Gurnish Sidhu

This unique Master’s examines both energy and environmental law and the ways in which they directly impact each another. During your studies, you’ll gain a valuable insight into this fast-developing, highly topical industry, and form a solid basis to forge a successful career in this field.
Tapping into the growing need for lawyers with interdisciplinary knowledge, this programme will equip you with the necessary knowledge and skills to operate effectively at the intersection of energy and environmental matters. Our programme produces lawyers that understand how environmental law affects the energy industry in its physical, technical, economic and political context. As growing energy demand coincides with the need to move away from fossil fuel dependence, law has a central role to play in enabling the shift to low carbon energy whilst maintaining energy security and the transition to environmentally sustainable economic development. With a unique choice of energy and environment courses such as Corporate Environmental Liability and Oil and Minerals for Good, you will benefit from an advanced understanding and sharpened critical analysis across many key areas, including the current position of energy and environmental laws and how these might change in the future. The programme covers matters of core interest for policy-makers, not only from an energy and environmental perspective but in all fields that provide the foundation for socio-economic functionality and corporate policy. The courses have been carefully designed collaboratively by teaching staff within the university and a range of key external contacts who have a direct role in the industry. This additional input ensures that the Master’s degree is aligned to industry competencies and needs, and you will benefit from the programme’s specific focus on intensive professional skills courses. The main difference with the LLM Energy and Environmental Law is the replacement of the dissertation with two intensive professional skills exercises.
For January start students, the first semester covers courses with the prefix LS55 and there is the compulsory course LS551T Critical Legal Thinking and Scholarship.
Students must take course:
This compulsory course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which would be required to excel in LLM-Taught courses. It commences with a few lectures and progresses to working in a workshop environment and finally to the submission of an individual assignment. It also incorporates elements such as library workshops to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.
View detailed information about this courseFour optional courses must be selected across the academic year.
One of your choices could be selected from another LLM programme (excluding LS501K, distance learning and professional skills courses).
LS553U – Principals of Environmental & Natural Resources Regulation
30 Credit Points
Corporate environmental liability is a significant area of concern not only for those corporations engaged in activities which exhibit environmental risk but society as whole. An efficient, effective liability regime must be present to ensure that corporations do not shirk their financial liabilities. The course draws attention to the conflicting goals of corporate law (i.e. the limitation of liability) and environmental law (i.e. ensuring that polluters pay for damage caused) and encourages students to consider and develop solutions to this problem. Whilst the course focuses on EU environmental law, many of the concepts covered are relevant to other jurisdictions.
View detailed information about this course30 Credit Points
The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their particular strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century.
View detailed information about this courseStudents will need to take the Professional Skills module during the summer.
60 Credit Points
This course allows students the opportunity to deploy the knowledge they have gained in the taught courses on the LLM Energy and Environmental Law with Professional Skills programme in intensive exercises designed to develop their professional skills. It aims to provide students with an insight into specific processes which form the practical context for the legal and regulatory knowledge and skills gained during the taught courses. It also informs them about how the environmental regulatory context affects the planning of projects and the conduct of processes leading to their authorisation and implementation.
View detailed information about this courseIn September, January start students will take courses starting with LS50.
30 Credit Points
The course deals with the regulation of international activities regarding energy and the environment. The course will consider the international legal framework regarding energy sources, and it will look at the various legal instruments at the global and regional level as well as the key actors that are involved in regulation. It will also examine environmental issues that correspond to the generation and use of energy in the international context and the responses relating to environmental protection of soil, water, air, atmosphere and species.
View detailed information about this course30 Credit Points
A transition from reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon renewable energy is essential for mitigating climate change and for making energy supplies more sustainable. The course considers the challenges and concerns that this fundamental change in the nature of energy supplies gives rise to, and explores laws role in addressing them. The course examines the legal regimes for promoting renewable energy at international, EU and UK levels, and considers how law can be used to address significant constraints on the growth of renewable energy including difficulties with grid access and public opposition to wind energy development.
View detailed information about this course30 Credit Points
The blue economy is the exploitation and preservation/ conservation of the marine environment. This course will explore what is meant by the Blue Economy in an international context and how it relates to the marine environment and natural resources. It will consider how the Blue Economy has been defined and what it might mean in the future. Discussions on the international, EU and national legal regimes will be supported by an ecological and a social deliberative strand. The course benefits from international guest lectures and culminates in a workshop where students will simulate blue economy decision making adopting an ecosystem approach to a real-life scenario, implementing legal requirements and policy context.
View detailed information about this courseFee category | Cost |
---|---|
Home Students | £11,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2020/21 Academic Year | |
International Students | £21,000 |
Tuition Fees for 2020/21 Academic Year | |
EU / International students | £21,500 |
Tuition Fees for 2021/22 Academic Year | |
Home / RUK | £11,300 |
Tuition Fees for 2021/22 Academic Year |
The information listed below is for September start students.
All students must take two LS50xx courses and two LS55xx courses.
All students must take:
This compulsory course provides students from diverse legal and educational backgrounds with a common understanding of the core research, analytical, and writing skills which would be required to excel in LLM-Taught courses. It commences with a few lectures and progresses to working in a workshop environment and finally to the submission of an individual assignment. It also incorporates elements such as library workshops to provide students with hands-on experience with the resources available for course and dissertation work.
View detailed information about this courseFour optional courses must be selected. Two should be selected from semester 1 and two from semester 2.
Alternatively, one of your four choices could be selected from another LLM programme (excluding LS501E, and LS551K).
30 Credit Points
The course deals with the regulation of international activities regarding energy and the environment. The course will consider the international legal framework regarding energy sources, and it will look at the various legal instruments at the global and regional level as well as the key actors that are involved in regulation. It will also examine environmental issues that correspond to the generation and use of energy in the international context and the responses relating to environmental protection of soil, water, air, atmosphere and species.
View detailed information about this course30 Credit Points
A transition from reliance on fossil fuels to low-carbon renewable energy is essential for mitigating climate change and for making energy supplies more sustainable. The course considers the challenges and concerns that this fundamental change in the nature of energy supplies gives rise to, and explores laws role in addressing them. The course examines the legal regimes for promoting renewable energy at international, EU and UK levels, and considers how law can be used to address significant constraints on the growth of renewable energy including difficulties with grid access and public opposition to wind energy development.
View detailed information about this course30 Credit Points
The blue economy is the exploitation and preservation/ conservation of the marine environment. This course will explore what is meant by the Blue Economy in an international context and how it relates to the marine environment and natural resources. It will consider how the Blue Economy has been defined and what it might mean in the future. Discussions on the international, EU and national legal regimes will be supported by an ecological and a social deliberative strand. The course benefits from international guest lectures and culminates in a workshop where students will simulate blue economy decision making adopting an ecosystem approach to a real-life scenario, implementing legal requirements and policy context.
View detailed information about this courseLS553U – Principals of Environmental & Natural Resources Regulation
30 Credit Points
Corporate environmental liability is a significant area of concern not only for those corporations engaged in activities which exhibit environmental risk but society as whole. An efficient, effective liability regime must be present to ensure that corporations do not shirk their financial liabilities. The course draws attention to the conflicting goals of corporate law (i.e. the limitation of liability) and environmental law (i.e. ensuring that polluters pay for damage caused) and encourages students to consider and develop solutions to this problem. Whilst the course focuses on EU environmental law, many of the concepts covered are relevant to other jurisdictions.
View detailed information about this course30 Credit Points
The complex interaction between investment protection and the sovereign right of states to regulate has been most acute in the energy sector. On the one hand, investors require strong guarantees that states will respect the “rules of the game” that constitute the basis of their investments. On the other, states can be tempted to interfere with foreign energy investments because of their particular strategic and social importance. This course aims to analyse if existing investment disciplines are adapted to the specific regulatory risks that investors face in the energy landscape of the 21st Century.
View detailed information about this course60 Credit Points
This course allows students the opportunity to deploy the knowledge they have gained in the taught courses on the LLM Energy and Environmental Law with Professional Skills programme in intensive exercises designed to develop their professional skills. It aims to provide students with an insight into specific processes which form the practical context for the legal and regulatory knowledge and skills gained during the taught courses. It also informs them about how the environmental regulatory context affects the planning of projects and the conduct of processes leading to their authorisation and implementation.
View detailed information about this courseFee category | Cost |
---|---|
EU / International students | £21,500 |
Tuition Fees for 2021/22 Academic Year | |
Home / RUK | £11,300 |
Tuition Fees for 2021/22 Academic Year |
We will endeavour to make all course options available; however, these may be subject to timetabling and other constraints. Please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
Repeatedly ranked as one of the UK’s top Law Schools, we pride ourselves on delivering high quality, engaging and academically challenging programmes. But don't just take our word for it - we let the facts speak for themselves.
Law at Aberdeen has been at the heart of legal education for over 500 years. At our university, you will:
The programme is set against the background of Aberdeen’s reputation and knowledge as the Energy capital of Europe.
To help align your knowledge with a career path beyond, you’ll be supported by a comprehensive range of bespoke careers services and events, focused on providing you with the tools and additional skills you need to advance and transform your career potential.
The information below is provided as a guide only and does not guarantee entry to the University of Aberdeen.
Normally a 2(1) honours degree in Law (or another related discipline) or equivalent.
Relevant practical experience will also be beneficial.
Please enter your country to view country-specific entry requirements.
To study for a Postgraduate Taught degree at the University of Aberdeen it is essential that you can speak, understand, read, and write English fluently. The minimum requirements for this degree are as follows:
IELTS Academic:
OVERALL - 6.5 with: Listening - 5.5; Reading - 6.0; Speaking - 5.5; Writing - 6.0
TOEFL iBT:
OVERALL - 90 with: Listening - 17; Reading - 21; Speaking - 20; Writing - 21
PTE Academic:
OVERALL - 62 with: Listening - 51; Reading - 54; Speaking - 51; Writing - 54
Cambridge English Advanced & Proficiency:
OVERALL - 176 with: Listening - 162; Reading - 169; Speaking - 162; Writing - 169
Read more about specific English Language requirements here.
You will be required to supply the following documentation with your application as proof you meet the entry requirements of this degree programme. If you have not yet completed your current programme of study, then you can still apply and you can provide your Degree Certificate at a later date.
Further Information about tuition fees and the cost of living in Aberdeen
The CB Davidson Fund provides limited financial support for postgraduate students within the Law School. It offers financial support to graduates in law from outside the UK to study in Aberdeen and to students and graduates of the University of Aberdeen who wish to travel outside of the UK for research purposes. Awards will not exceed £2,500 and in most instances will be less.
Eligible self-funded international Masters students will receive the Aberdeen Global Scholarship. Visit our Funding Database to find out more and see our full range of scholarships.
The Aberdeen Global Scholarship is open to European Union (EU) students.
This is a £2,000 tuition fee discount available to eligible self-funded Postgraduate Masters students who are classed as International fee status and are domiciled in the EU, plus another £3,000 discount for eligible Postgraduate Masters students who would have previously been eligible for Home fees (Scottish/EU) fee status.
View Aberdeen Global ScholarshipThe LLM in Energy and Environmental Law is more than a qualification - it’s potentially a passport to greater opportunity for both practising and aspiring lawyers and to those who want to pursue a career within national or multi-national energy companies. It provides the skills needed for those who might want to work within governmental or non-governmental organisations. The programme may also serve to engage those seeking a more academic career – perhaps forming part of the journey towards gaining a PhD.
Whatever drives you and on whichever side of the energy and environment debate you stand, it’s clear that both energy and environment have to work together. There’s no plan B. The whole world will have to invest in making this happen. So if you want a sustainable career, like we all want a sustainable world, here’s the place to start.
You will be taught by a range of experts including professors, lecturers, teaching fellows and postgraduate tutors. Staff changes will occur from time to time; please see our InfoHub pages for further information.
The School of Law has its own dedicated law library, Taylor Library, which is located within the Law School building, offering access to the Law collection, Official Publications and the European Documentation Centre.