A Guide For Future Students
“Global Legal Studies” (GLS) is a programme aimed at blending Italian excellence in legal education – it began in Bologna in 11th century – with a modern, multicultural and multilinguistic approach. The programme is bilingual (Italian / English). Students who graduate receive a Master’s Degree [Laurea Magistrale in Giurisprudenza: LMG/01]. The following guide-lines are mainly applicable to students who live in Italy and intend to follow the entire 5-year program.
1) When to apply for the Global Legal Studies programme
Students who are regularly enrolled in the Laurea Magistrale in Giurisprudenza [LMG01] may apply for the Global Legal Studies Programme when submitting their “Piano di studi” (planned curriculum of studies) by the end of December during their first year (i.e., for the a.y. 2023/24, December 2023).
Find Link identifier #identifier__101584-1here a guide to filing your Piano degli studi.
2) Requirements for admittance to the Global Legal Studies programme
Applications will be reviewed toward the end of the Winter exam session (February 2024), taking into account the linguistical proficiency of the students. In order to be eligible, students must present a certification issued by the University Language Centre (Centro Linguistico di Ateneo), ascertaining the achievement of – at least – a B1 level of proficiency in English (see paras 6 and 9).
3) Maximum number of admissions
The maximum number of admissions to the Global Legal Studies programme is 150 students per year. If there are more than 150 eligible applicants, the selection will be based on three criteria: level of English knowledge; number of exams successfully taken within the first semester of the a.y. 2023/2024; average of the grades received. The students who are not admitted will automatically revert to the status of the other students enrolled in the traditional LMG/01 programme: they will have to complete a new “Piano di Studi”.
4) Can one abandon the Global Legal Studies programme?
Students enrolled in the Global Legal Studies programme may abandon it by filling in a regular “Piano di Studi” within the classic LMG/01 programme. Consequently, they will automatically revert to the status of the other students enrolled in the traditional LMG/01 programme and those who already passed the GLS programme exams will automatically be recognized. However, once they have abandoned the GLS programme, students shall not be allowed to return.
5) First year courses
Students who have been admitted to the GLS programme during the second semester of their first year will have to take – among the others indicated in their curriculum – the following three exams:
- Comparative Legal Systems (GLS), taught entirely in English
- Economics (GLS), taught entirely in English
- Istituzioni di diritto privato I (GLS), taught in Italian and followed by European Private Law, during the first semester of the second year, taught entirely in English.
6) How to apply for entry to the second year of Global Legal Studies
The conditions for enrolment in the second year of Global Legal Studies program are two: possession of the certificate B2 and at least of 10 ECTS. Those who already have Sistemi Comparati (or equivalent) in their career are requested to undertake a specific learning activity in English within the course of Comparative Legal Systems, in order to obtain 4 additional credits.
7) Language requirements to take exams in English
In order to take the exam in the first English Language course (Comparative Legal Systems or Economics) students must have – when registering for the exam – a B2 level certificate issued by the University Language Centre (CLA). Therefore students must have at least reached a B1 level by the end of December, while a B2 level when he or she registers for the exam (see paras 9 and 10). Students who do not have such certification will not be admitted to take the exam.
8) Credits for language skills
Students who pass their first exam in English also earn, besides the ECTS granted for that course, 4 ECTS (Crediti formativi universitari: CFU) for legal language skills (Lingua giuridica).
9) Optional exams
Students enrolled in the GLS programme must take optional courses for an amount of 28 ECTS. They may only choose among the optional English courses and seminars that are offered by the Law Department. Please note however that the following three English courses cannot be chosen as optional courses by GLS students, being partially coincident with three mandatory courses of the GLS program: I) Introduction to Comparative Legal Systems; II) Anglo-American Company Law; III) Comparative Administrative Law.
10) How to validate a B1 and a B2 language certification
Students who already possess a B1 language certification released by a qualified institution*, when enrolling at Roma Tre, must have it validated by the University Language Center (CLA). When the certification is validated the students are granted 4 ECTS for Foreign language skills (Lingua). Students who do not validate their certification by the end of February, will not be admitted to the GLS programme. Students enrolled in the GLS programme who already possess a B2 language certification released by a qualified institution** must have it validated by the University Language Center (CLA). When the certification is validated the students are granted 4 ECTS for Foreign language skills B1 level + 2 ECTS for B2 level. Students who do not validate their certification before registering for the first English exam (Comparative Legal Systems), will not be admitted to take the exam.
*Cambridge English Language Assessment, PET; IELTS, score range 4.0-5.5; Trinity College, ISE 1; TOEFL, iBT, score range 57-86; University of Oxford, OTE, overall score range 81-110
** Cambridge English Language Assessment, FCE; IELTS, score range 5.6-7.0); Trinity College, ISE 2; TOEFL, iBT, score range 87-109; University of Oxford, OTE, overall score range 111-141
11) How to obtain a B1 and B2 English language certification
Students who do not possess a B1 English Language certification, may obtain it from the University Language Centre (CLA) which offers, starting in November, proficiency tests. CLA also offers online EFL (English as a Foreign Language) courses. Proficiency tests are offered on a bi-monthly basis. If the student passes the test with a very high score, he/she may already be given a B2 English Language certification. In this case he/she will receive, in addition to the 4 ECTS for “Lingua”, extra 2 ECTS which will be transcribed in the student’s curriculum. Students enrolled in the GLS who do not possess a B2 English language certification, will find it necessary to register for the exams and may obtain it from the University Language Centre (CLA), which offers both on-line or in-class courses during the first and second semesters.
12) Final dissertation
In order for students enrolled in the GLS programme to graduate, they must present a final written dissertation, as required of all LMG01 students. The dissertation may be in any of the courses for which they have taken an exam during their whole career. If they choose one from the GLS programme the dissertation may be written in either Italian or English.