LLM in Germany- Top Universities, Admission Requirements, Cost, Scholarships, and Job Opportunities

Content Curator | Updated On - Aug 6, 2024

LLM in Germany is a 1 to 2 year full-time program offered by several top universities like Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Humboldt University of Berlin, University of Heidelberg, etc. Pursuing an LLM degree in Germany is an ideal choice for Indian students looking for affordable options with global exposure. Students applying for LLM in Germany generally have 2 years of work experience. Most of the Indian students pursuing this degree in Germany typically have strong technical or scientific background.

The annual cost of LLM in Germany for Indian students may range between 144 to 18,000 EUR (13,172 to 16.47 lakhs INR). Indian students must meet the following requirements to study LLM in Germany:

LLB degree with academic average of 65% or above
IELTS score of 6.5 for English taught program
German language diploma level II or DSH 2 for German taught program

Graduates with an LLM degree in Germany typically secure jobs in law firms, government agencies, NGOs, and other private organizations. The popular job roles after this degree being attorney, legal advisor, barrister, and lawyer after LLM in Germany. 40% of the law graduates in Germany start their career securing jobs in private or semi private sector as legal advisor; actuary, in-house counsels, etc. 10-20% graduates in Germany with LLM degrees join big law firms such as Gowling, Blakes, Osler, McCarthy, etc. The average starting salaries of graduates working in these firms being 100,000 EUR (91.44 lakhs INR).

Germany is currently one of the best countries for Indian students planning to pursue an LLM program abroad. The major reason is there is no tuition fee in public universities and several affordable options in private universities. In fact, Germany has projected a revenue of approximately 29.84 billion EUR by 2025 for legal activities leading to more job opportunities for graduates.

Table of Contents

Top Universities for LLM in Germany
LLM in Germany Application Process
LLM in Germany Fees and Cost of Living
LLM in Germany Scholarships
LLM in Germany Job Prospects
FAQs

Top Universities for LLM in Germany

The top 5 universities for LLM in Germany are ranked among top 100 universities globally for law and legal studies in QS WUR by Subject Rankings 2024.

QS Law and Legal Studies Rankings 2024	Top Universities	Programs	Cost Per Annum (EUR)
#43	Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich	LLM Fundamentals of German law \| LLM European and International Business Law	200 (2 semesters)
#47	Humboldt University of Berlin	LLM German and European law and legal practice \| LLM European and comparative law	3,000
#62	University of Heidelberg	LLM in German and European Law	1,000 (2 semesters)
#65	Free University of Berlin	Master of Law	9,500
#99	University of Hamburg	LLM Insurance Law \| LLM European and international economic law \| LLM International Taxation	14,000
#101-150	University of Freiburg	Master of Law	3,000
#101-150	Goethe University Frankfurt	LLM European and international economic law \| LLM Finance \| LLM Legal Theory	18,000
#151-200	University of Münster	LLM German law	640 (2 semesters)
#201-250	University of Cologne	LLM Business law	608 (2 semesters)
#200-251	University of Erlangen Nuremberg (FAU)	Master of Law	144 (2 semesters)

LLM in Germany Application Process

To secure admissions in Master of Laws degree in Germany, Indian students must target an average above 65% or above in LLB. Additionally, you must submit the following document as while applying for LLM in Germany:

Documents Required:

Academic transcripts
Letter of motivation
Germany of English proficiency proof
Statement of purpose
Proof of work experience or internships
CV

Application Deadlines

Applications for LLM in most German universities are accepted until January 15 for summer semesters and July 15 for winter semesters. However, some universities have specific deadlines which are as follows:

University	Application Deadline
University of Erlangen Nuremberg (FAU)	September 30, 2024
Freie Universität Berlin	November 1, 2024.
University of Freiburg	August 15, 2024

LLM in Germany Fees and Cost of Living

As already known, public universities in Germany do not charge tuition fees from all international students. Instead a semester fee is required which ranges from 72 to 500 EUR (6,586 to 45,738 INR). On the other hand, the private universities in Germany charge a tuition fee from all students which range between 3,000 to 18,000 EUR (2.74 lakhs to 16.46 lakhs INR).

Cost of Living in Germany

Following are the estimated monthly living expenses across German cities. Munich being the most expensive city in Germany while Heidelberg is the cheapest city requiring monthly expenses of only 1,020 EUR (93,400 INR).

Cost of Living in Germany By City

LLM in Germany Scholarships

There are very limited scholarships options in Germany for Indian students that could help them fund their LLM degree. IndiaN students can either apply for DAAD scholarships or Erasmus Mundus Scholarships to fund their LLM degree in Canada. Both of these scholarships are applicable for LLM degrees. The requirements of the same are as follows:

Scholarship Name	Eligibility Criteria	Award
DAAD Scholarships	85% average in bachelor’s degree \| 2 years of work experience \| IELTS score of 6.0 or TOEFL IBT score of 80	934 EUR Monthly allowance for masters degree
Erasmus Mundus Scholarships	Applicants with Bachelor’s degree or currently in the final year \| 2 years of practitioner experience \| IELTS score of 6.0-6.5 \| Letter of motivation, CV and 2 LORs required	1,500 EUR

LLM in Germany Job Prospects

A graduate with LLM in Germany typically earns a salary of 81,600 EUR (74.63 lakhs INR) per annum. With years of experience 139,000 EUR (1.27 crores INR) annually. Post completion of the LLM program in Germany, you will be required to complete a 2-year legal traineeship. This includes different jobs across court, lawyer's office and civil authorities. To work as a certified lawyer in Germany, you may also be required to clear state level exams. This can surely help you improve your employability.

LLM in Germany Salaries By Job Roles

Germany is an ideal choice for Indian students seeking Masters of law degree abroad in coming years. The program is available with a highly affordable cost across both private and public universities in Germany. In private universities, you can also reduce your educational cost by applying to various external scholarships available for Indian students.

FAQs

Ques. Is LLM taught in English in Germany?

Ans. The LLM degree in Germany is available in English across universities like:

Ludwig Maximilians University
Humboldt University, University of Hamburg
Free University of Berlin
University of Cologne
University of Munster

Ques. Is law in Germany hard?

Ans. Law is comparatively hard in Germany, as it requires you to appear in 2 state exams after completion of your degree. The exam is highly competitive, with a 50% failure rate in the first exam and 33% in the 2nd round exam. Also, only 2 attempts are allowed for each exam.

Ques. Are lawyers in demand in Germany?

Ans. Lawyers are high in demand across Germany, with a projected revenue of 29.84 billion EUR in legal activities by the end of 2025. This will lead to an extensive range of job opportunities for lawyers and fresh LLM graduates in Germany.