Certificate of Studies in European, Comparative and International Law (CECIL)

The Faculty of Law of the University of Passau is pleased to offer you an English language study programme leading to the Certificate of Studies in European, Comparative and International Law (CECIL). Since the winter semester 2013/2014 students from Passau and international exchange students may enroll in this new and unique programme.

The idea behind CECIL is to enable you to gain in-depth knowledge of European, comparative and international law and to develop the necessary legal skills to deal with complex legal issues in these fields. Additionally, you will imrpove your skills in academic legal writing and oral legal presentation. The programme is fully taught in English. 

Besides the legal and linguistic skills you will acquire, CECIL forms the perfect platform to meet foreign and local students and to promote academic as well as intercultural exchange between students from different jurisdictions.

You can start the CECIL programme at the beginning of either the winter or summer semester and complete the certificate within one or two semesters (or more):

• CECIL (Minor): lectures amounting to 20 ECTS and one compulsory skills seminar
• CECIL (Major): lectures amounting to 40 ECTS and two compulsory skills seminars

You can create your own individual schedule by choosing from a variety of course offerings. The course list for the current CECIL semester will be updated until the begin of the semester in order to reflect the most current offerings. You may register for the courses via Stud.IP shortly before and at the beginning of the semester. 

The compulsory skills seminars in academic legal writing and oral legal presentation are both offered each semester at the Faculty of Law of the University of Passau.

You are also invited to attend further law lectures and language courses (including German) at the Language Centre of the University of Passau to obtain additional ECTS credits. Please note: These additional courses will not count for the Certificate, but may help you to meet other academic requirements of your home institution. You will, however, have to liaise with your home institution regarding the validation of these ECTS points. 

The CECIL courses may also be attended by students who do not wish to acquire the certificate. All you need to do is to register for the chosen course(s) on StudIP. 

• a minimum of two years' of law studies at University level
• English language proficiency (equivalent to Level B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages, except in cases of native speakerss or if your previous language of instruction was English) and certified proof of such proficiency
• German students must have passed their "Zwischenprüfung"

In case you do not have proof of you language proficiency at the time of your application you may provide us with such proof until the day of the exams. If you do not fulfill the language proficiency requirements, you may still take the offered CECIL courses and take the respective exams. However, in this case you will not be awarded a Minor or Major Certificate. 

At the end of the lecture period of each semester, a 30-minute multiple-choice test is usually offered for each course. The instructor of the course may also designate another performance assessment, such as a short presentation or short research essay, for examination.

CECIL examinations normally take place on the Friday or Saturday before and on the Monday and Tuesday after the end of the lecture period of each semester. Examination dates are announced in the course itself and online.

The Legal Skills Workshops take place in virtual form. Please refer to StudIP for more details.

If you are interested in combining your theoretical knowledge of the law with practical experiences the Philip C. Jessup Moot Court in International Law, the Vis Arbitration Moot in Civil Law, the Tax Law Moot Court or the ICC Moot Court might be exactly what you are looking for.