What happens when a foreign investor goes into arbitration with a state?
- Study the rules of investment, trade and what arises when disputes occur within international investment agreements.
- Give your law career global reach and develop your specialist skills in investor-state arbitration.
- Learn from highly qualified lawyers and experts practising in the fast-moving, topical field of international arbitration.
Take advantage of growing career opportunities for lawyers working in private practice, the corporate sector or government organisations anywhere in the world – with all the advantages of online learning wherever you’re based.

Build credits towards a Masters degree
This online course is part of:
You can use the credits you earn on this short course towards either of these postgraduate qualifications.
What you’ll study
Under international law, international investment agreements are the instruments that offer the legal ground for foreign investments. They:
- enable states to set out conditions in which they expect to host an investment
- offer substantive protections to the foreign investor.
But what happens when things go wrong under an international investment agreement?
You’ll examine the processes involved when a private or corporate investor goes into dispute with a country hosting an investment.
You’ll look into international investment agreements themselves, as well as the role and process of investor-state arbitration in solving disputes.
Topics you’ll cover include:
- the evolution of international investment agreements
- commercial arbitration vs. investment arbitration
- differences between contractual claims and investment claims
- the arbitration process itself – including provisional measures, the intervention of non-disputing third parties (role of amicus curiae), and issues of enforcement.
Why study Law online with the University of Aberdeen?
Study at a university with one of the largest and most internationally experienced teams of legal experts in any European law school.

Flexible
Part-time hours and 24/7 access, so you can study when it suits you.

2nd in UK for student satisfaction
Our Law School ranks 2nd in the UK for Overall Student Satisfaction (National Student Survey 2021).

20% alumni discount
University of Aberdeen alumni get 20% off this online course.
How you’ll study
Online learning
Our distance-learning International Investment Arbitration course is delivered part-time, 100% online. You can study with us anywhere in the world and manage your study hours to suit you.
Part of our CIArb-accredited Masters in Dispute Resolution, this course is taught at Masters level.
Your teaching
Your teaching is delivered through MyAberdeen, our online Virtual Learning Environment (VLE). It holds all the materials, tools and support you’ll need in your studies. Take a look around MyAberdeen.
You can access your learning materials on computer, smartphone and laptop, 24 hours a day. You’ll find a range of resources at your fingertips, including:
- video lectures
- online tutorials
- reading list
- projects
- the online resources of our award-winning Sir Duncan Rice Library and the Law Library
- discussion boards with colleagues and tutors.
Your tutors
You’ll learn from lawyers with extensive international experience and experts working in practice in the field of international arbitration.
Your course coordinator

Dr Edouard Fromageau
Edouard is a Lecturer in International Economic Law in our School of Law. Prior to this, he was a Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute Luxembourg for Procedural Law, which he joined in 2015 after a postdoctoral stay at NYU School of Law.
View Edouard’s profileOnline learning in the School of Law
Advocates share their experiences of working while studying law online with us.
Where this will take you
Towards an LLM
You’ll earn 15 credits at Masters level (SCQF Level 11) with this course. You can use these credits towards our:

LLM in Dispute Resolution
Enhance your non-court dispute resolution skills with this online Masters accredited by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators.
View LLM Dispute Resolution
LLM in International Trade Law
Develop the knowledge to practise trade law or work for governments, international businesses and NGOs. Join this flexible online LLM you can study part-time, with the option to attend Professional Skills training.
View LLM International Trade LawBuild your learning
We offer a wide range of specialist online Law short courses you can use to build your skills.
Many are part of existing Masters degrees and can be used to build up credits towards postgraduate qualifications.
Careers
This course offers a significant career advantage to you as a practising lawyer advising clients on international deals, working in a government department or multinational company.
With Brexit requiring the UK to strike deals outside EU trade agreements, opportunities are great for skilled lawyers specialising in all aspects of international trade law.
Your employer or professional institute may recognise this course for Continuing Professional Development (CPD). Talk to your employer or institute to find out more.

Free careers advice
We’ll help you explore your career potential and connect with job opportunities around the world.
You can access our free careers service while you study.
From interview training to CV clinics, we’re here with tailored, impartial and professional advice.
Entry requirements
The minimum entry requirements for this course are:
- an 2:1 (upper-second-class) Law degree (or equivalent).
Relevant practical experience in a related field is also beneficial.
Apply for this course