Join our Online Executive Master in the Law of Armed Conflict and Upgrade Your Legal Skills

1 February 2023

Applications for the upcoming academic year of our Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict are open.

They will run until 30 April 2023 – meaning that interested candidates have two months to apply – with courses starting at the end of September 2023.

A Unique Part-Time Online Programme

Our online Executive Master in International Law in Armed Conflict is one of the few part-time, innovative and intellectually challenging programmes in the law of armed conflict offered today.

Designed for professionals with demanding jobs and responsibilities, it provides them with a solid legal background to address the multiple challenges that arise in humanitarian emergencies, human rights negotiations or criminal proceedings.

An easy and Interactive Online Platform

An easy and interactive online platform allows participants to interact directly with professors and other participants during classes and access all the course materials and readings.

Tutorials at the end of each course allow one to revise key concepts, grasp potentially challenging issues and prepare for the exams.

Designed for Professionals with Demanding Jobs and Responsibilities

Courses take place for nine months (end of September to the beginning of June) from Wednesdays to Fridays at lunchtime (12:00 –14:00 CET). When participants cannot follow a course for professional reasons (e.g. missions, travel, conferences), they can watch the recordings afterwards.

Exams take place online at the end of classes in June, with retakes in August. After the exams in June, participants have six months to submit their master’s paper (i.e. by December).

‘This programme is an opportunity to learn the legal framework of armed conflict while maintaining a job simultaneously.’

Mona Koehler-Schindler, Associate Human Rights Officer on Anti-Terrorism Issues at the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR).

Acquire a Solid Knowledge of the Legal Frameworks Relevant to Armed Conflicts

Courses cover international law, international humanitarian law, international human rights law, international criminal law and the interplay between them, providing solid theoretical and practical knowledge of the law that applies to armed conflicts. They also address current issues and challenges, including the repression of terrorism, the responsibility to protect and international refugee law.

One output of the Executive Master is a master’s paper written under the guidance of a faculty member. It allows participants to investigate a subject of special interest and deepen their knowledge and expertise through research as well as potential exchanges with experts, scholars and practitioners.

Moving One’s Career Forward

By providing the necessary tools to apply the international legal framework in complex contemporary conflicts, our Executive Master forms high-level professionals who want to acquire additional responsibilities or move their careers forward.

‘Today, with the developments in Ukraine, I feel more than ever the usefulness and practical applicability of the knowledge I receive at the Geneva Academy – the whole system of international law is being challenged here and now.’

Anastasiya Marchuk, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Office in Odesa, Ukraine

Admission

The admission section provides detailed information about:

A Three-Steps Online Application Process

You can apply online in three steps:

  • Complete the application form
  • Attach the required documents
  • Submit your application

Make sure you have all the requested information and documents before starting your application!

For Questions

If you still have questions, our FAQ addresses the main questions related to our Executive Master, the programme and the admission procedure.

You can also contact our Student Office which will respond to your questions and queries about the programme (masters-inquiries@geneva-academy.ch).

MORE ON THIS THEMATIC AREA

The European Court of Human Rights Building in Strasbourg, France News

Our Third-Party Intervention in Ukraine and the Netherland v. Russia

30 May 2023

The Geneva Academy has been granted leave by the Court to intervene as a third party in this case – along with 26 governments – and submitted its third-party intervention on 28 April 2023.

Read more

Crowd Control photo News

Counterterrorism in Europe: Ambiguous Security Gains for Significant Impacts on Rights

26 September 2023

Our new Working Paper invites readers to embark on a critical journey, shedding light on the intricate dynamics between security and human rights and calls for us to consider the effectiveness of counterterrorism policies as a matter of human rights law, demonstrating the benefits of this approach in improving the rationality of the decision-making process.

Read more

Portrait of Professor Hélène Tigroudja Event

Opening Lecture – International Human Rights Courts and Armed Conflicts

9 October 2023, 18:00-21:00

In this opening lecture of the 2023–2024 academic year, Professor Helene Tigroudja will discuss how UN human rights mechanisms address cases or situations that arise during armed conflicts.

Read more

Ruined houses of Borodianka, Ukraine Event

2023 Current Issues in Armed Conflict Conference

26 October 2023

This annual conference co-organized with the University of Essex provides a space for experts and practitioners, diplomats, academics, young scholars and civil society representatives to discuss contemporary legal issues in armed conflict.

Read more

Syria,  Aleppo, great Umayyad mosque. Destructions. Short Course

The Interplay between International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights

29 February - 15 March 2024

This online short course focuses on the specific issues that arise in times of armed conflict regarding the respect, protection and fulfilment of human rights. It addresses key issues like the applicability of human rights in times of armed conflict; the possibilities of restricting human rights under systems of limitations and derogations; and the extraterritorial application of human rights law.

Read more

Somalia, explosion of a bomb in the Mogadishu's market place. Short Course

The Classification of Armed Conflicts

13 October - 17 November 2023

This online short course provides an in-depth study of an emblematic example of the complexity of international humanitarian law and the challenges it raises: the classification of armed conflicts.

Read more

Computer screen with warning: civilian infrastucture: do not attack Project

The Digitalization of Armed Conflict

Started in September 2020

This project will explore humanitarian consequences and protection needs caused by the digitalization of armed conflicts and the extent to which these needs are addressed by international law, especially international humanitarian law.

Read more

Screenshot of the RULAC webpage Project

Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts (RULAC)

Started in May 2007

The Rule of Law in Armed Conflicts project (RULAC) is a unique online portal that identifies and classifies all situations of armed violence that amount to an armed conflict under international humanitarian law (IHL). It is primarily a legal reference source for a broad audience, including non-specialists, interested in issues surrounding the classification of armed conflicts under IHL.

Read more

Cover page of the Working Paper Publication

Exploring Counterterrorism Effectiveness and Human Rights Law

published on September 2023

Gloria Gaggioli, Michael Moncrieff , Ilya Sobol

Read more

Cover page of the research brief Publication

Youth Associated with Non-State Armed Groups: Building an Evidence Base on Disengagement Pathways and Reintegration Challenges

published on September 2023

Erica Harper, Yosuke Nagai

Read more