Innovation, Technology and the Law (Online Learning) LLM

Level: Postgraduate taught

Subject: Law

Year of entry: 2026

Study options

Mode of study

Online learning

Part-time
  • LLM | up to 3 years | Start date: multiple dates
Full-time
  • LLM | 1 year | Start date: September 2026

Key facts

School

Edinburgh Law School

College

College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

Programme website
Accreditation

Not available

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Find out what it’s like to study online at Edinburgh, with insights into learning, community and the support available to online postgraduate students.

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Open Days on Demand

Dive into an extensive selection of programme-specific session recordings hosted by our Academic and Professional Services staff.


About the degree programme

This unique and internationally focused LLM programme explores how the law responds to, regulates and promotes new and emerging technologies.

Innovative technologies and convergence in technologies are causing unprecedented societal change. New legal issues are arising, and new regulatory responses emerging. The law can help – or hinder – society’s ability to reap the optimal rewards from technological development.

Across the programme, you will study different modes of regulation – the law, the markets, the technology itself – and critically analyse the advantages and disadvantages of each. The potential of technology to support legal and judicial processes is also examined.

This LLM will enable you to develop an advanced knowledge of domains where law engages with technology, awareness of the problems in the area and understanding of the differing approaches to their solution.

Study options

Flexibility is built into our LLM programmes, with a range of study durations to choose from and start dates in both September and January.

Programme rankings

  • 16th in the Times Higher Education World University Rankings: Law 2025
  • 21st in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025: Law and Legal Studies

Tuition fees

Tuition fees by award and duration

Tuition fees for full-time and part-time options are listed for one academic year.

Part-time
Full-time

Graduate discount

If you are a University of Edinburgh graduate, you will be eligible for a 10% discount on your tuition fees for this programme. You may also be eligible if you were a visiting undergraduate student.

Find out how to receive your graduate discount

Deposit

If you receive an unconditional offer of admission, you will be asked to pay a deposit to secure your place on the programme, either within 28 days or by the start of the orientation period, whichever is sooner.

The deposit for this programme is £1,000.

The deposit amount will be deducted from the first tuition fee instalment you pay.

Find out more about tuition fee deposits

Funding opportunities

Funding for postgraduate study is different to undergraduate study, and many students need to combine funding sources to pay for their studies.

Most students use a combination of the following funding to pay their tuition fees and living costs:

  • borrowing money
    • taking out a loan
    • family support
  • personal savings
  • income from work
  • employer sponsorship
  • scholarships

Explore sources of funding for postgraduate study

The University of Edinburgh offers a range of scholarships for online learning masters programmes.

Online learning funding opportunities 

Search for other funding opportunities

You can find scholarships, bursaries and other funding you might be eligible for on our Scholarships and Student Funding site.

Postgraduate funding opportunities

These entry requirements are for the 2026-27 academic year and requirements for future academic years may differ. Entry requirements for the 2027-28 academic year will be published on 1 Oct 2026.

Qualifications

A UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in law.

We will also consider candidates with a degree in a related discipline which includes relevant prior study.

In evaluating your application for postgraduate study, greater emphasis may be placed upon results of prior learning in subjects relevant to the intended degree programme.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

Supporting your application

Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.

Relevant professional qualifications will be considered.

Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

International qualifications

To find international equivalent qualifications, select where you studied from the country or region list.

English language requirements

You must prove that your English language abilities are at a high enough level to study this degree programme.

This is the case for all applicants, including UK nationals.

You can meet our English language requirements with one of the following:

  • an English language test
  • a degree that was taught and assessed in English
  • certain professional qualifications

English language tests we accept

We accept any of the following English language tests, at the specified grade or higher:

  • IELTS Academic: total 7.0 with at least 7.0 in writing and 6.5 in all other components. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 with at least 25 in writing and 23 in all other components. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
  • C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 185 with at least 185 in writing and 176 in all other components.
  • Trinity ISE: ISE III with passes in all four components.
  • Oxford ELLT: total 8 with at least 8 in writing and 7 in all other components.
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: total 155 with at least 155 in writing and 145 in all other components.
How old your English language tests can be
Tests no more than two years old

The following English language tests must be no more than two years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality:

  • IELTS Academic
  • TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition)
  • Trinity ISE
  • Oxford ELLT
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced
Tests no more than three and a half years old

All other English language tests must be no more than three and a half years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts, regardless of your nationality.   

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree that has been taught and assessed in English in a majority English-speaking country, as defined by UK Visas and Immigration.

UKVI list of majority English speaking countries

We also accept a degree that has been taught and assessed in English from a university on our list of approved universities in non-majority English-speaking countries (non-MESC).

Approved universities in non-MESC

How old your degree can be

If you are not a national of a majority English-speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old on the 1st of the month in which your programme starts.

This time limit does not apply to your degree if you are a national of a majority English-speaking country.

Find out more about our English language requirements

Find out about other English language qualifications we accept, including professional qualifications.

English language requirements

What you will study

To be awarded the LLM Innovation, Technology and the Law you must successfully complete 6 courses, 5 of which must be core courses, and a 10,000-word dissertation during your chosen duration of study.

Our broad range of courses covers the areas of information technology law and medical law. During your studies you may also have the opportunity to study one course from our range of commercial law courses.

Option courses

You can choose between 0 and 60 credits from the following IP, Media and Technology courses:

  • EU Data Protection Law (20 credits)
  • Electronic Commerce Law (20 credits)
  • Space Law and Policy (20 credits)
  • International and European Law of the Media (20 credits)

You can choose between 0 and 40 credits from the following IP, Media and Technology courses:

  • Regulation of autonomous systems: the law of robotics (20 credits)
  • Software and the Law (20 credits)

You can choose between 0 and 40 credits from the following Health, Medical Law and Ethics courses:

  • The Fundamentals of Law and Medical Ethics (20 credits)
  • Fundamentals in Bioethics (20 credits)
  • Law and Ethics at the Start and End of Life (20 credits)
  • Mental Health Law (20 credits)
  • Ethics of Health Technologies (20 credits)
  • Public Health Ethics (20 credits)

You can choose between 0 and 40 credits from the following Commercial Law courses:

  • Comparative and International Corporate Governance (20 credits)
  • Contract Law in Europe (20 credits)
  • Corporate Compliance: Case Studies in Law & Ethics (20 credits)
  • Dispute Resolution Methods (20 credits)
  • European Competition and Innovation (20 credits)
  • International Law, Human Rights & Corporate Accountability (20 credits)
  • International Commercial Arbitration (20 credits)
  • Banking and Financial Law: Case Studies (20 credits)

Full details of the programme structure and course options are available on the Law School's website.

View programme structure and course options

Disclaimer

Courses shown above are scheduled to run in the 2025-26 academic year and are subject to change in future academic years. Courses for the 2026-27 academic year will be confirmed by May 2026.

Due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

Our online learning programmes are delivered entirely online via a virtual learning environment. Learning and teaching happen ‘asynchronously’. This means that you have the flexibility to log in at times and in places convenient to you, contribute your views and respond to others, and still maintain a sense of community with your fellow students across time zones.

Find out about studying online with Edinburgh Law School

Assessment

Our courses are assessed using a range of different assessments. Each course will have a number of different summative assessments, which may include:

  • an essay to be submitted at the end of the semester
  • a coursework assignment to be completed during the semester
  • a contribution to a debate on a particular topic
  • a reflective blog post
  • a problem-based exercise
  • contributions to online discussions throughout the semester

Each assessment element on a course will test your knowledge and skills and will ensure that the course’s learning outcomes are met. None of our online courses are assessed by a formal examination.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.  

How we support you

How online learning works

This degree programme is taught entirely online. There is no need to come to the city or University campus. 

All learning and teaching takes place within our virtual learning environment (VLE). Through the VLE, you can: 

  • access all your learning materials and study resources, including e-books and library resources
  • interact with your tutors and classmates 

An online degree from the University of Edinburgh is academically equivalent to an on-campus postgraduate degree and involves the same level of work overall. The qualification you get is of equal value. Your degree certificate will not mention that you studied the programme online.

Watch our video to see how online learning works.

Time commitment

This programme is designed to be fully flexible to fit around your schedule. You can study in your own time and access all your learning resources, such as reading lists, discussion forms and slides from anywhere in the world.  

If there are live online sessions, you can watch a recording later in the virtual learning environment at a time convenient to you.    

Typically, you will need to dedicate around 10 to 20 hours per week to your programme although managing this is up to you. This may also vary from course to course, and the time commitment may increase when assignments are due.  

See 'Find courses' in Programme details for more information about study time commitment

Equipment and software needs

To study this online programme, you will need access to:   

  • a computer or laptop  
  • the internet  
  • the latest version of a web browser  

As an online student, you will have access to a range of software you can download to help you complete your coursework, including Microsoft Office 365. 

IT support is available if you have technical difficulties.  

IT and computing help

Support for online students

Career opportunities

Graduates of our online distance learning programmes progress to a range of careers in law and related legal fields, including work in local and international firms, government legal departments, other public institutions, international organisations and in academia.

The programmes are also an ideal platform for advanced research.

Further study

After completing this programme, you may wish to consider applying for a PhD or other research programme.

Applying for research degrees

Moving on to a PhD (advice from the University's Careers Service)

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals. 

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies. 

With the Careers Service, you can: 

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions 

Visit the Careers Service website 

How to apply

You apply online for this programme. After you read the application guidance, select your preferred programme, then choose 'Start your application' to begin.

If you are considering applying to more than one programme, you should be aware that we cannot consider more than 5 applications from the same applicant.

When to apply

Programme start date Application deadline
7 January 2026 3 November 2025
14 September 2026 30 June 2026
6 January 2027 3 November 2026

We encourage you to apply at least one month prior to entry so that we have enough time to process your application. If you are also applying for funding or will require a visa then we strongly recommend you apply as early as possible.

Application fee

There is no fee to apply to this programme.

What you need to apply

As part of your online application, you will need to provide: 

You will also need to submit some or all of the following supporting documents:

When you start your application, you will be able to see the full list of documents you need to provide.

Apply

Select the award, duration and delivery mode you want to study. Then select the start date you want to apply for.

After you apply

Once you have applied for this programme, you will be able to track the progress of your application and accept or decline any offers.

Checking the status of your application

We will notify you by email once we have made a decision. Due to the large number of applications we receive, it might take a while until you hear from us.

Receiving our decision

What to do if you receive an offer:

General enquiries

If you have any questions about the LLM in Innovation, Technology and the Law please don't hesitate to contact us.

futurestudents@ed.ac.uk 

Phone:+44 (0)131 650 2386

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