Program and courses Law and Technology

In the academic year 2023/2024, this Master's program offers online and on-campus education, meaning the following: 

• The program offers you the flexibility to attend the classes either online or on campus. 

• Exams will be organized exclusively online. 

• Classes and exams will be scheduled according to the Central European Timezone. 

• Recordings are made of most lectures, but we do not guarantee this. Live attendance during classes fosters the community of online and on campus students.

• The pre-Master’s program is only offered on campus. 

If you apply for the Master's Law and technology, you will receive more information about the online and on campus options after you have been (conditionally) admitted. 

Fall semester (End of August - January)

• Regulation: Ethics, Acceptance, Legitimacy (6 ECTS)
• Researching Law & Technology (6 ECTS)

Spring semester (End of January - August)

• Master's Thesis

This specialization focuses on privacy, data protection, cybercrime and (cyber)security. The track provides you with an in-depth understanding of the regulatory landscape surrounding privacy, data protection, cybercrime, and cybersecurity at the European level. Core themes include the symbiosis of privacy and security, the balance between rights and public interests, and the impact of technology. The program also highlights the often conflicting interests of stakeholders such as data subjects and administrators, or attackers and defenders in cybersecurity.

The courses relevant to privacy, public and international law, are structured to build on each other, with a focus on the relationship between privacy and security. The sequence of courses depends on whether you start in the fall or spring semester.

In short

• Learn about the fundamentals of regulating technology and specialize in privacy and security.
• Delve into the (supra-national) regulation instruments at the European level.
• Combine private, public and international law in all the courses of this track.
• Investigate the right to privacy and data protection, and the balance between necessity and proportionality of protection measures and the right to privacy.

This track provides a well-rounded education in the legal aspects of the digital space. You learn to navigate the complexities of the evolving digital landscape while considering both legal and economic factors. This specialization equips you with knowledge of intellectual property law, competition law and the development in regulation of the digital market. In this track, you focus on data as an economic resource and the laws related to this. The specialization also investigates regulation of online platforms designed to control the economic power of actors in e-commerce and information circulation.

In short

• Learn how to apply law to achieve innovation and competition in the digital space, without neglecting the value and purpose of legislation.
• Learn about the fundamentals of regulating technology and specialize in digital markets.

This track delves into how laws deal with technology worldwide, especially in the European Union. The courses focus on health, energy and fintech. Key questions include: How do we regulate digital technologies that shape our daily lives? How do we prevent global apps from causing injustice? How do we make these technologies sustainable and equitable?

We examine social media, fintech and other technologies that affect our society. By regulating this infrastructure, we are regulating society itself. This track helps you to understand how laws and regulations are connected on the national and international level, and how they affect the sustainability and equity of technology. We use critical approaches, including ethics, to give you a broad view of the impact of technology on society.

In short

• Focus on three sectors in-depth: health, energy and fintech. Consider them in the context of AI and other macro-level developments.
• Develop a well-rounded understanding of the context in which regulatory choices are made, and the effects of technology regulation on society.
• Learn about the fundamentals of regulating technology and specialize in sustainable technology.

In both semesters you will be working on your Master's thesis:

• The Master's program in Law and Technology is concluded with a thesis (12 ECTS). 
• A mandatory preparatory course Researching Law and Technology (6 ECTS) is part of the thesis process.
• We work with mentor groups to guide you through the formation of the thesis topic and proposal.
• Master classes and tutorials are offered to develop and improve your ability to formulate a strong research question, to structure an introduction, to choose and report methodology, and to write a discussion.
• You can start in September following the trajectory until June. When you start end of January you follow the trajectory until December.