| Frequently Asked Questions |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Q: When do classes start? What is the school year?
Unless you receive an exemption from the preparatory course in Advanced Legal English, you will start classes in mid-July. and the vast majority of students start classes in mid-July. If you are exempted from attending the Advanced Legal English course, you will start classes in mid-August. Classes end in the early part of April, and most exams are completed by mid-May.
Q: Can I practice law in Canada?
The LLM in International Business Law, as with all LLMs in Canada, does not qualify you to practice law in Canada. Those interested in practising law in Canada should contact the National Committee on Accreditation for details.
Q: Does the LLM give me a Certificate of Qualification from the NCA?
No. We have some courses that are recognized by the NCA but you will not be able to complete all of your NCA requirements in this program. Note, however, that if you plan to write the NCA Challenge Examinations, we do offer our NCA Exam Prep course free of charge to our students and alumni. This 3 week course assists in exam preparation for Foundations of Canadian Law, Administrative Law, Criminal Law and Constitutional Law. Visit our NCA Examination Preparatory Course site for more details.
Q: Can I take JD courses while I am in the LLM?
Those admitted to the LLM in International Business Law are required to take one JD course in the Fall term, and one JD course in the Winter term to meet the degree requirements for the LLM. Additional courses may be taken with permission of the program director, and many students do take additional courses. While some courses recognized by the NCA may be available as electives, it is not possible to complete NCA requirements through this program. Those interested in pursuing NCA requirements only must apply and be accepted to the Osgoode JD program as NCA applicants.
Q: Where are classes held?
The majority of your classes are held at our downtown campus at Osgoode Professional Development Centre which is located at:
1 Dundas Street West, Suite 2602
Toronto, ON Canada M5G 1Z3
Those admitted to the LLM in International Business Law will also be registered in a minimum of one JD course in the Fall and Winter terms. The JD courses are held at Osgoode Hall Law School, York University Keele Campus which is located at:
4700 Keele Street
Toronto, ON Canada M3J 1P3
Q: When do I make my course selection?
You will be able to select your courses once you arrive. Instructions will be provided at Orientation.
Q: How can I register in courses?
Once you have selected your courses the Graduate Program Assistant for your program will register you.
Q: When is Orientation?
Orientation will be scheduled as early after the arrival date of all students as possible. There students will receive all the information that they will need throughout the year.
Q: Do I automatically get an internship?
Internship positions are not guaranteed. Osgoode arranges opportunities for students at a variety of organizations and provides you help with preparing a resume and interview skills. Students must, however, apply and successfully interview with the organizations to be placed. Factors which lead to a placement are excellent spoken and written English skills, a good academic record and a successful interview. Generally about 60% of students who want internships get a placement.
Q: How much will I be paid?
The internships are unpaid.
Q: When do internships begin?
Internship start dates can be negotiated between the student and the firm/organization with whom they are matched. Usually, most students begin after their exams and papers are completed (in May), assuming the post-graduate work permit is obtained.
Should you wish to begin later, this may be arranged provided the employer agrees.
Q: Do I need to obtain a work permit for the internship?
Yes. Students will need to obtain a post-graduate work permit before you are able to begin your placement. This is the case even though you are not paid. Visit the federal government's post-graduate work permit site for more information.
Q: What are some past firms and organizations that have offered internships?
The following is a sampling of the organizations that have taken part in the internship over the past few years:
- Royal Bank of Canada (RBC)
- BLG LLP
- Torys LLP
- Davies Ward Phillips & Vineberg LLP
- Osler Hoskin & Harcourt LLP
- Jones & Co.
- TD Canada Trust (TD)
- WeirFoulds LLP
- Blake Cassels and Graydon LLP
- Citibank
- McCarthy Tetrault LLP
- ING Direct
- CIBC
- McCarthy Tétrault LLP
- Scotiabank
- Legal Aid Ontario
Q: Do the internships have to be located in Toronto?
Although most internships are located within the downtown Toronto area, we have had internships available in Montreal and Vancouver. If you are interested in interning outside Toronto, let us know once you’re here and we will see what can be arranged.
Q: What kind of work will I do?
Given that you will not be qualified to practice law in Canada and the placement is for two months, firms are limited in the kinds of work they can give you. In most cases, students shadow a lawyer, assist with contract or document review, or do legal research.
Q: What are the chances of an internship turning into a permanent job?
You should assume that this will not happen. We have had students who were hired by their internship employer both permanently and on contract, however, this is very rare, and often depends on whether the individual has specific language skills needed by the employer. First, if your internship is with a law firm, the law firm cannot hire you to practice law, as you are not qualified to practice law in Canada. Similarly, they cannot hire you for an articling position unless you have received a Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation. The internship is intended to provide you with exposure to the Canadian legal work environment, not to provide you with a permanent job.
Q: What do students who do not receive an internship do during
this time?
Once students have completed their classes, and have completed the degree requirements and are eligible to graduate, they may apply for a post-graduate work permit and seek employment. Others return to their home country to seek employment.
Some students apply for an assessment of their credentials with the National Committee on Accreditation to determine what is involved in qualifying to practice law. Other students return to their home countries and seek employment there.
Q: When is the deadline for application?
For those who want to be considered for an entrance scholarship the application deadline is March 15. Otherwise the application deadline is April 30. We accept applications with complete documentation beyond April 30; however, keep in mind that you need to factor in time to obtain a Canadian student visa before the start of classes, which for most students, is mid-July. We strongly recommend that you apply for a study visa no later than May 1 and you will need an offer of admission from us in order to do this.
Q: Do I meet the minimum GPA required?
The minimum Grade Point Average required for admission consideration according to our admission criteria posted at is 75% (B) average. The assessment of official transcripts (and degree certificates where applicable) is completed at Graduate Admissions once you have applied and the GPA is determined based on the York University Grading Scale.
Q: I do not have a law degree. Can I apply?
We have accepted applicants without a law degree who have a graduate degree in a related discipline, a very good academic record and at least a 7.5 IELTS.
Q: Do I have to apply through the local representative on the website?
Applicants residing in countries where local representatives are available must apply via their office. The local representatives are there to assist the applicants in ensuring all required documents are submitted and processed promptly without delay. The consultants also assist with the study permit application process. Applications received at Osgoode Professional Development directly from these locations will be redirected to the local representative for processing.
Visit our Local Representatives webpage for contact details of local offices near you.
Please note that if you are living in Canada, even if you are a citizen of a country where we have local representatives, you can apply directly to our office.
Q: Do I have to complete the language test? My studies were in English.
Applicants are exempt from providing the Proof of Language Proficiency if:
(1) their first language is English; OR (2) they have completed at least 2 years of full time study at an accredited university in a country (or institution) where English is the only official language of instruction.
For details regarding the minimum language scores and acceptable tests required for those not exempt visit our Admissions page.
Q: If I do not receive the language score on your website can I
still apply?
Students with a 6.5 IELTS score or equivalent may be considered for admission conditional on attaining the required English score by June of the year to which they apply.
If you are applying from China and are interested in this option, please contact the China Projects Office at 010-59733378 or email Tony Zeng at tonyz@yorku.ca
English language training is available at York University's English Language
Training Institute in Canada. For details regarding this please visit the YUELI website.
Q: What happens if I do not obtain my VISA in time for the program’s start date?
Depending on the country you are from, study permit application processing time varies and often takes several months. If your study permit is not granted in time for the program start date, please ensure you keep close contact with our office to discuss any alternate possibilities or assistance we may be able to provide. Generally, if you do not have your VISA in time, you cannot begin the program. In such cases, our office will keep the application documents for the following 2 years for those interested in submitting a new application for admission consideration.
Q: How can I access my student account?
Access to the student account is via Passport York. Details on how that works will be provided at Orientation.
Q: Where can I get official letters if required?
The Graduate Program Assistant for your program will advise you how to obtain official letters. Some official letters are issued by our office here at Osgoode Professional Development, and others are issued by the Office of the Registrar at York University.
Q: Can I get funding?
In Canada, almost all graduate funding is directed toward research-based programs. This program is not in the research stream, so there is very little funding available. There are, however, entrance scholarships ranging between $1,000 and $5,000. To apply, visit our Apply Now page.
Q: Can I work in Canada while I am studying? What about after graduation?
For details on working while a student,
visit York International's Off-Campus Work Permit Guide webpage. Please note that we strongly encourage you not to work outside your studies, due to the academic workload in the program. Once you successfully complete the program, you are eligible to apply for a post-graduate work permit.
Q: How do I pay my tuition?
Once you accept the Offer of Admission, you will be invoiced the full amount of your tuition, less the amount of any entrance scholarship awarded. The tuition must be paid in full prior to the start of classes.
Q: What job opportunities become available for me once I graduate
with the LLM?
Graduates have pursued different paths based on their interests. Some have returned to their home countries to teach law, to continue in their legal practices, or to law or business positions.
Graduates who remain in Canada have gone on to further graduate studies in law, have been accepted to JD programs, and have obtained positions in business or in-house legal departments. Please note that if you intend to qualify to practice law in the Province of Ontario, following your LLM, you will have to gain a Certificate of Qualification from the National Committee on Accreditation, complete a 10 month work term with a licensed lawyer referred to as “articling”, and successfully complete Bar Examinations.
Q: Why do I have extra charges in my account?
The way the LLM in International Business Law LLM is structured, several late charges will appear in the student account after registration. These charges will be reversed by the Graduate Program Assistant once classes begin.
Q: What are all these transactions in my account?
The Graduate Program Assistant will explain all the transactions on an individual basis as student accounts are confidential and they also vary between students.
Q: If I live on campus, how do I pay my rent?
If you live on campus, your rent will be billed to your student account. You can pay it at your bank or by cheque. Instructions will be provided as requested.
Q: Where should I live during my studies?
While OPD does not find accommodations for students, we are happy to provide students with some useful websites and other tips about living in Toronto.
Students will have courses both at Keele campus and at Osgoode Professional Development in downtown Toronto. Some students choose to live on campus and others live off campus, closer to downtown. Many of the classes held downtown are in the evening, so many students elect to live downtown as they find that more convenient.
Q: When do I get my York University student card?
York University student cards are available for pick up upon registration. Osgoode Professional Development will register each student once we receive confirmation from the student that their VISA (study permit) has been issued.
Osgoode Professional Development will make arrangements to have the Student Cards picked up during the university campus tour which is scheduled once all the students have arrived in Toronto.
Otherwise student cards may be picked up individually at the Student Services Building at the York University - Keele campus.
There is not cost for the initial card, however, replacement cards cost $20.
Q: What about health insurance?
International Business Law LLM students are automatically enrolled in York University’s University Health Insurance Plan (UHIP). Full details of this plan can be found on UHIP’s website. The cost of this plan is not included in the cost of your tuition and will be billed to your student account separately.
For those who are Canadian Citizens/Permanent Residents, if you have alternative coverage via another insurance plan, you are welcome to opt out of UHIP by completing a UHIP withdrawal form. This can be found on the aforementioned website.
|
