Master in Law and Sustainable Development at University of Milan
English-taught two-year LL.M. at the University of Milan linking international, EU and domestic law with the Sustainable Development Goals, with three curricula and double degrees with Galway and the University of the Basque Country.
Master
2 years
Milan
English
University of Milan
Law and Sustainable Development is a two-year, 120 ECTS LL.M. (class LM/SC-GIUR-R) taught entirely in English at the University of Milan. Entry needs a three-year degree in law, economics, political science or international relations, or 18 ECTS in law and 12 in economics, plus English at C1. Full regional scholarship winners pay no university contribution, so it can be tuition-free for eligible students.
Entry requirements
Detailed entry requirements
Milan's LL.M. in Law and Sustainable Development asks for a three-year degree in law, economics, political science or international relations, or another degree with 18 ECTS in law and 12 in economics, plus English at C1. The board selects on academic performance and your CV, with a possible online interview. Reviewed 8 October 2026. [1]
Degree requirements
You need a three-year first-cycle degree (180 ECTS), held or obtained by 30 October 2026 for the 2026/27 intake, in one of two forms: [2]
- A degree in law, economics, political science or international relations, obtained in Italy or abroad. Italian degrees must belong to classes L-14, L-33, L-36, L-37, L-16 or L-18.
- A degree in another discipline with at least 18 ECTS in law and 12 ECTS in economics. For Italian degrees, law credits count in sectors such as private, commercial, labour, constitutional, administrative, tax, international, EU, criminal and comparative public law, and economics credits in sectors such as political economy, economic policy, public finance, business economics, management, economic history and demography.
You also need strong personal competencies in law and economics, which the Admissions Board assesses from your academic performance, the fit with your previous studies, relevant experience and career plans. [2]
What this means for your transcript
Credits on a foreign transcript are not the same unit as ECTS, and the board looks at the subjects behind them. As a guide, based on the rule above:
- Usually a fit: an LLB or BA LLB, a BA or B.Sc. in Economics, or a BA in Political Science or International Relations.
- Check carefully: a B.Com or BBA, which usually covers economics but needs at least 18 ECTS of law papers such as business, company or tax law, and a BA in Sociology or Public Administration, which needs both law and economics papers.
- Often short: a B.Tech, B.E., BCA or B.Sc. in a science subject, which rarely includes 18 ECTS in law and 12 in economics.
Meeting the subject rule only makes you eligible. Your grades weigh heavily in the selection described below. [3]
English
English at CEFR C1 or higher. You can show it with a previous academic programme taught entirely in English, or with a certificate from the university's accepted list, provided before the admission deadline, in which every component tested (reading, writing, listening and speaking) reaches C1. [2]
If you are still obtaining a certificate, you upload a statement of the steps taken and the expected completion date. [3] To graduate, students without an Italian diploma or degree must also show Italian at A2, by certificate or through the university's entry test and courses. [2]
Selection and interview
The programme rules set no written entrance test. The Admissions Board scores applicants out of 100: [2][3]
- Academic performance, up to 65 points: with a foreign bachelor's, applicants outside the top 20% of their programme are in principle not considered to meet the requirement, while those in the top 5% in principle are. Credits and grades in relevant law and economics exams also count.
- CV and coherence of choice, up to 35 points: fit with your previous studies, relevant experience such as internships, volunteering or work, awards or scholarships, and foreign languages, taking your age into account.
The board may call you for an online interview before deciding, on basic legal and economic concepts, your views on selected issues and summaries or explanations of short texts. Admitted students may be asked to do preliminary readings or crash courses. [3] The 2026/27 admission notice also allowed the board to set an interview or a written test, in person or remotely. [1]
2026/27 deadlines
For 2026/27, non-EU citizens applying for a visa had to apply between 22 January and 30 April 2026. EU candidates could apply until 20 July 2026. [1]
Applicants still finishing their bachelor's could apply if they graduated by 30 October 2026. Enrolment of admitted students ran from 5 May 2026 to 15 January 2027. [1] The 2027/28 admission notice sets the next dates.
Documents and non-EU steps
You upload PDFs in English or translated into English: a detailed CV with each degree's average grade and final mark or rank, a letter of up to 500 words in the same file, your English certificate or a statement of how you meet the requirement, each degree with its transcript and Diploma Supplement or equivalent, and your passport. Applications still missing documents at the deadline are rejected. [3]
Admitted non-EU visa applicants complete Universitaly pre-enrolment, which closed on 31 July 2026 for 2026/27. By 30 November 2026 they also had to provide a statement of comparability from an ENIC-NARIC centre such as CIMEA, or a declaration of value, with the legalised degree, school-leaving diploma and other enrolment documents. [1]
Sources and verification
Checked by the ApplyAZ admissions team against the university's official documents listed below. Entry rules can change with each new call, and we re-check them before every application.
- University of Milan. Admission notice for the Master's degree programme in Law and Sustainable Development, class LM/SC-GIUR R, academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan. Programme description (manifesto), LL.M. in Law and Sustainable Development, class LM/SC-GIUR R, students enrolling in 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan, Law and Sustainable Development programme website. Application, admission criteria and documents, 2026/27 intake. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan, Law and Sustainable Development course page: language, departments, access and 2026/27 admission dates. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan. Regulation on tuition and fees, academic year 2026/27, with the annexes on fee areas and country groups. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
- University of Milan. Fees for academic year 2026/27. Reviewed 8 October 2026.
About the programme
Law and Sustainable Development is a two-year LL.M. in the legal sciences class LM/SC-GIUR-R, taught entirely in English by the University of Milan's Faculty of Law with three departments: Italian and Supranational Public Law, Private Law and Legal History, and the Cesare Beccaria Department of Law. Classes are in Milan and attendance of at least 70% of classes is compulsory. [2][4]
The programme trains lawyers who use advanced legal knowledge, joined with an understanding of the socio-economic issues behind it, to help realise the Sustainable Development Goals. It suits graduates in law, economics, political science or international relations who want to work where regulation, business and development meet.
What you will study
The first year is common: seven core courses worth 57 ECTS in law, economics and sociology, plus 3 ECTS of basic Italian (level A2) if you do not hold an Italian diploma or degree. In the second year you choose four electives (24 ECTS), at least 12 ECTS of them in international, European or comparative law, within one of three curricula: Law, Economics and Development; Rights, Institutions and Social Development; or Environmental Law and Policy. You add 9 to 12 ECTS of free options. Units include: [2]
- Constitutional Law in Context
- International Law, Sustainable Development and EU Law
- Society, Law and Development
- Economics, Economic Policy and Social Justice
- Public Administration for Sustainable Development
- Sustainable Development in Global Trade (WTO) Law (Curriculum A)
- International Human Rights Law (Curriculum B)
- International Climate Change and Energy Law (Curriculum C)
How the programme is taught
Courses run over two semesters. The second year includes a 150-hour, 6 ECTS internship and ends with an 18 ECTS dissertation written and discussed in English. [2] Legal clinics on Arctic studies and on the rule of law and democracy, and workshops such as space law and project management for sustainable development, add practical work. After a successful first year, students may be admitted to a master's at the University of Galway at a discounted fee, spend the second year there and earn both degrees, or join the one-year International Master in Sociology of Law at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU) for a double degree. All first-year exams must be passed before second-year ones. [2]
Career paths
The university describes four profiles of legal expert in sustainable development, each tied to a different employer type: [2]
- Public institutions: public administration, supranational organisations and independent authorities, including public procurement and urban environmental policy
- Business: sustainability manager handling corporate social responsibility, sustainability strategy and stakeholder relations
- Consulting: law and consulting firms advising on sustainability rules, human rights and the environment
- Third sector: NGOs, think tanks and research institutes, in legal advice, research, fundraising, advocacy and strategic litigation
Fees and scholarships
The LL.M. is in the university's fee Area B. If your family's income and assets are outside Italy, the second instalment is a fixed amount set by your country group, and for students enrolling from 2026/27 India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka are in Group A, the lowest fee group. [5][6] Full winners of the Lombardy DSU scholarship, which the university itself manages, are exempt from the university contribution, so this programme can be tuition-free for eligible students. [5]
How to apply from outside the EU
We submit your online application in the non-EU visa applicant category by the deadline. For 2026/27 the general window ran from 22 January to 20 July 2026, but visa applicants had to apply by 30 April 2026. [1] The 2027/28 admission notice sets the next dates. The admission board checks your academic record, CV and C1 English, and may invite you to an online interview. [3]
Once you are admitted, we complete your Universitaly pre-enrolment, which closed on 31 July 2026 for 2026/27. You then apply for a study visa and, by 30 November 2026 for that year, provide a statement of comparability from an ENIC-NARIC centre such as CIMEA or a declaration of value for your degree. [1]
How ApplyAZ helps
ApplyAZ is an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities. We can include this programme in a shortlist of 20 to 30 English-taught programmes that fit your profile, so your plan never rests on a single application.
For eligible students who start with us, a named person owns each stage, from A to Z:
- We check your transcript against Milan's entry rules for this programme.
- We write your CV and a tailored statement of purpose.
- We prepare and submit your online admission application, supporting documents and Universitaly pre-enrolment.
- We help you declare your family income for reduced fees and file your University of Milan DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format.
- We prepare your visa file.
With operations in all 20 Italian regions, we follow each region's scholarship rules and deadlines as they change. The university decides admission, the region decides the scholarship and the consulate decides the visa, so no one can promise an outcome. You pay in milestones, and every service you pay for is either delivered or its fee is refunded (terms apply).
Programmes at Italian public universities can be tuition-free for eligible students. Check if you are eligible and book a one-to-one consultation session with one of our Italy experts, or see how ApplyAZ works.
Questions and answers
Is the LL.M. in Law and Sustainable Development taught fully in English?
Yes. The programme is taught entirely in English and the dissertation is written and discussed in English. You need C1 English. Students without an Italian diploma or degree must also show basic Italian at A2 before graduating, by certificate or through the university's courses. [2]
What bachelor's degree do I need for Law and Sustainable Development at Milan?
A three-year, 180 ECTS degree in law, economics, political science or international relations. Graduates in other fields qualify with at least 18 ECTS in law and 12 ECTS in economics. For 2026/27 the degree had to be obtained by 30 October 2026. [2]
Is there an entrance exam?
No written test in the programme rules. The board scores your academic performance up to 65 points and your CV and coherence of choice up to 35, and may hold an online interview on basic legal and economic concepts. [2][3]
What English level is required? Do I need IELTS?
C1 or higher in every skill tested. A previous degree taught entirely in English can meet the rule. Otherwise you need a certificate from the university's accepted list at C1 in reading, writing, listening and speaking, and we check whether your IELTS or other certificate qualifies. [2]
When is the deadline for non-EU students?
For 2026/27, non-EU citizens applying for a visa had to apply between 22 January and 30 April 2026, well before the general 20 July deadline, and complete Universitaly pre-enrolment by 31 July 2026. The 2027/28 admission notice sets the next dates. [1]
Can I apply before I graduate?
Yes. For 2026/27 you could apply if you graduated by 30 October 2026, as long as you applied by the deadline, which was 30 April 2026 for visa applicants. [1]
I have a B.Com or BBA. Can I apply?
Possibly. A B.Com or BBA usually covers the 12 economics credits but needs at least 18 ECTS in law, such as business, company or tax law papers. Grades matter too: applicants outside the top 20% of their programme are in principle not considered to meet the academic requirement. [2][3]
Can I earn a double degree?
Yes, if selected. After the first year you may be admitted to a master's at the University of Galway at a discounted fee and earn both degrees, or join the one-year International Master in Sociology of Law at the University of the Basque Country. [2]
Can someone handle my whole application to Law and Sustainable Development at Milan?
Yes. ApplyAZ, an Italy-based consultancy that works only with public universities, checks your transcript against Milan's rules for this programme, handles the application and Universitaly pre-enrolment, helps you file the University of Milan DSU scholarship application at the right time and in the right format, and prepares your visa file, for eligible students. Start by checking your eligibility.
I'm applying from India. What is the route into Law and Sustainable Development?
A recognised three-year Indian bachelor's in law, economics, political science or international relations, such as an LLB, BA LLB or BA in Economics, can meet the degree rule, and other degrees need 18 ECTS in law and 12 in economics. You also need C1 English and strong grades. The steps are the online application, a possible online interview, admission and Universitaly pre-enrolment. [2][3] Indian students apply for the type D study visa at the Italian embassy or consulate that covers their state, such as New Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru.
Is the route different from Pakistan, Bangladesh or Sri Lanka?
No. The academic rules for Law and Sustainable Development are the same whatever your nationality. Applicants from Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka follow the same steps as India: online admission application, a possible online interview, admission and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for their country of residence. Read our guide for students in Dhaka.
I live in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Kuwait, Oman or Bahrain. Where do I apply for the visa?
At the Italian embassy or consulate responsible for the country where you legally live, after Universitaly pre-enrolment. The academic rules for Law and Sustainable Development are the same whatever your nationality, and Gulf residents follow the same steps: online admission application, a possible online interview, admission and Universitaly pre-enrolment. Read our guides for Dubai, Riyadh and Doha.
I studied or live in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore or Kuala Lumpur. What is the route?
The academic rules for Law and Sustainable Development are the same whatever your nationality, and your degree is assessed like any other foreign qualification. Non-EU applicants who live abroad follow the same route: online admission application, a possible online interview, admission and Universitaly pre-enrolment, then a type D study visa from the Italian mission for where they live. Read our guides for students in London, New York, Toronto, Vancouver, Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.
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