Instituto de Empresa Business School

The academic year starts in September, with a pre-program designed to get you up to speed on subjects vital to your success in the program. An introduction to accounting is provided on-line, while introductory courses are offered on campus in the IE Case Method and the basics of Spanish law.

International Lawyers Internship

Participants with a law degree from outside Spain may apply for an internship with a law firm, company legal department, or other legal institution. By taking part in this internship before classes begin, you will get a head start on learning about how Spanish and international lawyers work and have the opportunity to start your professional network.

The first trimester begins with fundamental courses such as European and Spanish law, common law systems, arbitration, intellectual property, and contracts. You will also begin the MBA module which gives you the chance to combine a legal education with business classes in economics, accounting, and communication skills.

The second trimester continues with European Law as well as courses in international law, competition law, banking law, negotiation, and corporate finance. The MBA module rounds out the trimester with courses in strategic management, financial management, and a leadership workshop.

The trimester is divided into three parts: regular courses, the Seminar on International Relations, and an Electives Period.

Regular coursework winds up with classes focused on international transactions, ranging from competition law to international taxation and international trade.

Seminar on International Relations

Once the regular courses are completed, the Seminar on International Relations is a one-week series of lectures by renowned international figures in the fields of diplomacy, international relations and politics. The topics are not specifically legal, though all of them do affect the economic, business and cultural environment in which the international lawyer must work.

Electives Period

The third trimester concludes with an Electives Period, in which students choose the elective courses to be offered, and from among these, the ones they wish to take.

Students in the English version of the program are expected to take two elective courses from those offered by the International MBA program.

LL.M. Thesis and Oral Defence

Students in the English version of the program are required to complete a thesis under faculty supervision. This yearlong project includes development of a research proposal, research and writing of the thesis, and its oral defense before a faculty panel.

After completing the three trimesters in Madrid, students may choose to extend their program for an additional 4 to 5 months in order to take part in one of our exchange programs with top law schools in North America, South America and Asia.

Selection is on a competitive basis, and regardless of the school you choose, the exchange allows you to spend one more semester (usually from mid-August to mid-December) at one of our partner schools. Our partner schools include Northwestern University School of Law (Chicago, USA), College of William & Mary, Marshall-Wythe School of Law (Virginia, USA), National University of Singapore Faculty of Law or Fundação Getulio Vargas Law School (São Paulo, Brazil).

Over the course of the whole program, the incoming exchange students from our partner schools also enrich the diversity of our student body and the learning experience of students at IE.