Englisch 
Deutsch 
The Central State Office for Distance Learning (ZFU) has approved the course Master Wirtschaftsrecht (LL.M.) under the number 1139022. Who is this LL.M. for – and what you need to get in
This online LL.M. in Business Law suits international graduates who want to advance on the business–law interface while studying remotely in German. Typical candidates are working professionals who need flexibility and a clear route to a recognised Master’s degree.
- In-house legal staff or contract managers with an LL.B. (e.g. India, Nigeria, South Africa) aiming to specialise in compliance, competition or corporate regulation alongside a full-time job.
- Business graduates (BBA/BSc) with substantial law modules working in risk, tax or governance who need structured legal training to move into contract and compliance roles.
- Law graduates who completed a first state exam or equivalent abroad and want applied corporate and finance law for careers in companies, consulting or financial services.
Admission requirements
You need a first higher-education degree; school-leaving certificates like the Abitur are not relevant for Master’s entry. Accepted profiles (180 ECTS or equivalent):
- Completed Bachelor’s in Business Law, or Business Administration with at least 30 ECTS in law, or any LL.B., or a degree awarding the title Diplom-Jurist, from a state or state-recognised university; minimum final grade “Satisfactory”.
- Alternatively: completed First State Examination in Law under § 5 DRiG.
- Lower Bachelor grades may be compensated by one of the following: at least 40 ECTS of relevant Master/MBA study, a completed relevant Master/MBA, or recognised postgraduate/professional qualifications at EQF/DQR level 7 (including suitable international postgraduate diplomas).
- International degrees are accepted if they are comparable to a German Bachelor (evaluation during application). Rolling admission; start dates year-round.
Language of instruction: German. If your prior education was not in German, provide one of the following German certificates (typically not older than five years):
- TestDaF (digital TND3) with at least 3 in all parts
- DSH-1
- telc Deutsch B2
- ÖSD B2
Personal requirements
Remote study rewards self-organisation and steady pacing. Plan with a realistic weekly workload depending on your time model: about 40 hours (full-time, 24 months), 25 hours (part-time I, 36 months), or 20 hours (part-time II, 48 months). You should be comfortable reading statutes and judgements in German and producing precise legal writing at B2 level or higher. Expect a mix of online exams, written assignments, projects and virtual seminars; there is no mandatory on-site attendance, but deadlines and exam windows still require discipline. A reliable laptop, stable broadband, quiet study time across time zones, and the habit of breaking modules into weekly goals will make the difference. Perseverance, critical reasoning, and an eye for legal detail are essential—particularly for dense topics like tax law, corporate crime and competition law.
What will you study in the Business Law (LL.M.) at IU International University?
The programme is taught in German. For admission you must document German at roughly B2 level via recognised tests such as TestDaF (min. 3 in all parts), DSH 1, telc Deutsch B2 or ÖSD B2. You study as a Fernstudium (distance learning) approved by the German authority ZFU.
You build an advanced, practice-oriented legal profile for corporate settings. Core blocks include:
Digital transformation and business law: Legal Framework for Companies in Digital Transformation, Competition and Copyright Law, Structuring Complex Business Contracts. You learn how platform models, data and IP reshape duties and liabilities and how to draft resilient contracts.
European, civil procedure and methodology: European Law in Relation to National Law, Civil Procedure and Conflict Resolution, Legal Methodology and Legal Research. This block strengthens your case analysis, argumentation and procedural strategy across EU–national interfaces.
Corporate crime, compliance and investigations: Corporate Criminal Law, Compliance and Legal Risk Management, Project: Management of Internal Investigations. You design compliance systems, assess exposure, and practise investigation workflows and reporting.
Finance, reporting and taxation: Accounting and Financial Statement Analysis, National and International Tax Law. You connect balance sheet mechanics and tax structuring to deal execution and ongoing corporate governance.
Seminars and thesis: You discuss Current Issues in Collective Labour Law and the Legal Framework for Management Decisions in interactive seminars, then complete an independent Master’s thesis (30 ECTS) demonstrating applied legal research in a corporate context.
Electives: You choose two specialisations, for example Antitrust Law, Banking and Capital Markets Law, Insolvency, Stabilisation and Restructuring, Corporate Regulation, Intellectual Property Law, Corporate Finance Law, Legal Risk and Contract Management, Introduction to Anglo-American Law, or AI and Mastering Prompts. This lets you align the LL.M. with roles in compliance, transactions or sector-specific regulation.
IU is a state-recognised private Hochschule (university of applied sciences). As a German Fernstudium, the course is reviewed by the ZFU (Zulassungsnummer 1139022), which verifies distance-learning quality and learner protection.
How does the Business Law distance programme work?
You study fully online with no mandatory on-site classes in Germany. Materials, teaching and exams are delivered via IU’s digital campus; written exams can be taken worldwide. Start dates are rolling, and a remote-only setup means you do not need a visa.
Teaching language and certificates
The programme language is German. Non-native speakers must present recognised proof of German at about B2 level: TestDaF (at least 3 in all sections), DSH 1, telc Deutsch B2 or ÖSD B2 (typically not older than five years). Academic content, exams and live sessions are conducted in German.
Learning format and study materials
This is a 100% distance-learning format (Fernstudium): interactive digital textbooks, video lectures, podcasts, quizzes and an online library are provided on the IU platform and app. Numerous virtual teaching events support you; self-paced study is complemented by live tutorials in German.
Exams and taking them from abroad
Exams are offered as 24/7 online proctored assessments or at test centres. Additional assessment types include term papers, presentations, project work and the master’s thesis. You can complete the entire degree from outside Germany.
On-site sessions in Germany
There are no compulsory in-person attendance phases. Seminars and group formats run virtually. The programme holds ZFU approval under number 1139022; the ZFU is the German state authority supervising distance-learning courses.
Weekly workload, time models and time zones
Choose between three models: Full-time (24 months, about 40 hours/week), Part-time I (36 months, about 25 hours/week), or Part-time II (48 months, about 20 hours/week). Live sessions follow German time (CET/CEST). You can switch models if your schedule changes. Purely remote study means no visa requirement.
What does the Business Law (LL.M.) cost?
Over the standard duration of 24 months, plan roughly €12,775 in total (about €499 per month). Extending to 36 months raises the overall spend to around €14,443 (about €379 per month); 48 months totals about €15,151 (about €299 per month). Monthly instalments are the default and suit international students who prefer predictable budgeting.
The fee includes digital study materials, online campus access, virtual teaching events and library services. IU allows free extensions of up to 12 months, which can cushion workload spikes without extra tuition. As exams are available online, you avoid travel and visa costs typical of on-campus programmes.
What careers and recognition does the Business Law (LL.M.) offer?
You earn a 120 ECTS Master of Laws within the Bologna framework. ECTS credits are part of the European Higher Education Area and support academic portability into further study or professional recognition processes abroad. IU International University is state-recognised in Germany, and the LL.M. is accredited until 31 July 2030. As a distance programme, it is also ZFU-approved (1139022).
Graduates pursue roles at the interface of law and business, typically outside regulated legal professions. Examples include:
- Compliance Officer or Manager: design and audit compliance systems, handle data protection and regulatory exposure.
- Contract Manager: draft, negotiate and manage complex commercial agreements across jurisdictions.
- Corporate Legal Specialist: support M&A, IP protection, litigation management and governance in in-house legal teams.
- Regulatory or risk roles in banking/financial services: capital markets compliance, restructuring and resolution support.
- Advisory functions in consulting or audit firms on corporate investigations, antitrust, or tax-structuring aspects.
Important for international applicants: this LL.M. does not qualify you for regulated legal professions in Germany (e.g. admission as Rechtsanwalt, judiciary or prosecution), which require state examinations. It is, however, a recognised academic master’s degree valued in corporate, consulting and regulatory environments.
Who is the Business Law (LL.M.) right for – and who not?
This distance LL.M. suits experienced and early-career professionals who want a German-taught, flexible path into corporate legal work, compliance or regulation—completed fully online from abroad. It’s ideal if you need a structured 120 ECTS master’s with specialisations like antitrust or capital markets.
- You need a fully online master’s with no mandatory on-site presence in Germany.
- You are comfortable studying and taking exams in German and can provide B2-level certification.
- You aim for roles in compliance, contract management, corporate investigations, or regulatory affairs.
- You prefer rolling admission, flexible time models and exam scheduling from any time zone.
- You value a state-recognised, accredited LL.M. with 120 ECTS and ZFU approval.
There are also clear cases where this programme is not the right choice. Being honest about these boundaries helps you avoid misaligned applications from abroad.
- You require an English-taught programme; this LL.M. is delivered entirely in German with German-language exams.
- You seek qualification for regulated legal professions in Germany (bar admission, judiciary). This LL.M. does not replace the state examinations.
- You cannot provide accepted German language certificates (e.g. TestDaF, DSH, telc, ÖSD) at the required level.
- You want a campus experience with regular in-person classes; this is a remote Fernstudium by design.
Lade… 
Advisory Service
Have questions about Academic Programs Master Wirtschaftsrecht (LL.M.)? Ask your question here, even anonymously. An employee of the institution IU International University or the editorial team will answer you.