Undergraduate International Applicants apply here.
Postgraduate International Applicants apply here.
UCC School of Law is an elite Law School and with programmes that showcase the School’s internationally renowned expertise, reputation and research impact. An original faculty of University College Cork, which is ranked the top university in Ireland for research impact (THE Rankings) and UCC School of Law boasts Ireland’s most successful graduate research programme in Law.
Our Research Centres and clusters, including the new Centre for European Integration, contribute to national and international debates through cutting-edge interdisciplinary research that enhances the School’s international reputation for excellence in the fields of Children’s Rights and Family Law, Criminal Justice and Human Rights, Law and the Environment, and Sports Economics and Law, shaping a just society. Our seven LLM programmes available at the School build on the expertise and reputation of its researchers, offering students a world-class postgraduate education. Each of our forward-looking postgraduate programmes are open to graduates from other disciplines who hold relevant professional experience, which helps create a dynamic classroom environment that encourages independent thinking.
The School’s programmes foster the development of transferable skills valued by employers; such as research, advocacy and communication, critical analysis, accuracy and attention to detail. The opportunities to participate in our real-world programme clinics and practice-oriented workshops adds to students’ diverse learning experiences. The School’s global reputation is reflected by the growing international student body and the corresponding development of specialist programmes for visitors from China, Vietnam, Europe, North America, Africa and India, with the option to acquire a two-year visa through the third level graduate scheme.
UCC is the top third-level institution in Ireland for Graduate Employability. Graduates of the School have gone on to prestigious careers in the legal professions, including the judiciary, the civil service, in non-governmental organisations, in industry and in international institutions including the EU and the UN.
For Undergraduate Queries: lawundergrad@ucc.ie
For Postgraduate Queries: lawpostgrad@ucc.ie
“Moving from Chile to Ireland to pursue the LL.M. in Environmental and Natural Resources Law at University College Cork was one of the most challenging decisions I have ever made. It meant leaving behind everything familiar to embrace a new culture, a different language, a different climate and, ultimately, a completely new way of seeing the world.
I arrived in Cork as a lawyer determined to deepen my knowledge, but I left with something far more valuable: a different way of thinking about the law.
One moment from the programme has stayed with me ever since. During one of our classes, a professor told us: “Never stop questioning the law. A good lawyer is not the one who simply follows the rules, but the one who constantly reflects on them with a critical mind.” Those words continue to guide my professional life. They remind me that our responsibility is not only to understand the law, but also to question whether it is truly serving the society and environment it seeks to protect.
Beyond the classroom, learning alongside classmates from different countries and legal traditions taught me that the best ideas emerge when we are willing to listen, challenge our own assumptions and learn from one another. My dissertation, comparing the environmental regulation of salmon farming in Chile and Norway, reflected that international perspective and reinforced my commitment to advancing more sustainable legal solutions.
Yet, what I cherish most about my time at UCC is the life I built beyond my studies. Cork welcomed me with extraordinary warmth. What began as an unfamiliar place gradually became a second home, filled with lifelong friendships and unforgettable memories. Returning to Chile and later having the privilege of representing UCC at the Irish Education Fair in Santiago, only reaffirmed how grateful I am to have been part of this community.
UCC gave me an outstanding legal education, but it also gave me something less tangible and equally important: the confidence to think critically, the courage to embrace new perspectives and a place that, no matter how far away, will always feel like home”.
