Public International Law: Human Rights – International Economic and Environmental Law – International Criminal Law

Course Programme

Duration: three years (six semesters)
Number of credits: 24



Module A
Courses for doctoral students (10 credits)

A total of 10 C are to be gained in the following ?Courses for doctoral students?. The doctoral students will take part regularly in a doctoral colloquium on current developments in their respective fields of law and report on their plans and the results of their research. Presentations related to their doctoral projects given at institute seminars may be awarded credits. Furthermore, doctoral candidates will take part in discussion groups with researchers from Göttingen and visiting researchers as well as in the doctoral seminars that take place regularly once a semester. The main supervisor must receive a progress report every six months. Following completion of two semesters, the doctoral students will evaluate and take stock of their work so far within the context of the doctoral seminar.

Available courses:

  • Doctoral Colloquium: on current developments of Public International Law (Human Rights - International Economic and Environmental Law - International Criminal Law)
  • Seminar for Doctoral Students (each semester)
  • Discussion groups



Module B
Courses in Public International Law (6 credits)

The doctoral candidates will take part in international law classes offered in English-language. Doctoral students whose native language is not German may instead take part in the course ?Introduction to German legal terminology and legal methodology for foreign students? (or similar courses).

Doctoral candidates choose their coursework (6 credits) among the following courses:
  • Cases and Developments in Public International Law (summer, winter)
  • Cases and Developments in International Criminal Law (summer)
  • Cases and Developments in International Economic Law (summer)
  • Public International Law II (summer)
  • Individuals in Public International Law (winter)
  • "Einführung in die deutsche Rechtssprache und juristische Arbeitsmethoden für ausländische Studierende"



Module C
Academic skills (3 credits)

Doctoral students will attend courses, especially those offered by the GGG, that aim to develop and enhance their methodological skills. They should gain competence in academic writing, academic work methods and publication as well as academic project management among other skills. Besides this, doctoral candidates will take part in the GGG?s methodology week.

Doctoral candidate choose their coursework (3 credits) among the following courses:
  • Project Management in International Contexts
  • Motivation and Success: Mastering Difficult Situations with More Ease
  • Academic Writing: Effective Strategies for Publishing in English
  • Slide writing - Optimize your own academic presentation
  • Gute wissenschaftliche Praxis
  • Interdisciplinary Methodological Week



Module D
Key qualification and academic communication (5 credits)

Doctoral candidates will take part in courses that aim to improve and enhance their presentation techniques or in courses on didactics or rhetoric; if their native language is not German, complete language courses in German up to level C2, and otherwise take courses in other languages (e.g. ?Academic English?), give an academic paper at a national or international conference or publish in a specialist legal journal.

Doctoral candidates choose their coursework (3 credits) among the following courses:
  • Academic presentations (Presentations and Public Speaking)
  • Teaching skills (Introduction to Teaching & Learning in Higher Education)
  • Rhetoric skills (Presentations and Public Speaking)
  • German language course for non-native speakers (up to C2)
  • Academic English courses (Applied Writing Skills (3 credits), Academic Writing)
  • Foreign language courses
  • Alternatively, presentation at a national or international conference or publishing at a legal journal