General entry requirements + English B.

The purpose of the course is to provide basic knowledge and understanding of public international law and its function in international politics from the perspective of peace and security and its implementation in armed conflict.

The course contains the following modules:

The first module introduces the legal and political context of the UN Charter and its normative base for collective peace and international security. The module contains a historic background of the establishment of the UN and its charter and how collective peace was to be secured after the end of the Second World War. The module also deals with the UN decision-making machinery and how the charter is implemented and interpreted by states in their internal relations.

Module 2 deals with how public international law regulates armed conflict and its political consequences. A war is subject to international legal regulations and principles, with regards to the right to go to war (jus ad bellum) and how to conduct and behave in conflict, the so-called laws of war or humanitarian law (jus in bello). The module is focusing on humanitarian law and its the legal and political implementation and consequences on states and individuals.

The third module deals with the aftermath of armed conflict on both states and other actors of armed conflicts such as individuals. The module introduces and gives an historic background to international criminal law as the basis for prosecution and sentencing of individuals responsible for serious international crimes, as well as how international criminal law relates to and is connected to public international law. The module also deals with the legal framework of different tribunals and international judiciary systems established to deal with international crimes. Furthermore the module presents what constitutes and is defined as an international crime and how states interact politically in order to implement the international criminal legal sources in an effective way.

Module 4 consists of a project work where students work together in groups. The assignment of the module is to investigate and analyse an international dispute, both from a legal and political perspective. The groups are beforehand assigned a specific party to the conflict from which perspective they are to prepare a standpoint, legal argument and case based on the relevant political and historical context. The hypothetical case is to be presented and defended in front of a mediator/judge. The teaching form of this module is supervision.

The course consists of four modules (7,5 credits each) with the following learning outcomes:

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

After completing the module, the student should be able to:

Teaching in Modules 1-3 is principally in the form of lectures and seminars. A major part of the work consists of independent studies. Students are responsible for reading in conjunction with the teaching and to come well prepared to lectures and seminars. The students are presumed to pursue their own reading and discussion groups and to actively participate in discussions, which require preparations. During the fourth module, separate project meetings are held, wherein students receive individual supervision of their project work. In addition, to the mandatory project meetings the students are assumed to meet regularly in the working groups on the students' own initiative. The group is collectively responsible for the group assignment and that all group members participate and contribute to the project.

Module 1 is examined by a class room exam.

Module 2 is examined by a take-home exam.

Module 3 is examined by an oral exam.

Module 4 is examined by an oral presentation and a written report.

The examinations test the achievements of the learning outcomes of the different modules. Written assignments shall be correct in terms of language and shall satisfy the ordinary requirements regarding reference handling. Detailed information and instructions regarding the examinations as well as grade requirements will be presented at the course introduction.

Students who do not pass the regular course exams have the minimum of two retakes. Retakes follow the same form as the original exams, apart from retakes of group work, which take the form of individual written and oral assignments.

Articles and treaty texts may be added – see information on It’s Learning.

Articles and treaty texts may be added – see information on It’s Learning.

Articles and treaty texts may be added – see information on It’s Learning.

Articles and treaty texts may be added

All students are offered an opportunity to give written feedback at the end of the course. A summary of the results will be made available. The students are also given a possibility to offer feedback through course council.