Master of Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics (MILE)

The MILE is a non-consecutive Master of Advanced Studies (MAS) conferred by the World Trade Institute, University of Bern. The MILE programme counts for 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System Points).

Course work accounts for 75 ECTS and the mandatory master’s thesis is awarded 15 ECTS. 

Regular course attendance is required from mid-September until the end of June, with the master’s thesis being researched and written over the summer. The programme can also be taken on a part-time basis within three years.

The MILE begins with a foundational semester during which students are given a solid basis in international economic law, international micro- and macroeconomics and global political economy. The second semester consists of courses based on lectures and case studies that deliver an in-depth analysis of relevant topics in international trade and investment. 

As part of many of the MILE courses, students are regularly given writing assignments to be completed within a short time frame. These assignments are designed to prepare students for real world scenarios, and reflect what is expected of professionals working in the fields of international trade and investment.

The MILE programme culminates in a challenging yet rewarding moot court exercise – a simulation of a fictitious trade dispute between two countries in front of a panel composed of top WTO law experts.

The MILE curriculum is interdisciplinary, combining law, economics and political science. You will study the global economy, international macroeconomics and applied economics, trade facilitation, competition law, investment law, dispute settlement, trade remedies and much more. The WTI attaches great importance to its teaching methods. Courses consist of lectures and case studies, offering students opportunities for classroom discussions, group workshops, and individual research. For a full list of available courses, please refer to the MILE curriculum (link to the right).

External participants interested in taking single weekly courses can do so on an à la carte basis, as a part of our Winter and Summer Academies. Visit the Winter and Summer Academy page for a current list of à la carte courses, course descriptions, and fee information.

ACADEMIC YEAR 2023/2024 - KEY DATES

11, 14 & 15 September 2023
Induction days at the WTI

12 & 13 September 2023
WTO Public Forum

18 September 2023
Courses begin

FALL SEMESTER (18 September to 22 December 2023)

Foundations of Economics
Lecturers: TBC (Mathematics and Statistics), Irene Garcés Iriarte (Microeconomics), Octavio Fernandez- Amador (Macroeconomics) (TBC)
ECTS: 8

International Trade Regulation
Lecturer: Michael Hahn
ECTS: 10

International Investment Law 
Lecturer: Rodrigo Polanco
ECTS: 5

Academic Support: Research and Academic Writing Seminar
Dates TBC
Lecturers: Peter Van den Bossche and Rodrigo Polanco

Global Political Economy
Lecturer: Manfred Elsig
ECTS: 5

Global Economic Governance Seminars – Fall Series
ECTS: 1
Every session features an expert lecturer. Please visit the Events page for a list of seminars.

WINTER ACADEMY 2023

For details on all courses in January/February 2023 (Winter Academy) please review the dedicated section here.

SPRING SEMESTER (20 February to 2 June 2023)

International Economic Dispute Resolution
Lecturer: Peter Van den Bossche
ECTS: 5
Syllabus here

International Economic Law and the Pursuit of Core Societal Values and Interests
Lecturer: Peter Van den Bossche
ECTS: 5
Syllabus here

International Economics
Lecturers: Octavio Fernández-Amador, Eddy Bekkers and Joseph Francois
ECTS: 7
Syllabus here

Development economics and environmental sustainability
Lecturers: Patrick Tomberger (Environmental Sustainability), Jesús Crespo Cuaresma (Development Economics)
ECTS: 3
Syllabus here

Global Economic Governance Seminars – Spring Series
ECTS: 1.5
Every session features an expert lecturer. Please visit the Events page for a list of seminars.
Syllabus here

Moot Court
ECTS: 5
Coaches: Svetlana Chobanova and Iryna Polovets

Introduction to International Negotiation
10 March, 17 March, 24 March and 31 March
ECTS: 3
Lecturers: Felix Addor and Katie Rüegsegger
Syllabus here

Trade Policy Making and the WTO
13 March and 14 March
ECTS: 1
Lecturer: Victor do Prado
Syllabus here

Research Tutorials for Thesis Writing
6 March, 13 March, 20 March and 27 March
Lecturer: Patrick Wagner

Academic Support: Research and Academic Writing Seminar
30 March and 27 April
Lecturer: Rodrigo Polanco

Download all course descriptions here.

For questions about the curriculum, please contact the Academic Coordinator.

Faculty

MILE course offerings draw on a global, highly experienced faculty. For a list of lecturers, please see the in-house and external faculty lists on the WTI People page and visit the University of Bern Faculty of Law page.

IMPORTANT: Application deadlines

• Early bird: 1 December (applications submitted before this deadline will be given priority)
• Regular deadline: 31 January (applications submitted after the deadline will still be considered if space allows, however please be mindful of Visa regulations and timings for your nationality)

Admission requirements
To be considered for admission to the Master of Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics (MILE) programme at the World Trade Institute, we require you to have completed, at minimum, an undergraduate degree.
 
The majority of our students have a background in law, economics or political sciences. If you have a background in a different field, you are nonetheless encouraged to apply. A graduate degree in a related field and/or work experience in the field of international trade give you a bonus when the selection committee evaluates your application.

• To apply for the MILE programme, and for details of our requirements, please use our online application form.
• To apply for a weekly course, please visit the Winter and Summer Academy page. Here you will find a current list of à la carte courses, course descriptions, and fee information.

English language requirements
The MILE programme is taught exclusively in English and you need to arrive at the WTI with a level of English that allows you to fully benefit from the courses. In particular, your level of English needs to allow you to express yourself effectively in and outside the classroom, deliver on weekly writing assignments and adequately cover a weekly reading load of up to 200 pages.

When evaluating your application, the selection committee pays close attention to evidence of your proficiency in English. As is common for graduate programmes, you are required to submit objective test scores of one of the accepted tests listed below:

Test                          Minimum Score  
TOEFL ibT                100 points or above   

TOEFL Paper           600 points or above   

IELTS                        7.0 or above   

Cambridge CAE        A    

Cambridge CPE        C or higher   

Exemptions
The following applicants are exempt from submitting test scores:

• Native English speakers
• Students with an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from an institution in the USA, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Australia or New Zealand, where English was the primary language of instruction and the degree was awarded no longer than five years ago.

You may be exempt from submitting test scores if you are:

• A student with an undergraduate and/or graduate degree from an institution where English was the primary language of instruction and the degree was awarded no longer than five years ago,
• A student who has completed at least one year of study in an English speaking country and at an institution where English was the primary language of instruction immediately prior to joining the MILE programme.

Please contact us if you are unsure of your exemption status and we will be glad to help. However, please be advised that exemptions from the language requirement are rarely granted. Important: If you believe you are exempt from a English test score, please add this to the comment box in the online application form.

Tuition fees

• Tuition for the MILE programme is CHF 18'000 for both full and part-time studies.
• Tuition for single weekly courses can be found on the Winter and Summer Academy page.

Tuition for the MILE programme covers all courses, master’s thesis supervision, a range of extracurricular activities, and several trips to Geneva with visits to the WTO and other international and non-governmental organisations. Tuition does not cover travel costs, accommodation, health insurance, or any other expenditures incurred during your stay in Switzerland.

Tuition payments are not required until you have been accepted to the programme. You may benefit from either one of the following two payment methods:

• A 2% discount is applied if you pay your entire tuition fee prior to the first day of the programme (September).
• Alternatively, the first instalment (1/3 of your tuition fee) is due prior to the first day of the programme (September), the second instalment (1/3 of your tuition fee) is due prior to the first day of the second semester in January and the third instalment (1/3 of your tuition fee) is due prior to the first day following the spring break (April).
• No discounts apply to tuition paid in instalments. 

Registration fee

Application for the MILE programme is free. A one-time, non-refundable registration fee of CHF 200 is required upon admission to the programme. We will provide you with bank details once we confirm your admission to the MILE programme.

Any charges incurred during transfer of the tuition fee or registration fee must be borne by the applicant.

Full tuition waiver
A full tuition waiver will be awarded to one person for an outstanding performance during the Grand Final of the Final Oral Round of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition (formerly ELSA Moot Court).

Global Impact Association (GIA) Scholarships
The newly launched Global Impact Association (GIA) offers scholarships to talented students from least-developed and developing countries, who wish to pursue advanced master studies in international economic law and policy. Click here for more information (scholarship offers, application process, deadlines etc.)

If you are a Bulgarian national, you are eligible for the exclusive financial support of the Fonds Katzarovi, specially designed for Graduate and PostGraduate studies in Switzerland. Deadline 15 March. More info here.

Some other scholarship opportunities may include:

• Friedrich Naumann Foundation Scholarship for international students
• Study a Master's in Europe Scholarship
• Swiss Study Foundation (ex. Suyana Scholarship)
• The Spark of Hope Foundation (Women from the Global South)

The Global Impact Association (GIA) provides financial and/or other support to WTI master's students who wish to do an internship upon completion of their studies. For more details, please visit the Global Impact Association Website.

Internship opportunities at international law firms and organisations
Other internship opportunities for well-qualified WTI graduate students include:

• Appleton Luff, Brussels, http://appletonluff.com/brussels-office/
• Fratini Vergano, Brussels, http://www.fratinivergano.eu/en/
• VVGB, Brussels, Brussels, http://www.vvgb-law.com
• WTI Advisors, Geneva, http://www.wtiadvisors.com
• Universal Postal Union, Bern, http://www.upu.int/en.html
• International Trade Centre, Geneva, https://intracen.org/careers#job-types 
• CINFO Junior Professional Programmes/Internships, https://www.cinfo.ch/en/individuals/find-a-job/junior-professional-programmes 
• CAGI (jobs in Geneva in NGOs and Permanent Missions), https://jobs.cagi.ch/jobs/
• Geneva Environment Network, Jobs/Internships in environmental-related positions, https://www.genevaenvironmentnetwork.org/jobs/

1. I cannot decide whether to take the MILE or the TRAIL+ programme. How do the two differ?

The MILE has been our flagship programme since 1999 and taps into the expertise of the world’s leading academics and practitioners in the field of international economic governance. The uniquely multidisciplinary MILE programme includes law courses as well courses in economics and political science.  Upon completion of the programme, the student is awarded a Master of International Law and Economics (MILE) degree, which is equivalent to a Master of Advanced Studies. 

The TRAIL+ programme is a recently-launched programme which includes more law courses and fewer courses on economics and political science and is more suitable for students wishing to pursue a career as a practising lawyer or a PhD in law. The TRAIL+ programme is offered by the World Trade Institute in cooperation with the Faculty of Law of the University of Bern. Upon the successful conclusion of the TRAIL+ programme, the student is awarded an LL.M. in International Trade and Investment Law, as well as a Diploma of Advanced Studies in International Law and Economics.  

2. Which programme helps me qualify for a PhD in law programme?

Graduates of the TRAIL+ programme qualify for pursuing a PhD in law. They are eminently well qualified for pursuing doctoral studies in the field of international economic law. MILE graduates with an LL.M. or JD also qualify. However, MILE graduates with a BA, LLB or equivalent degree do not qualify.

3. I am an alumnus / alumna of the MILE programme with a degree in law. Can I get my LL.M. retrospectively?

Please contact the WTI to determine your eligibility for the TRAIL+ programme. Please note, however, that credits already used to obtain the MILE degree cannot be used again to obtain an LL.M.

4. Is the application process the same for the MILE and for the TRAIL+?

Yes. There are two separate forms to fill out with nearly identical information. Please refer to the 'Admission' section of our website for information on how to apply for each programme. The application requirements are the same for both.

5. Why do both programmes have the same amount of ECTS points, but only one qualifies me for a PhD in law programme?

The TRAIL+ programme qualifies students for a PhD in law programme*, because the academic course offering of the Faculty of Law gives them the amount of ECTS points needed to receive an LL.M. (60 ECTS). In addition, TRAIL+ students take additional courses on international law and economics (30 ECTS). Hence the +. Students completing these courses are awarded, in addition to an LL.M. in International Trade and Investment Law, a Diploma of Advanced Studies (DAS) in International Law and Economics. Such students are eminently well prepared to pursue a PhD in international economic law. 

TRAIL+ students have more law courses and fewer courses in economics and political science than MILE students. Both the MILE and the TRAIL+ programmes are demanding 90 ECTS programmes. The MILE programme is tailored to those students who wish to work in the field of international economic governance as multi-disciplinary experts, while the TRAIL+ programme is more suitable for students wishing to pursue a career as a practising lawyer in this field or wishing to pursue a PhD in law. 

6. I am currently employed and want to take the MILE or the TRAIL+ programme on a part-time basis. Is this possible?

Yes, TRAIL+ and MILE courses can be taken on a part-time basis over a two to three year period. If you are interested in taking a programme part-time, please indicate so on your application form. Upon admission to the programme of your choice and in consultation with the WTI Director of Studies, you will be able to pursue the programme on a part-time basis.

7. I see that it is possible to receive financial aid for the MILE programme. How about the TRAIL+ programme?

All MILE and TRAIL+ applicants are, on request, considered for financial aid. For more information on financial aid, visit the 'Financial Aid' section of our website.

* Article 6 (1) of the Promotionsreglement of the University of Bern Law Faculty stipulates that law students must have received grade 5 or higher in their LL.M. degree to be admitted to the Faculty's PhD programme.

Students at the WTI can look forward to a range of extra-curricular activities during their time in Bern.

Students also have the opportunity to attend the WTO Public Forum and the UNCTAD World Investment Forum in Geneva, both of which are excellent platforms for networking and getting significant insights into the world of trade law and investment.

In addition, Bern has some noteworthy public events and traditions scattered throughout the year which will undoubtedly add to a positive experience during your time here. More information can be found on www.bern.com