Course requirements
Master degree in Law. This course is part of the Advanced Master Law and Finance.
More information: https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/education/study-programmes/master/law-and-finance
Course information
The Advanced Master Law & Finance curriculum concludes with a master thesis. The thesis addresses and analyses a topic that falls within the subject area of one of the courses offered within the programme. It may adopt a comparative approach (e.g. between the national and the European level legislation) and should have descriptive and normative elements (e.g. the potential or actual impact of the relevant rules, proposals on how the law can be improved). The master thesis reflects individual research. The topic of the thesis must mirror the international and academic nature of the advanced master. Therefore, topics that deal primarily with domestic law or are purely descriptive do not qualify. Also subjects that have (largely) been covered in a thesis written by past students of the programme, or by articles published in periodicals etc., or in books are also not available as thesis topics. The thesis should be between fifteen to twenty thousand words, including footnotes (approx. 30 and 50 pages) but excluding cover, personal statement, table of contents, executive summary, overview of main findings and bibliography.
Course objectives
The following learning objectives apply with regard to the Thesis.
Students show their ability to conduct academically sound research on a topic in the area of Law & Finance by presenting a wide range of diverging opinions;
Students present the findings of this research in a clear and structured manner;
Students express their own views and arguments on the thesis topic in a clear and readily understandable text that is convincing and stimulates futher academic debate.
Ideally, the thesis is of publishable quality.
Mode of instruction
Students may express their preference for one of the availabe thesis topics as presented by the Hazelhoff Centre for Financial Law in the introduction meeting. To a limited extent, students may also suggest their own topic. Topics are awarded according to the merits of the research proposal by the student. During the writing process, the student will be supervised by a supervisor. In addition to such bilateral meetings, the following procedure and deadlines will apply:
30 September 2024: Thesis writing workshop. The workshop will provide an overview of the thesis procedure and available thesis topics, including exploring the feasibility of topics suggested by students.
November 2024: Submission of thesis topics by students and the allocation of thesis supervisors by the academic coordinator.
Early December 2024: Thesis outline workshop, during which students share their ideas regarding thesis topics and outlines with fellow students.
End-December 2024: Submission of thesis outlines by students.
January 2025: Approval of thesis outlines by thesis supervisors.
February – May 2025: Thesis writing process and interim guidance by the thesis supervisor on draft chapter(s) tailored to the needs of the student.
Early May 2025: Deadline for submission of the final thesis draft.
May 2025: Feedback on the thesis draft is provided by the thesis supervisor.
June 2025: Processing feedback on the draft thesis and finalizing the thesis.
1 July 2025: Final deadline for submitting the completed thesis.
Examination method
Thesis: 100%
Submission procedures:
Via email to the thesis supervisor and the academic coordinator and via Brightspace (turnitin, including the plagiarism check foir both the draft Thesis and the Final Thesis)
Brightspace
Submission of Thesis via Brightspace using Turnitin.
Course materials
Not applicable; students have to collect relevant materials themselves.
Contact
Thesis Coordinator:
Ilya Kokorin LLM
Email: i.kokorin@law.leidenuniv.nl
Ms M.E.J. Bracco Gartner LLM (Academic Coordinator)
Programme Coordinator:
Orsolya Kalsbeek-Bagdi
Email address: lawandfinance@law.leidenuniv.nl
Disclaimer: Currently these pages are being updated to reflect the courses for 2024 - 2025. Until these pages are fixed as per 1 September 2024 no rights can be claimed from the information which is currently contained within. Should there be any future extenuating circumstances which may impinge our teaching and assessment, these could necessitate modification of the course descriptions after 1 September. This will only happen in the event of strict necessity and the interests of the students will be taken into account. Should there be a need for any change during the course, this will be informed to all students on a timely basis. Modifications after 1 September 2024 may only be done with the approval and consent of the Faculty Board and Programme Director.