Master of Private Law

Al Ain University, previously known as Al Ain University of Science and Technology, offers a Master of Private Law, taught in English at its campus in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Private law is the branch of law that governs relationships between individuals and private entities, as distinct from public law's focus on the state, covering areas such as contracts, property, torts, family law, and civil obligations. At the graduate level, students build on undergraduate legal training to study these areas in greater depth, often through comparative analysis of how different legal systems handle contractual disputes, property rights, inheritance, and civil liability. Coursework typically includes advanced contract law, property and real rights, family and personal status law, civil procedure, and comparative private law, alongside research methods that prepare students to produce original legal scholarship or a thesis. Seminar-style discussion and detailed case analysis are common at this level, with students expected to critique existing legal doctrine and propose reasoned positions on unsettled or contested questions. The program develops advanced skills in legal drafting, argumentation, and research that go beyond the foundational training of an undergraduate law degree. Graduates typically pursue advanced legal practice, roles in the judiciary, corporate legal departments, legal consultancy, or academic careers teaching and researching private law. A master's-level legal qualification also supports specialization for lawyers seeking deeper expertise in civil and commercial matters. Studying private law in Abu Dhabi provides exposure to the legal framework of the United Arab Emirates alongside comparative perspectives. The program is accredited by the UAE Commission for Academic Accreditation, meeting the country's recognized standards for graduate legal education.