International Organizations and International Law
One-Year Professional Diploma – Program Summary
The One-Year Professional Diploma in International Organizations and International Law is a rigorous, practice-oriented program designed to equip participants with specialized legal knowledge and applied skills to understand, interpret, and operate within international legal frameworks and the work of global and regional organizations.
The program totals 202 academic hours and includes 128 academic hours of teaching (64 online classes, 70 minutes each = 2 academic hours), delivered across 10 modules from October 1, 2025 to July 1, 2026. The program also includes 54 academic hours for individual work on the final paper and 20 academic hours allocated to final submission, viva voce evaluation, and diploma awarding procedures.
Across the 10 modules, participants develop competence in the following core areas:
- Private International Law: jurisdiction, choice of law, recognition/enforcement, cross-border disputes, and international commercial arbitration
- International Organizations: legal foundations, governance, structures, functions, and regional organizations beyond the EU (ASEAN, AU, OAS)
- International Humanitarian Law (IHL) I & II: protection frameworks (civilians, wounded, prisoners, cultural heritage), neutrality, peace operations, and enforcement mechanisms
- Cybersecurity, Cyber Warfare, and AI in Armed Conflict: autonomous weapons, state responsibility in cyberspace, and emerging legal challenges
- Migration and Refugee Law: statelessness, asylum, migration institutions, trafficking/smuggling, and climate-related displacement
- International Environmental Law: sources, institutions, customary principles, implementation tools, and climate litigation (ICJ, ITLOS, national courts)
- Human Rights and Criminal Justice: fair trial standards, prohibition of torture, victim rights, transnational organized crime (Palermo Convention), and sanctions impacts
- International Criminal Justice: core crimes (genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, aggression), ICC jurisdiction, hybrid/ad hoc courts, and state cooperation
- International Dispute Resolution: negotiation/mediation, arbitration/adjudication, ISDS, international courts (ICJ, PCA), trade disputes, and enforcement of judgments
- EU Law and Integration: EU evolution, institutions, sources of EU law, integration theories, and economic integration mechanisms (single market, EMU)
Capstone Requirement
A major requirement is the final paper (2,500–3,000 words), submitted by July 1, 2026, following an academic structure and APA 7th edition referencing. Students must integrate course knowledge into a real-world applied analysis, and the paper is evaluated through two viva voce sessions. Successful completion leads to the one-year professional diploma; otherwise, a certificate of participation is issued.
Assessment
Assessment emphasizes consistent module performance and applied learning tasks:
- Module-based activities (tests, assignments, performance tasks, presentations): 80%
- Attendance/participation/discussions/peer engagement: 10%
- Final research paper/project: 10%
Optional 7-Day Global Mobility Experience designed to provide immersive learning, industry visits, and international networking opportunities in Switzerland, France, UAE, Italy, and Spain.
