Master’s Program in Competition Law and Regulation (LL.M.)

Read more about the master’s program in Competition Law and Regulation (LL.M.)
Brochure on the master’s program in Competition Law and Regulation (LL.M.) (only available in German)

To be able to apply competition law and regulatory law to real cases, you also need economic expertise. After all, knowing the applicable legal provisions is necessary, but not sufficient to successfully negotiate with engineers and economists.

That is why students will first attend courses in public law to lay the groundwork for further studies of regulatory law. At the same time, they will look more closely at competition law and economic methods. By choosing to specialize either in Digital Economy or Energy, they can develop their individual profile.

One of the program’s key features is its practical orientation, which is ensured by a six-week mandatory internship and by a selection of courses that are taught by experts from the private sector. Students also gain insights into state-of-the-art research by attending interdisciplinary seminars and by writing their master’s thesis on a topic they choose, possibly even in cooperation with a company or a public authority.

Students enrolled in this master’s program can combine law with economics, thereby acquiring a unique specialization and benefiting from being part of the two prestigious departments that together form the School of Law and Economics.

The Department of Economics has been awarded top spots in national and international rankings thanks to its excellent reputation for research and the quality of the courses it offers. Research and teaching activity at the Department of Law is clearly oriented towards business and economic law. The department has repeatedly received very good grades from the Centre for Higher Education (CHE) ranking. It did especially well with regards to teaching, and achieved top scores in categories such as including “overall study situation”, “organization of studies”, “teacher support”, and “career orientation” (take a look at the rankings).

The master’s program in Competition Law and Regulation is the first of its kind in Germany. Even though other higher education institutions have introduced master’s programs in these fields too, they are subject to a fee, offered on a part-time basis, and/or have a period of study of only one year.

The program at the University of Mannheim is a good choice for the following reasons: Due to the program’s interdisciplinary nature and the expert knowledge you acquire in law, economics, and technology, you are well-prepared for a career not typically pursued by students with a conventional law degree. By choosing to specialize in either Energy or Digital Economy, you can specifically work towards a position in the industries of the future.

Furthermore, the school has concluded a variety of cooperation agreements with renowned companies, such as Deutsche Bahn, EnBW, and Telekom, which, among other things, provide students with attractive internship opportunities.

With their knowledge of two different fields, law and economics, graduates can choose from a variety of attractive options: They can find work in companies from the energy, telecommunications, media, and transport sectors, for example. They can also be employed by different authorities, such as the Bundesnetzagentur (Federal Network Agency), the Bundeskartellamt (federal cartel office), or the European Commission. As officers or experts for specific topics in companies and authorities, they supervise competition and regulation proceedings, systematically follow up on legislative processes, and analyze competition and market developments.

Of course, they can also pursue a doctorate and opt for a career in science and research.

As the program combines theory and practice, students can reach out to potential employers while still at university. They can discuss different career opportunities with adjunct lecturers from companies and authorities, enabling them to find out about the jobs situation early on.

Students of Competition Law and Regulation should

As you will also study Economics, you should be interested in this field, too. You should also, to a certain extent, enjoy math.

Module catalog
You can find further details on how the program is structured in the module catalog, which is only available in German.

Studying abroad
The Department of Law has a large and comprehensive network of partner universities around the world, and can advise you on planning a period of study abroad. The ideal point in time to spend a semester abroad is the third semester. If you want to spend more than one semester abroad, it is also possible to integrate a longer period of study abroad into your program. Please contact the international coordinators at the Department of Law for further advice. Studying abroad is optional.

Internships
According to the examination regulations, students have to complete a six-week internship during their studies. Ideally, students do this internship during the semester break after the second semester. You can choose to do an internship in Germany or abroad. It may have a legal and/or a business and economic focus.

Sample course schedule
This is how your course schedule for the four semesters could look (only available in German).

Students who wish to earn a doctorate from the University of Mannheim must have completed their master’s program with a final grade that meets the admission requirements. They must also find a supervisor.

For comprehensive information on pursuing a doctoral degree, please see the Department of Law's website and the general information on doctoral studies at the University of Mannheim.

The master’s program in Competition Law and Regulation requires the successful completion of a first degree in Law or the successful completion of a degree recognized as equivalent by the admissions committee. A degree is considered to be equivalent if at least 30 ECTS credits have been earned in Law and provided that the admissions committee recognizes the overall program of study to be equivalent to a first degree program in Law. In its overall assessment, the admissions committee pays particular attention to the extent to which the program imparts knowledge in administrative law, civil law, commercial law, and corporate law that is equivalent in both breadth and depth to the knowledge imparted in a first degree program in Law.

Selection is based on the (current) grade average achieved in your bachelor’s degree, i.e.

• the final grade achieved in your first degree or the final grade you are currently expected to achieve (at least 135 ECTS credits).

In addition, applicants must submit the following documents:

• letter of motivation,
• proof of any other previous experience relevant to the program of study, in particular vocational education and training or professional activities and/or a special educational background, practical activities or extracurricular achievements and qualifications that prove the eligibility of the applicant for the chosen degree program.

Language requirements
You must be very proficient in English. We accept the following as proof of language proficiency:

• the successful completion of a program of study at a higher education institution with English as the language of instruction and examination and a duration of at least one year,
• a higher education entrance qualification from a school with English as the language of instruction after at least one year of school,

• a certificate of the Test of English as a Foreign Language Internet Based Test (TOEFL iBT) with a score of at least 90 points,
• a certificate of the International English Language Testing System – Academic Test (IELTS) with an overall band score of at least 6.5,
• an equivalent result of a test recognized as comparable. The admissions committee shall decide on the comparability of the test on a case-by-case basis.

In addition, you must also prove that you have a good command of German.

Conditional admission
If you have not yet completed your bachelor’s program by the application deadline, you may still be admitted to the master’s program as long as you provide proof that you have obtained at least 135 ECTS credits. In this case, your admission to the program is subject to receipt of your degree certificate by a specified point in time (refer to selection statutes).