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1 February 2024
Applications for the upcoming academic year of our Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict are now open.
They will remain open until 31 May 2024 – meaning that interested candidates have two months to apply – with courses starting at the end of September 2024.
Olivier Chamard/Geneva Academy
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Our online Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict is one of the few innovative and intellectually challenging programmes in the law of armed conflict offered today.
Designed for professionals with demanding jobs and responsibilities, it provides them with a solid legal background to address the multiple challenges that arise in contemporary armed conflicts.
The programme is fully online and part-time. Courses take place over nine months (end of September to the beginning of June), weekdays at lunchtime (12:00 –14:00 CET). When participants cannot follow a course for professional reasons (e.g. missions, travel, conferences), they can watch the recordings afterwards as all the courses are recorded.
We also run tutorials and methodology sessions to support participants in their learning, allowing them to go over key concepts, grasp potentially challenging issues and prepare for the exams.
An online platform allows participants to interact directly with professors, teaching assistants and other participants during classes and access all the course materials and readings as well as submit their exams.
Exams take place online at the end of classes (June-July) with retakes in August-September.
One output of the Executive Master is a master’s paper written under the guidance of a faculty member that allows participants to investigate a subject of special interest and deepen expertise through research as well as potential exchanges with experts, scholars and practitioners. Participants have six months to submit their master’s paper following the successful passing of exams.
‘I particularly enjoy when we work in groups as this allows me to interact with other participants and debate specific cases. In addition, understanding the interplay of public international law, IHL, IHRL, and international criminal law is fascinating and expands my understanding of the legal frameworks applying to armed conflicts.
Giada Rubino, Human Rights Associate at the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) in Colombia
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The programme covers international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international criminal law, international refugee law and their interplay, providing solid theoretical and practical knowledge of the law that applies to armed conflicts and how it is implemented in real situations. It also addresses current issues and challenges, including the repression of terrorism or the responsibility to protect.
‘Teaching and interacting with participants from all over the world and with such diverse backgrounds is an experience unrivalled in its rewards. My classes have become a place where we share our respective knowledge, my role is that of recalling over and over the role of public international law in the participants’ everyday professional lives, allowing them to strengthen and enhance the impact of their arguments.’
Giovanni Distefano, Member of the Executive Master Faculty and Professor of International Law at the University of Neuchatel
By providing the necessary tools to apply the international legal framework in complex contemporary conflicts, our Executive Master equips high-level professionals wanting to acquire additional responsibilities or move their careers forward.
‘The programme will reinforce my knowledge of the international legal framework that applies in armed conflicts and enable me to advance in my professional career.’
Myriam Haddad, Legal Adviser at the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Libya
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You can apply online in three steps:
Make sure you have all the requested information and documents before starting your application!
If you still have questions, our FAQ addresses the main questions related to our Executive Master, the programme and the admission procedure.
You can also contact our Student Office which will respond to your questions and queries about the programme (masters-inquiries@geneva-academy.ch).
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