International Business Law (2165) |
| Language of instruction : English |
| Credits: 6,0 | | | | Period: quarter 4 (6sp)  | | | | | 2nd Chance Exam1: Yes | | | | | Final grade2: Numerical |
| | | Exam contract: not possible |
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Sequentiality
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Advising sequentiality bound on the level of programme components
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Following programme components are advised to also be included in your study programme up till now.
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Property and Contract Law (2125)
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12.0 stptn |
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International Law (1884)
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6.0 stptn |
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This is an advanced-level course designed for students who already possess a foundational understanding of key legal domains, including private international law, contract law, international law, and civil law. Proficiency in English is essential to fully engage with the course materials and participate in discussions.
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The International Business Law course offers a comprehensive exploration of private law and its critical function in enabling and structuring international trade. Students will examine foundational principles of international business law that govern cross-border commercial transactions, with a central focus on contracts and the principle of contractual freedom—key mechanisms that empower businesses to build and sustain global relationships.
Throughout the course, students will analyze how legal frameworks at the national, European, and international levels shape and limit the freedom to contract. A recurring theme will be the harmonization of legal systems: how international laws and agreements influence convergence in business law across jurisdictions.
Rather than isolating legal theory, this course anchors legal concepts within the context of real-world business transactions. Topics include for example:
- International sale of goods and standard contractual terms;
- International carriage of goods;
- The integration of sustainability and technological innovations in international legal frameworks.
Due to time limitations, the course will focus on selected key concepts, equipping students with practical tools to navigate the field effectively in their future careers. Furthermore, students will gain deeper insight into selected areas of business law and refine legal competencies increasingly essential in a globalized environment. Practical exercises include, among others: simulated court and arbitration proceedings on international trade; drafting legal opinions; analyzing and applying legal principles across diverse legal sources. Group collaboration is an integral part of the course, and students will also develop a pluralistic legal mindset—an essential skill for engaging with and interpreting overlapping legal systems worldwide.
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Lecture ✔
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Small group session ✔
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Tutorial group ✔
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Case study ✔
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Discussion/debate ✔
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Exercises ✔
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Group work ✔
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Homework ✔
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Paper ✔
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Presentation ✔
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Role playing (simulation) ✔
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Seminar ✔
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Quarter 4 (6,00sp)
| Evaluation method | |
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| Written evaluation during teaching period | 60 % |
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| Oral evaluation during teaching period | 10 % |
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| Other evaluation method during teaching period | 30 % |
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| Other: | Moot court exercise (written and oral parts) - it is a group exercise.
The groups will receive a joint grade for written and oral parts. The
details will be announced during the course. |
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| Additional information | Depending on enrolment numbers, presentations may be conducted in groups. However, each student will be assessed individually. Specific details regarding presentation format and evaluation will be provided during the course.
Detailed instructions concerning each assignment will be provided in the course manual and during the classes. The final grade is calculated based on a weighted average with the components value as expressed above. If the student does not participate in one (or more) of the partial evaluations, the grades for these partial evaluations will be a 0-grade within the calculations of the final grade. The results of partial evaluations can differ in the range of available points (20).
In consultation with the Education Management Team and the Student Administration, the lecturer determines the schedule and the examination format for a possible catch-up exam. The examination format may deviate from the examination format used during the regular examination period. The schedule and examination format will be communicated to the student after the request for a catch-up exam has been approved. |
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Second examination period
| Evaluation second examination opportunity different from first examination opprt | |
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| Explanation evaluation | The final grade is only based on the oral exam (100%). The scores
obtained on the assignments are cancelled. |
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| Compulsory course material |
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Mandatory and facultative literature will be posted on Blackboard.
Slides from the classes will be posted on Blackboard. |
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| Recommended course material |
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Mandatory and facultative literature will be posted on Blackboard.
Slides from the classes will be posted on Blackboard. |
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| Remarks |
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It is strongly recommended that students reach out to the course instructor at marta.kolacz@maastrichtuniversity.nl for further guidance or inquiries. |
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Learning outcomes Master of Laws
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- EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme possesses the following academic (specifically legal) skills and knowledge. He has specialised academic knowledge of and an understanding of the concepts and structure of those branches of law relevant to the major subject chosen, European and comparative perspectives included. He is able to apply that knowledge and those insights, including from a European and comparative perspectives. | | | - DC
| The student acquires specialized academic knowledge in the field of International Business Law, in particular in relation to contracts for the international sale of goods, contracts for the international carriage of goods including multimodal transport, and financing international trade. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme possesses the following academic, in casu: legal, knowledge: understands the recent societal developments and the academic research in the sector. | | | - DC
| The student acquires insight into recent legal research in the field of international business law, in particular by engaging in independent research him or herself. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme possesses the following academic, in casu: legal, knowledge: He understands the challenge of harmonisation of the law, especially within a European context. | | | - DC
| The student acquires understanding of the challenges concerning harmonisation and unification of law in the field of international business transactions at a European and global level. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme possesses the following academic, in casu: legal, knowledge: He understands the continuous interaction between national, supranational and international law. | | | - DC
| The student acquires academic knowledge of the continuous interaction between national, European and global legal instruments in the field of International Business Law. | - EC
| The graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general academic research competences: is able to make critical and independent use of various (digital) sources within the legal domain, in Dutch, French and English. | | | - DC
| The student is able to find, analyse and use diverse (digital) resources in Dutch and English in order to solve problems during the tutorial meeting as well as for writing the research paper. | - EC
| The graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general academic research competences: is able to analyse, interpret and make responsible use of Statute, case-law, scholarship and other legal sources. | | | - DC
| The student is able to make effective and responsible use of a combination of legislative provisions, case law, doctrine and other legal sources for the solution of a complex problem and for writing a research paper. | - EC
| The graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general academic research competences: is able to research at an academic level (with a junior academic researcher as benchmark), critically to assess such research and to report on it. | | | - DC
| The student conducts independent research to write a research paper on a topic related to the field of international business law. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general competence: is able to identify, among the complexity of a problem, those factual and legal issues which are of relevance and subsequently to suggest one or more adequate solutions, to support these with legal arguments, and to operationalise the solution which was eventually chosen. | | | - DC
| The student is able to critically analyse the law and apply it to a complex case in the field of international business law. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general competence: is able adequately to communicate and present his own ideas, views and solutions in various contexts, either orally or in written form, and is able to present in (legal) English and French. | | | - DC
| The student is able to communicate his or her ideas, solutions and viewpoints in spoken and written (legal) English in the following contexts (i) participation during tutorial meetings, (ii) holding a presentation, (iii) preparing a written handout for fellow students, (iv) writing a research paper. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general competence: is able to plan and evaluate his own approach and learning processes in an independent manner. | | | - DC
| The student is responsible for planning his or her own research paper. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general competence: is able to identify the various stakeholders and their specific interests in a complex problem and to integrate those in his own reasoning and approach. | | | - DC
| The student can identify various parties and their interests in complex contractual relations and understand how the parties and their contracts are interrelated. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general competence: is able actively and constructively to contribute in group to a common goal in a multidisciplinary context. | | | - DC
| The student collaborates in a small group outside the tutorial meeting to acquire in-depth knowledge in one element of the complex problem to be solved by the whole tutorial group during the meeting. | - EC
| A graduate of the Master of Laws programme has developed the following general competence: has a questioning outlook and is able to gain overview of a variety of legal positions, to assess them critically and whence to arrive at one's own, substantiated legal point of view. | | | - DC
| The student is able to analyse a complex legal problem in the field of international business law and identify and assess different legal solutions. |
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| | EC = learning outcomes DC = partial outcomes BC = evaluation criteria |
| Offered in | Tolerance3 |
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choice master for private (UH)
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J
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Exchange Programme Laws
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Master of Laws Government and Law
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Second year Master of Laws: Laws - corporate
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1 Education, Examination and Legal Position Regulations art.12.2, section 2. |
| 2 Education, Examination and Legal Position Regulations art.15.1, section 3. |
3 Education, Examination and Legal Position Regulations art.16.9, section 2.
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