Master of Laws (LLM) in Chinese Business Law

Programme Overview

The LLM in Chinese Business Law Programme provides students with a structured course to study the principles, processes, institutions, and methods of civil and commercial law in China in the context of an evolving political, economic, and social environment. It is designed to enable students to develop a broad intellectual outlook on the legal aspects of doing business with China.

Introduction and Welcome

Professor Yuhong ZHAO, Deputy Programme Director, welcomes students to the Chinese Business Law programme, which has attracted highly qualified applicants since its launch in 2006. The programme provides a stimulating learning environment for students to examine the legal principles and rules as well as the processes and institutions of Chinese business law.

Admission Requirements

All applicants must fulfill the General Admission Requirements and the English Language Proficiency Requirement prescribed by the University’s Graduate School. In addition, applicants must have:

• a qualification to practise law in the jurisdiction of the student’s residence; or
• a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree or a degree of equivalent standing; or
• a Bachelor’s degree in a non-law subject with substantial law-related working experience.

Application Deadlines

• 31 January 2026 (first round)
• 28 February 2026 (second round)
• 10 April 2026 (third round)

Programme Information

• Medium of Instruction: English
• Campus: The CUHK Graduate Law Centre, 2/F, Bank of America Tower, Central.

Programme Duration

• Full-time mode: one year (normative study period) – two years (maximum study period).
• Part-time mode: two years (normative study period) – three years (maximum study period).

Programme Requirements

• 24 units: including 12 units of required courses and 12 units of elective courses. Students should pass all the assessments with a cumulative GPA of at least 2.0 in order to be recommended for graduation.

Full-time Mode (1 year)

• Year 1
  • Term One:
    • Legal System and Methods in China
    • Chinese Civil Law
    • Chinese Contract Law
    • Elective
  • Term Two:
    • Chinese Company Law
    • Elective
    • Elective
    • Elective

Part-time Mode (2 years)

• Year 1
  • Term One:
    • Legal System and Methods in China
    • Chinese Civil Law
  • Term Two:
    • Elective
    • Elective
• Year 2
  • Term One:
    • Chinese Contract Law
    • Elective
  • Term Two:
    • Chinese Company Law
    • Elective

Delivery Mode

A 3-unit course will usually have three teaching hours per week. Classes are held during daytime and evenings of weekdays and daytime on Saturdays. Classes will incorporate a mix of lectures, seminars, tutorials, presentations, and class discussions.

Courses

Required Courses:

• Chinese Civil Law: This course provides an overview of the key concepts, doctrines, and methods of contemporary Chinese civil law.
• Chinese Company Law: The PRC Company Law was enacted to serve as a legal regime for business entities established in Mainland China in the form of companies limited by shares and joint stock companies.
• Chinese Contract Law: This course provides an overview of the fundamental concepts, doctrines, and methods of Chinese contract law.
• Legal System and Methods in China: This course provides an overview of the history, structure, and basic principles of the legal system and method in the PRC.

Elective Courses:

• Chinese Accounting and Law
• Chinese Banking Law
• Chinese Civil Procedure Law
• Chinese Commercial Law
• Chinese Constitutional and Administrative Law
• Chinese Economy and Law
• Chinese Employment Law
• Chinese Environmental Law: This course introduces environmental legal concepts, principles, and mechanisms in Chinese law.
• Chinese Finance and Law
• Chinese Financial Law: This course examines the history, structure, and development of Chinese financial legal system.
• Chinese Foreign Trade and Investment Law
• Chinese Intellectual Property Law: This course approaches Chinese intellectual property law from a comparative perspective and in the light of the civil law approach to property and civil wrongs.
• Chinese Investment Law: Investment law offers a rich and multidimensional perspective on the evolution of China’s post-Mao legal system in its broader economic, social, and political context.
• Chinese Law and Society in an Age of Digital Technologies and Artificial Intelligence
• Chinese Law Internship
• Chinese Politics and Law
• Chinese Practice on International Law
• Chinese Securities Regulation: This course introduces students to different types of securities as well as economic and legal concepts governing capital markets.
• Chinese Tax Law: Tax law often plays a very significant role when it comes to making business decisions in all jurisdictions including Mainland China.
• Criminal Justice and Society in China
• Dispute Resolution in China
• Global Issues in Law
• Private International Law in China
• Property Law in China

Expertise

The programme is taught by experts in their respective fields, including:

• Professor Shixue HU: international economic law, public international law, transnational law, and Chinese business law.
• Professor Robin HUANG: corporate law, securities regulation, financial law, commercial dispute resolution, and foreign investment.
• Professor Jyh-An LEE: intellectual property law and law and technology.
• Professor Michelle MIAO: criminal law and Chinese legal system.
• Professor Jingyi WANG: comparative tax law and fiscal policy, with a focus on Hong Kong and China.
• Professor Chao XI: comparative corporate law, securities regulation, and financial regulation, with a particular focus on the case of China.
• Professor Hao ZHANG: Chinese energy law, climate law, and comparative environmental law.
• Professor Yuhong ZHAO: Chinese and comparative environmental law.

Study Options

Students may take elective courses offered in other LLM Programmes and the JD Programme offered by CUHK LAW subject to availability of places.

Course Exemptions

Further study options are available, including Master of Philosophy in Law (MPhil) or Doctor of Philosophy in Laws (PhD).

Additional Learning and Development Opportunities

• The Sir TL Yang Society
• Mooting
• Exchange Programmes

Financial Information

• Tuition Fees: For the academic year, the tuition fee is HK$192,000 per programme within the normative study period.
• Student Housing: There is a shortage of on-campus student accommodation for non-local postgraduate students.

Scholarships and Prizes

• CUHK Faculty of Law Master of Laws Global Scholarship 2026/27 for outstanding non-local students admitted in 2026/27
• CUHK Faculty of Law Master of Laws Scholarship 2026/27 for outstanding local students admitted in 2026/27
• Faculty of Law Postgraduate Scholarships for Academic Excellence 2025/26
• Chartered Tax Adviser Prize for International Taxation
• The Hong Kong Institute of Trade Mark Practitioners Prize for Intellectual Property
• The Asian Patent Attorneys Association (Hong Kong Group) Prizes for Intellectual Property Law
• Lee Hysan Foundation Postgraduate Studentships for Mainland China Students
• Continuing Education Fund (CEF) for eligible courses

Frequently Asked Questions

• Applicants: Can I apply to more than one programme? Yes.
• Successful Applicants and Newly-admitted Students: Is there any kind of financial aid offered by CUHK for LLM students prior to or on admission? No.