
understanding of China's culture. Moreover, courses on Mandarin Chinese are
available for the improvement of language skill and adaption to local
residence.
The LL.M. Program offers students opportunities to visit top
law firms and other legal institutions, such as the Supreme Court of China, the
Intellectual Property Court, the law enforcement authorities in China, with a
hope to avail them with a better comprehension of the Chinese legal system and
its cultural underpinnings. The program office also offers assistance to
students in seeking internship opportunities at top law firms. Through the
program, students can establish a solid foundation for their career development
relating to China.
This degree is an equivalent of Master of Laws degree
currently offered to Chinese students. The study duration of the program is 1-2
year. No more than 30 students will be admitted into this program in the year of
2017. Academic faculty advisors will be assigned to each student for his/her
study and degree thesis. Chinese student partners in Peking University Law
School are also available to offer help.
Course
ListFall Semester
Chinese Civil Law
(Credit Unit: 3)
Chinese Company
Law (Credit Unit:
3)
Chinese Constitutional and Administrative Law
(Credit Unit: 3)
Chinese Criminal Law and Criminal Procedure
(Credit Unit: 3)
Chinese Judicial System
(Credit Unit: 2)
Legal Chinese
(Credit Unit:
2)
Elementary Chinese
(Credit Unit: 4)
Fieldwork
(Credit Unit: 1)
Spring
Semester
Chinese Foreign Investment Law
(Credit Unit: 3)
Chinese Intellectual Property Law
(Credit Unit: 3)
Chinese Civil Procedure and
Arbitration Law (Credit Unit: 3)
Chinese Contract
Law (Credit
Unit: 2)
Chinese Economic Law
(Credit Unit: 3)
International Law as Applied in China:
Theory and Practice (Credit Unit: 2)
Fieldwork
(Credit Unit:
1)
Program Faculty Bai
GuimeiProfessor; LL.M., Peking University; LL.M., Dalhousie
University; Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; Visiting Scholar, Dalhousie
University School of Law, University of Ottawa and New York University School
of Law; Visiting Fellow, Lunds Universitet, Sweden; Lecturer of Summer Program
held by Dept. of Continuing Education,University of Oxford and George Washington
University Law School
Chen DuanhongProfessor;
LL.B., Hunan Normal University; LL.M., China University of Political Science and
Law; Ph.D. in Law, China Academy of Social Science; Post doctor, London
University; Visiting Scholar at University of Sydney and University of
Melbourne
Chen RuoyingAssociate Professor; LL.B.,
Peking University (1999); M.Juris, Oxford University (2000); LL.M (2005) and
J.S.D. (2010), The University of Chicago Law School; John. M. Olin Fellow in the
Law and Economics Program; Visiting Lecturer and Visiting Assistant Professor,
The University of Chicago Law School
Chen
YifengAssociate Professor; LL.B., Nanjing Normal University School
of Law; LL.M., Ph.D. in Law , Peking University Law School; visiting scholar at
University of Helsinki, Cambridge University
Deng
FengProfessor; LL.B., LL.M. and Ph.D. in Law, Renmin University of
China; Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School
Fu
YulinProfessor; LL.B., Wuhan University; LL.M., Peking University;
Ph.D. in Law, Renmin University of China; Post Doctoral Researcher, Peking
University; Visiting scholar at Tuebingen University in Germany, Northeastern
University, Université de Montréal in Canada and Yale
University
Gao WeiAssociate Professor; LL.B., Wuhan
University; LL.M., Heidelberg University; Dr.iur., University of
Bern
Ge YunsongProfessor; LL.B., Nanjing
University; LL.M., Peking University; Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; LL.M.,
Yale University
Guo LiProfessor & Vice Dean of
Peking University Law School. LL.B., Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; LL.M.,
Harvard Law School; LL.M., Southern Methodist University School of Law; Visiting
Professor, Cornell Law School; Visiting Scholar, Vanderbilt Law School; Research
Fellow, German Humboldt Foundation
He JianAssistant
Professor; LL.B., Ph.D. in Law, Peking University
Jin
JinpingAssociate Professor; LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D. in Law, Peking
University Law School; Visiting scholar at UMKC, Yale Law School and University
of Michigan Law School; Post Doctor, China Academy of Social Science; Vice
Director of the Center for Real Estate Law and Assistant Director of the Center
for Nonprofit Organizations Law at Peking University Law
School
Jiang SuAssociate Professor; LL.M., Ph.D. in
Law, Postdoctoral Researcher, Peking University Law School; Visiting Scholar,
Berkeley Law, University of California; Postdoctoral Researcher, Max-Planck
Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law, Freiburg,
Germany
Ling BinProfessor; LL.B., Ph.D. in Law,
Peking University Law School; LL.M., Yale Law School
Liu
DongjinAssociate Professor; LL.B., LL.M, Peking University Law
School; Visiting Scholar at the University of Minnesota Law
School
Liu YanProfessor; LL.B., LL.M., Ph.D. in
Law, Peking University; Visiting Scholar at UMKC, Leidon University in the
Netherlands and the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, University of
London
Liu YinliangLaw School Professor; Ph.D. in
Law, M.S.(Biology), Peking University
Liu
ZheweiAssociate Professor; LL.B., Beijing Normal University; LL.M.,
Peking University; Ph.D. in law, Peking University; Postdoctoral Researcher,
Tsinghua University Law School. Visiting Scholar at UCLA Law
School
Lou JianboAssociate Professor; LL.B., LL.M.,
Peking University; Ph.D. in Law, Queen Mary College, University of London;
Senior Lecturer in Chinese Commercial Law, University of Cambridge; Visiting
Researcher at Centre for Commercial Law Studies at Queen Mary, University of
London
Peng BingLaw School Professor; LL.B., East
China University of Political Science and Law; LL.M., Ph.D. in Law, Peking
University; Visiting Scholar at Berkeley Law, University of
California
Shao JingchunProfessor; LL.B., LL.M.,
Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; Post Doctor, Visiting Researcher at European
University Institute
Shen KuiProfessor; LL.B.,
LL.M., Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; Visiting Scholar, Columbia Law School,
April-June of 1998; Visiting Scholar, Georgetown Law Center, January-June of
2002. Principal areas of publishing and teaching: Administrative Law,
Constitutional Law, Human Rights, Government Tort
Tang
YingmaoAssociate Professor; LL.B., LL.M., Peking University; LL.M.,
JSD, Yale University; International Associate, Shearman & Sterling LLP;
In-house Counsel, China International Capital Corporation Limited; Associate,
Sullivan & Cromwell LLP
Wang
JianchengProfessor; LL.B., LL.M., Peking University; Ph. D. in Law,
Renmin University of China ; Visiting Scholar at Catholic University of Louvain;
Visiting Research Scholars(Fullbright Program) at Yale
University
Wang ShizhouProfessor; LL.B., LL.M.,
Peking University; LL.M., Berkeley Law, University of California;
Alexander-von-Humboldt Research Fellow in Max-Planck-Institute for Foreign and
International Criminal Law in Freiburg and in the Augsburg University, Germany;
AvH-Ambassador Scientist(2011); Director of the Chinese Criminology
Association
Wang XixinProfessor & Vice Dean of
Peking University Law School; LL.B., Zhongnan University of Economics and
Law(the former Zhongnan College of Political Science and Law); LL.M., Ph.D. in
Law, Peking University; Visiting Scholar and Senior Researcher, Columbia Law
School; Research Fellow at Stanford University and UCLA; Fellow of the China Law
Center, Yale Law School
Wu ZhipanProfessor &
Deputy President of Peking University; LL.B., LL.M, Ph.D. in Law, Peking
University; Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School; Eisenhower Foundation Fellow
(1997)
Xu DefengAssociate Professor; LL.B., LL.M.,
Peking University; Magister, University of Munich; Doctor of Law, Peking
University; Postdoctoral Fellow, Renmin University of China; Ph.D. in Law,
University of Munich
Yang MingAssociate Professor;
LL.B., LL.M., Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Doctor of Law, Renmin
University of China; Postdoctoral Fellow, Peking University; Visiting Scholar,
University of California Berkeley
Research areas: Intellectual property law,
competition law
Yi PingAssociate Professor; LL.B.,
LL.M., Peking University, LL.M., Ph.D., Tokyo University
Zhan
ZhongleLaw School Professor; LL.B, LL.M, Ph.D. in Law, Peking
University; Visiting Research, Nagoya University School of Law; Visiting Scholar
based on The International Visitor Leadership Program; Senior Visiting Scholar
(Fullbright Program); Deputy Director of Constitution and Administrative Law
Research Center of Peking University (ministerial key research base of
humanities and social science); Director of Educational Law Research Center of
Peking University
Zhang PingYahoo!-Founder Endowed
Chair Law Professor; LL.M., Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; Visiting Scholar at
University of Washington-Seattle; Visiting Researcher at the Institute of
Intellectual Property in Tokyo, Japan
Zhang
QiProfessor; LL.B., Jilin University; LL.M., Ph.D. in Law, Peking
University; Senior Visiting Scholar, Yale Law School; Visiting Scholar, HOKKAIDO
University School of Law, Heidelberg University Law School and Harvard Law
School; Executive Director of the
Institute of Comparative Law and Legal Sociology, Peking
University
Zhang QianfanProfessor; LL.B.,
University of Maryland; Ph.D. in Law, Peking University; Visiting Scholar at
Harvard Law School; Visiting Researcher at Heidelberg University Law School;
Executive Director of the Institute of Comparative Law and Legal Sociology,
Peking University
Zhang YaliAssistant Professor;
LL.M., Peking University
Zhang YongleAssociate
Professor; LL.B., Peking University Law School; Ph.D., Dept. of Political
Science of UCLA
Zhu SuliProfessor; LL.B., Peking
University; LL.M., Pacific McGeorge School of Law; Ph.D. in law, Arizona State
University; Visiting Scholar at Harvard Law School and Yale Law
School
Quote from Program Alumni
Shinsuke
Yakura (LL.M., 2008)Partner, Orrick,
Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP I had studied in the U.S., U.K.,
as well as Japan before came to Peking University. With the wonderful track
record of making a difference and engaging with the world, PKU Law School didn’t
disappoint me. Many of the teachers there have lived and studied overseas, so
they had a good understanding of what I wanted to get out of my time at Beijing.
They were also very helpful and generous with their time. Moreover, classmates
from many different countries and backgrounds formed a diverse and cosmopolitan
study body within a supportive environment. One of the many advantages I gained
during my time there was the new friendships and professional contacts I
made.
In addition to academic courses, the generic research and
transferable skills also enhanced my future career opportunity. The internship I
did at local law firms in Beijing prepared and benefited me a lot for the China
related practice. The investment in both time and money that I made in doing the
LL.M. at Peking University has already been repaid to me many times over. The
LL.M. program has not only opened many professional doors for me, perhaps more
importantly it has resulted in binding friendships and relationships that I
truly value and which I am sure will continue to grow and deepen over the rest
of my life.
Gavin
Denton (LL.M., 2011)Founder & Arbitrator, Arbitration
Chambers Hong Kong Taking the LL.M. at Peking University was
one of the most important decisions I ever made in terms of my personal life and
my career. While I had to give up full-time work for a year and invest time in
writing my thesis, that investment it is already starting to pay huge dividends
in terms of my practice as an international arbitrator. There are very few
western trained lawyers with any genuine understanding of Chinese law, history
and culture and by spending two years in China, I was fortunate enough to begin
to gain an understanding of China's past and to learn about the development of
law and the increasingly important role that law will play in shaping China’s
future.
As an international arbitrator dealing mainly with Chinese
related disputes, the LL.M. has been invaluable both in terms of providing me
with a solid foundation in Chinese law, but also in developing a network of
leading Chinese academics and practitioners that I can call upon to discuss
issues of Chinese law when I need to. Besides the obvious academic benefits of
the LL.M. program, spending time in Beijing provided me with the opportunity to
learn more about China’s history, culture and its people. Trying to develop an
understanding of Chinese law without the necessary context provided by these
other fundamental aspects of Chinese society would be almost impossible. And
such context can really only be understood and appreciated by spending time in
China. To those of you considering doing the LL.M. at Peking University, I
wholeheartedly recommend the course to you and wish you all much success in the
future.
The Cohort of Students Our
students come from diverse backgrounds. 120 students from 32 countries have
already graduated and obtained the degree for Master of Laws since
2006.
Credit
and Thesis Requirements Students are required to enrol in a
minimum of 36 credits including all compulsory courses and pass all course
examinations.
In order to obtain the LL.M. degree, students must
complete the master’s thesis relating to Chinese law and pass the thesis
defence. A master’s thesis shall be 12,000 words or more, and be written in
Chinese or English. A thesis that is written in English shall include a summary
in Chinese of about 8,000 Chinese characters.
After approved by the
Peking University Degree Committee, the students can receive the LL.M. Program’s
graduation certificate and the degree certificate for the Master of
Laws.
Tuition The tuition for this program is
RMB 160,000.
Students should pay RMB 160,000 in the fall semester before
registration. The tuition should be paid in full in RMB.
Room
and Board Students should pay for their own accommodation and
living expenses. Peking University Law School could assist the students to
arrange their accommodation managed by Peking
University.
Scholarship Merit-based
scholarships are available (ranging from thousands of RMB to that covering
tuition plus stipend):
1. Scholarship for Youth of Excellence Scheme of China
(YES-China)
2. Chinese Government Scholarship
3. Beijing Government
Scholarship
4. PKU Law International Student Scholarship
Timetable (
Drawn in accordance with the
Academic Calendar of the year 2016-2017, subject to some minor
changes for the year 2017-2018)
Fall
semester |
Registration for LLM Students |
3 Sept. |
Orientation Week for LLM Students |
5 Sept.-9 Sept. |
Classes begin |
12 Sept. |
Mid-Autumn Day Holiday |
15 Sept. |
National Day Holidays |
1 - 7 Oct. |
Dissertation Advisor Determination
Deadline* |
16 Oct. |
Dissertation Proposal Submission
Deadline* |
13 Nov. |
Exam Period |
19-21 Dec. |
Winter Vacation |
22 Dec.- 19 Feb. |
Spring
Semester |
Classes begin |
20 Feb. |
Deadline for Submitting Dissertation for
Anonymous Review* |
15 Mar. |
Labor Day vacation |
1-May |
Reading Week |
22-26 May |
Exam Period |
29 May -2 Jun. |
Oral Defence for Degree Thesis* |
6 Jun. |
Graduation Ceremony of Law school* |
In late June |
Graduation Ceremony of PKU* |
5 Jul. |
*For one
year program students.
Entrance
Requirements This program is open only to non-Chinese-nationals
and permanent residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan, under the age of 40 on
the date of application.
Applicants must (1) have a first law degree
(J.D., LL.B. or the equivalent) from a law school, or (2) a Bachelor’s degree
plus substantial law-related working experience.
All applicants who are
not native English speakers or who did not have a postsecondary education
entirely conducted in English language must take the TOEFL or IELTS examination.
The Program requires a minimum score of 90 in TOEFL IBT, or 6.5 in IELTS with
6.5 in IELTS writing.
A health certificate is required before
registration.
Application Application
Materials An applicant should submit the following materials.
All documents should be written in English or accompanied by a notarized English
translation.
(1) Peking University Application Form (Master and Ph.D.
Programs), which must be filled and submitted online via the following link
- Non-Chinese-nationals: www.studyatpku.com.
- Permanent residents of Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan:
https://admission.pku.edu.cn/waiwang/index/bmxxlb.jsp
You
should also print out a hard copy and stick your photo and send it to us by
mail, together with other materials.
(2) An official
certificate of your highest education (For degrees to be expected upon
application to this program, you should provide an official letter stating the
expected graduation date) and higher education after secondary
school;
(3) Official transcripts of postsecondary school training
(original);
(4) Two letters of recommendation, at least one by your
professor from the academy (e.g.: could have two from professors or one from a
professor and the other from your boss or someone who knows you well, originals
with letterhead paper and authentic signature);
(5) A personal statement
(about 800 words);
(6) A Resume or CV (with coloured photo, stating your
level of Chinese and may attach proof);
(7) One photocopy of results of
TOEFL or IELTS examination; and
(8) One photocopy of valid passport
(Passport type must be ordinary);
(*None of the above application
documents will be returned)
Deadline for Application
The deadline for application is
Mar.31, 2017.
All hard copy application materials should reach the program office before the
deadline.
Admission Decisions Official
admission letters will be sent out by the end of June, 2017.