Law (Non-Thesis): Air and Space Law (LL.M.) (45 credits)
Offered by: Law (Faculty of Law)
Degree: Master of Laws
Program credit weight: 45
Program Description
The 45-credit LL.M. program, non-thesis option, in Air and Space Law complements previous legal education through specialized graduate-level coursework and in-depth research. It enhances expertise in selected areas of legal scholarship and includes a supervised substantial paper in an area of interest.
Candidates must remain in residence for three terms for which full-time fees will be charged. The third term is devoted to the Research Project, usually taken in the summer of the first year. If the research project is not completed in this time, students must register for additional sessions as needed. All degree requirements must be completed within a maximum of three years of the date of first registration.
Research Project (15 credits)
The non-thesis option requires a substantial supervised research project during the third term of registration, a 15,000-word paper, assessed by the supervisor on a pass-fail basis, and typically completed in the Summer.
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASPL 655 | Research Project 1. | 15 |
Research Project 1. Terms offered: Summer 2026, Fall 2026, Winter 2027 A major research paper on a current topic. | ||
Required Courses (12 credits)
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASPL 633 | Public International Air Law. | 3 |
Public International Air Law. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Sources of public international law relating to the air space and its aeronautical uses. International aviation organizations and their law-making functions. Legal responses to aviation terrorism. | ||
| ASPL 636 | Private International Air Law. | 3 |
Private International Air Law. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Sources of private international air law. Conflicts of laws. Unification of law of liability. Liability for damage on the surface, liability of the ATC and CNS/ATM providers. Rights in aircraft and their international recognition. | ||
| ASPL 637 | International Space Law. | 3 |
International Space Law. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Examination of the role of international law in the regulation of outer space activities. | ||
| LAWG 601 | Communication 1. | 1.5 |
Communication 1. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Key writing and research strategies for graduate students in law. | ||
| LAWG 602 | Communication 2. | 1.5 |
Communication 2. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Key writing and research strategies for graduate students in law. | ||
Complementary Courses (18 credits)
3 credits from the following:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CMPL 610 | Legal Research Methodology 1. | 1.5 |
Legal Research Methodology 1. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Legal research methodology, including electronic legal research and the formulation of research plans. | ||
| CMPL 611 | Legal Research Methodology 2. | 1.5 |
Legal Research Methodology 2. Terms offered: Winter 2027 Legal research methodology, including electronic legal research and the finalization of research plans. | ||
| CMPL 641 | Theoretical Approaches to Law. | 3 |
Theoretical Approaches to Law. Terms offered: Fall 2026 Introduction to a variety of theoretical approaches to legal scholarship. | ||
15 credits (or fewer if more credits are earned for the research project) at the 500 level or higher chosen from among Faculty offerings (including ASPL offerings).
Additional Research Project Courses
With the approval of the Associate Dean (Graduate Studies) and Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies (GPS), students may take up to an additional 3 credits of research project courses by completing one or both of:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| ASPL 656 | Research Project 2. | 2 |
Research Project 2. Terms offered: Fall 2026, Winter 2027 A major research paper on a current topic. | ||
| ASPL 657 | Research Project 3. | 1 |
Research Project 3. Terms offered: Fall 2026, Winter 2027 A major research paper on a current topic. | ||