Master's in Law – Specialization in Social Law and Innovation

Being human is not an option

Presentation

The NOVA School of Law is at the forefront of higher education, characterized by its innovation. The importance of Social Law and Innovation are well recognized.

The fundamental goal of the course is to provide an integrated vision of a wide range of fields of study, such as Labour Law, Social Security Law, Migration Law, and Resolution Conflict with its emergent legislation. The course is valued for its blend of traditional law with developments in the associated areas of Social and Innovation Law.

The course aims to provide law graduates with a balanced education in emerging areas of law, and to equip them with the necessary tools for a specialized career in a range of professional fields. The interdisciplinary course structure facilitates strategies to deal with complex problem resolution inherent in Social and Innovation Law.

Coordination

João Zenha Martins

Scientific Commission

President: Jorge Morais Carvalho | Board Members: Lúcio Tomé (taught component) | João Zenha Martins (taught component) | Veronica Corcodel (non-taught component) | Fabrizio Esposito (non-taught component)


Goals

Consolidate and deepen the knowledge acquired in the bachelor’s degree, especially with regard to Social and Innovation Law; Understand the structure, interconnection and scope of different social laws; Develop skills in scientific research; Identify labour negotiation strategies and conflict resolution with regard to labour, procedure, migration and social security; Knowledge of essential innovatory tools for a professional career in the field.


Target Applicant

The Master in Social and Innovation Law deepens the knowledge and skills acquired at bachelor degree level. Holders of a bachelor’s law degree or equivalent will be given preference in admissions.


Timetable

This course is taught during working hours*.

*Some Optional Curricular Units may have schedules that do not match the timetable of the course.


Certification

Study CycleDegreeA3ES DecisionNumber of YearsPublication of the A3ES decisionDGES registration numberPublication in Diário da República

Law

Master

accredited

5

R/A-Ef 3196/2011/AL02

Testimonials

The Master’s in Social and Innovation Law was a highly relevant course of study for me to pursue. I am a lawyer in close collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Portuguese Navy. In the past few years, I have dedicated my professional life to an Institution whose principal concern is their citizen’s welfare, the SCML. My choice of this Master’s is due to the subjects offered and to the teaching staff. I have taken part in Erasmus, and several courses at national and European universities, and it is with great pleasure that I return to NOVA School of Law, a Faculty with a multicultural environment and where the jurist and humanist stand side by side.
Tânia Fonseca Alexandre
Student in the 2019-2020 Academic Year
I have a Bachelor degree in Law from Vale do Rio dos Sinos University. I am a lawyer and since 2016, I have been Prosecutor to the Architecture and Urbanism Council from Rio Grande do Sul. I have chosen the Master in Social and Innovation Law because it is a course where there is a strong connection between theory and practice, and because it focuses on present-day situations. I couldn’t be happier with my decision, especially with regard to the teaching staff and the well-structured curriculum that NOVA School of Law offers.
Suzana Rahde Gerchmann
Student in the 2019-2020 Academic Year

Curricular Plan

+ 2023/2024

This specialization reopens in 2024/2025

+ 2022/2023

1st year – Taught Component

1st Semester ECTS
Restricted Optionals
Introdução à Mediação** 8
Filosofia Social e Política 6
Corporate Governance 6
Human Rights International Protection Systems 6
Direito do Trabalho em Funções Públicas 6
Direitos Fundamentais Sociais 6
International Humanitarian Law 6
Life Sciences Law 6
Energy Law 4
Insolvência 4
Three Forms of Injustice: New Work in Legal and Political Philosophy 4
Free Optionals
Direito Internacional Público Avançado 6
2nd SemesterECTS
Mandatory 
Metodologia da Investigação Jurídica*8
Restricted Optionals
Mediação – Técnicas e Processo**8
Direito Europeu do Trabalho6
Processo Penal Especial6
Direito da Economia Social6
Direito Processual do Trabalho6
Environmental Law6
EU Asylum and Migration Law6
Direito Penal Económico6
Data Protection and Management Law6
Direito do Desporto4
Direito da Família e da Criança4
Argumentação Jurídica4
Energy, Climate and the Just Transition4
Ethics and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence4
Emerging Technologies: Governance and Regulation4
EU Criminal Law4
Business, Human Rights and Sustainability4

OP= Restricted Options (total 32 ECTS)

*Same course, different language of tuition. Students must choose the version they wish to attend (Portuguese or English).

**The successful completion of both curricular units, fulfilling the minimum requirement of class attendance, represents certified training, giving access to the list of certified mediators of the Ministry of Justice.

In addition to the mandatory courses, students must complete 32 ECTS in the elective courses listed above and 20 ECTS in any courses taught at NOVA School of Law or selected from the above electives.

Total ECTS Taught Component: 60 ECTS

Para além da disciplina obrigatória, os/as estudantes devem completar 32 ECTS em disciplinas de opção restrita de entre aqui elencadas e 20 ECTS em disciplinas de opção livre que podem escolher livremente de qualquer disciplina lecionada na NOVA School of Law. Total de ECTS da fase letiva: 60 ECTS

2nd year – Research

1st Semester / 2nd SemesterECTS
Mandatory 
Tese, estágio em instituição nacional ou internacional ou trabalho de projeto60

1st year – Taught Component

1st Semester ECTS
Restricted Optionals
Introdução à Mediação** 8
Filosofia Social e Política 6
Corporate Governance 6
Human Rights International Protection Systems 6
Direito do Trabalho em Funções Públicas 6
Direitos Fundamentais Sociais 6
International Humanitarian Law 6
Life Sciences Law 6
Energy Law 4
Insolvência 4
Three Forms of Injustice: New Work in Legal and Political Philosophy 4
Free Optionals
Direito Internacional Público Avançado 6
2nd SemesterECTS
Mandatory 
Metodologia da Investigação Jurídica*6
Restricted Optionals
Mediação – Técnicas e Processo**8
Direito Europeu do Trabalho6
Processo Penal Especial6
Direito da Economia Social6
Direito Processual do Trabalho6
Environmental Law6
EU Asylum and Migration Law6
Direito Penal Económico6
Data Protection and Management Law6
Direito do Desporto4
Direito da Família e da Criança4
Argumentação Jurídica4
Energy, Climate and the Just Transition4
Ethics and Regulation of Artificial Intelligence4
Emerging Technologies: Governance and Regulation4
EU Criminal Law4
Business, Human Rights and Sustainability4

OP= Restricted Options (total 32 ECTS)

*Same course, different language of tuition. Students must choose the version they wish to attend (Portuguese or English).

**The successful completion of both curricular units, fulfilling the minimum requirement of class attendance, represents certified training, giving access to the list of certified mediators of the Ministry of Justice.

In addition to the mandatory courses, students must complete 32 ECTS in the elective courses listed above and 20 ECTS in any courses taught at NOVA School of Law or selected from the above electives.

Total ECTS Taught Component: 60 ECTS

Para além da disciplina obrigatória, os/as estudantes devem completar 32 ECTS em disciplinas de opção restrita de entre aqui elencadas e 20 ECTS em disciplinas de opção livre que podem escolher livremente de qualquer disciplina lecionada na NOVA School of Law. Total de ECTS da fase letiva: 60 ECTS

2nd year – Research

1st Semester / 2nd SemesterECTS
Mandatory 
Tese, estágio em instituição nacional ou internacional ou trabalho de projeto60
Objectives and Structure of the Curricular Units

Tuition Fees

  • Total Tuition Fee – National and International Student: 6200.00€;
  • Annual fee for the taught component – National and International Student: 4200.00€;
  • Total Semester Tuition Fee for Non-curricular phase: 2000.00€;
  • Tuition Fee for Additional Non-Curricular semester – National and International Student: 1000.00€;
  • Extension of the non-curricular phase (90 days): 600€

Reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the full documentation regarding fees, emoluments and taxes for the academic year in question.

Tuition fees are annual and due in full upon enrolment in the course. Payment in instalments is allowed for students’ mere convenience.

In the case of withdrawal from the course, the amounts already paid are not refundable. The remaining tuition fee payments due for the academic year to which the application relates must also be paid.

Refund of the tuition fee is only possible where the previous course has not been completed by September, and is conditioned by its completion. In this case, the applicant must give proof of the situation through a declaration from the home institution, before the end of September. Amounts other than tuition fees (fees, school insurance and administrative costs) are not refundable.

Payments must be made via ATM or through PayPal* using the references available in the reserved area. Failure to pay tuition fees within the time limits indicated results in an increase in the amount to be settled and/or the suspension of enrolment and registration, as well as the invalidity of all curricular acts practised in the academic year in which the non-compliance is not respected.

*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment

Financial Discounts

Students who choose to pay tuition fees in a one-off initial payment at the time of registration receive a 5% discount on the amount to be paid.

Payment by instalments

Annual tuition fees for the taught component
The annual tuition fees for the taught component can be paid in 4 or 10 instalments

  • 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and 10th of the months of September, January, May.
  • 10 instalments: 1st instalment of 20% of the total amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining amount in 9 instalments paid between the 1st and the 10th of the months of September to May.

Tuition fees of the non-curricular phase
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase can be paid in 4 instalments.

  • 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and the 10th of the months of November, January, May

Tuition fee for an additional non-curricular semester
Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase can be paid in 4 instalments.

  • 4 instalments: 25% of the amount paid at the time of registration and the remaining between the 1st and the 10th of the months of October, November, January for the 1st semester and March, April, May for the 2nd semester

Tuition fees for the non-curricular phase
Fees are paid in full at the time of registration.

Merit Awards

Merit Awards are awarded to:

  • Candidates whose final average admission to a 2nd study cycle at NOVA School of Law, according to assessment and ranking by the appropriate jury, is equal to or higher than 17 points (on a scale of 0/20) and who enrol and attend the same course, benefit from an award in cash corresponding to 50% of the tuition fee for the taught component of the Master’s degree.
  • Candidates whose final average admission to a 2nd study cycle at NOVA School of Law, according to assessment and ranking by the appropriate jury, is equal to or higher than 16 points (on a scale of 0/20) and who enrol and attend the same course, benefit from an award in cash corresponding to 30% of the tuition fee for the taught component of the Master’s degree.

In the non-taught phase, three prizes for academic merit are awarded (by master’s degree or area of specialization, in the case of the Master’s Degree in Law). These awards assume the completion of the taught component within the stipulated time.

  • The best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 100% of the tuition fee for the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree;
  • The second-best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase, benefits from an award in cash corresponding to 60% of the tuition fee, corresponding to the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree;
  • The third-best student of the taught component of each study cycle or specialization area of a study cycle who continues and attends the non-taught phase of the Master’s degree.

Emoluments/Charges and Taxes Fees

  • Application fee: 51.00€
  • Administrative costs per registration/enrolment (each year): 35.00€
  • Institution insurance (each year): 3.00€

Applications

2024/2025

Length 4 Semesters

120 ECTS

The candidates will be distributed among the various areas of specialization (International and European Law, Business Law and Technology (“Law & Tech”), Public Law and Social and Innovation Law).

Applications from students who prove they will be able to complete their bachelor’s degree by September will be accepted.

Applications for this specialization are only open for the 2024/2025 academic year.

Requirements

Holders of a bachelor’s degree (licenciatura) or legal equivalent.

Selection Criteria

  • Final grade of the degree which the applicant is applying with (50%)
  • Relevance and suitability of previous background to the master’s degree course with regard to the pluridisciplinary nature of the course (50%); the jury assigns each applicant a grade of 0 to 20, based on analysis of the letter of motivation and curriculum vitae. If necessary, the members of the jury may decide to conduct an interview with all or some of the applicants
  • Applicants with a rating lower than 9.5 will automatically be excluded.

Submission of Applications (Online):

  • Completion of the application form (online)
  • Payment of the application fee using the ATM or Paypal reference provided through the submission procedure (51.00€)*
  • Online submission of the following documents:
      • Motivation letter
      • Curriculum vitae (European model)
      • Copy of the course(s) certificate(s)
      • Copy of the tax number identification card
      • Copy of the Identification Card
      • If you are an International Student, declaration, under oath, that the applicant does not have Portuguese nationality, nor is covered by any of the exceptions of no. 2 of Article 2 of Regulation no. 687/2020, of 20th August, which under the terms of Decree-Law no. 36/2014, of 10th March, excludes him/her from the International Student status – Declaration of Honour | International Student
      • For applicants presenting an identification document with a nationality other than Portuguese or EU, declaration, under oath, that the applicant has Portuguese nationality or is covered by one of the exceptions of Article 2, no. 2 of Regulation no. 687/2020, of 20th August, which under the terms of Decree-Law no. 36/2014, of 10th March, excludes him/her from the International Student status – Declaration of Honour 
      • Declaration under oath on the status of finalist (in case the previous academic degree is not finished by the application date) – Declaration of honour for applications conditional on completion of degree
  • Applicants conditioned upon the conclusion of the bachelor’s degree must submit an interim academic transcript showing the subjects already completed with their final grades, and the degree, the institution, expected average and the conclusion date. In addition, a statement from the institution of higher education where they are attending the degree should be submitted, proving their academic situation
  • Applicants with foreign qualifications must send an academic transcript or a declaration with the final average of the degree
  • Applicants who do not report the final grade average, expected or completed will be graded with a minimum score of 10 on the 0-20 scale
  • Applicants may submit, at the time of application, the request for accreditation of academic qualifications and professional experience obtained before enrolment in the study cycle. The crediting processes take into account the level of the credits corresponding to the previous education and training, in no case being allowed the creditation, for the continuation of studies in a study cycle, of education and training carried out in the context of a study cycle of a lower qualification level. For the purpose of accreditation, the candidate must fill in a specific form and attach all the relevant documentation. When the crediting request occurs during the application, the crediting is not a sufficient condition for admission in the study cycle and it only produces effects after the admission and only in that same study cycle

*Paypal payments are validated automatically; Multibanco payments will be validated up to 48 hours after the payment

All documents must be presented in Portuguese, English, French or Spanish, and endorsed by the competent authority of the State where the document originates

Applications omitting the documents requested or where the application fee has not been paid will be rejected.

Applications available through the NOVA School of Law applications portal.

Readmissions

Readmission is the act by which a student, after interruption of studies in an institution/course of higher education, enrols in the same institution and enrols in the same course or in a course which has replaced it.


SCHOOL YEAR 2023/2024

Requirements:

Students who can apply for readmission to any cycle of studies:

  • Must have already been enrolled and enrolled at the NOVA School of Law, in the same course or in a course in which they are already registered, without having completed it
  • Must not have been enrolled in that course in the previous academic year to the one in which they intend to be readmitted to
  • Those students whose registration has lapsed due to the requirements in force may apply for readmission once two school semesters have elapsed since the date of the regulations

The Faculty reserves the right to refuse readmission to applications from students whose curricular record indicates serious difficulties in adapting to the study plan in force and to the type of teaching provided at the NOVA School of Law. Requests from students who are in debt to the Faculty for tuition fees or any other amounts will be rejected, subject to the provisions of Law Nº. 75/2019, of September 2.


Deadlines for submission of applications | School Year 2023/24:


1st Semester

Submission of the application

From 3 to 14 July 2023

Enrolment and Registration for Curricular Units

From 28 August to 8 September 2023

2nd Semester

Submission of the application

From 8 to 19 January 2024

Enrolment and Registration for Curricular Units

From 29 January to 2 February 2024


Instructions for submitting the application (online):

The application is submitted online through the website of NOVA School of Law by filling in a form and uploading the necessary documents, namely:

  • Online submission of a simple photocopy of the citizen card or passport (international applicants)
  • Payment of the application fee through the Multibanco/PayPal references that will appear during the application process 70.00€ (non-refundable)

The student must print proof of the online application, essential for any subsequent steps.


Fees and Emoluments

 

Fee

70,00€

Administrative cost per enrolment/registration (annual)

35,00€

School insurance

  3,00€

Registration certificate

  6,00€

Note: to these amounts must be added the annual fees applicable to the study cycle relevant to the academic year 2022/23 (see the relevant notice).

Tuition fees are fixed annually by the General Council of the NOVA University Lisbon.

The reading of this information does not exempt consultation of the relevant legislation and regulations, the public notice of fees, and the table of fees in force of the respective school year.

Applications that are not accompanied by all the documents or whose fee has not been paid will automatically be rejected.

Regulations Applicable: Decree-Law Nº. 36/2014, of March 10th, altered by Decree-Law Nº. 62/2018, of August 6th, and Regulation Nº. 436/2020, of April 28th, of the NOVA School of Law.

Applications through the NOVA School of Law applications portal.

Clear all your doubts

We are at your disposal to answer any questions you may have about studying at NOVA School of Law.

Please do not hesitate to contact us by email: apoio.candidato@novalaw.unl.pt.