Join our Online Executive Master in the Law of Armed Conflict and Upgrade Your Legal Skills

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.

A Unique Online Part-Time Programme

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.

Tailored Programme and Teaching

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

Acquire a Solid Knowledge of the Legal Frameworks Relevant to Armed Conflict

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

Moving One’s Career Forward

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

A Three-Steps Online Application Process

You can apply online in three steps:

  • Complete the application form
  • Attach the required documents
  • Submit your application

Make sure you have all the requested information and documents before starting your application!

For Questions

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).

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

An LLM class News

Apply to our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights!

27 November 2023

Applications for the 2024–2025 academic year of our LLM in International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights are open. They will run until 26 January 2024 for applications with a scholarship and until 24 February 2024 for applications without a scholarship.

Read more

A Map of the region News

Our Experts and Resources on Israel/Palestine

1 March 2024

Discover our resources and what our experts and alumni say about the current situation in Israel and Palestine, with regular updates to include new events, articles, podcasts and comments.

Read more

AI Image of Military Person using a drone Event

Artificial Intelligence in Military Decision Making: Legal and Humanitarian Implications

14 May 2024, 18:30-19:45

Co-hosted by the ICRC and the Geneva Academy, at the ICRC headquarters in Geneva, this event aims to disseminate key findings on the use of artificial intelligence in military decision making.

Read more

A destroyed camp for internally displaced persons (IDPs) in Khor Abeche, South Darfur, Project

Understanding the Relationship between Conflict, Security and the Human Right to a Clean, Healthy and Sustainable Environment

Started in May 2023

This project will develop guidance to inform security, human rights and environmental debates on the linkages between environmental rights and conflict, and how their better management can serve as a tool in conflict prevention, resilience and early warning.

Read more

Screenshot of the RULAC webpage Project

Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC)

Started in May 2007

The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts project (RULAC) is a unique online portal that identifies and classifies all situations of armed violence that amount to an armed conflict under international humanitarian law (IHL). It is primarily a legal reference source for a broad audience, including non-specialists, interested in issues surrounding the classification of armed conflicts under IHL.

Read more

Cover Page of Research Brief Publication

Unpacking the Climate Migration Extremism Nexus Mapping the Coping Strategies of Kenyan Pastorialists

published on April 2024

Erica Harper, Yosuke Nagai

Read more

Cover Page of Research Brief Publication

Unpacking the Burgeoning Challenge of Environmental Protection and the Right to Food in the Context of Armed Conflict

published on April 2024

Erica Harper, Junli Lim

Read more