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Overview

Overview

Overview

The Faculty of Law at a glance

The Cologne Faculty of Law, one of the largest and richest in tradition in Germany, was already an exceptional faculty when it was founded in 1388, as it was the first faculty to teach Roman law alongside canonical (ecclesiastical) law from the very beginning. 
To this day, teaching and research cover a broad spectrum: from the foundations of law to all areas of relevance to society.

Faculty in figures

Institutes/research facilities: 56

Graduate schools: 1

University professors: 37

University prizes: 7

Future prizes: 8

Discipline-specific prizes & honors: 13

Academic staff: 184

Technical and administrative staff: 67

Study programmes: 13

Students: 5,589

Graduates: 583

Doctorates: 48

Profile in brief

Research

The Faculty of Law is characterized by its distinctive institute structure, which enables modern and intensive research in almost all areas of law. In particular, it cultivates six interrelated fields of research through numerous cross-cutting issues:

A consistent feature of all our research is that it not only examines issues relating to national law, but also consistently explores comparative and international perspectives. The faculty ensures both fundamental and practice-oriented research and always seeks to exchange ideas with other disciplines and social actors. In doing so, it identifies trends at an early stage that are of great societal relevance and contain the legal challenges of the future. The Faculty of Law thus promotes and supports the application and further development of the law not only in legal practice, but also to a significant extent in politics and society.

Teaching

Teaching at the Faculty of Law is essentially based on the educational objective of the so-called "Einheitsjurist" (standardized lawyer), which is prescribed in Germany for the typical legal professions of judges, public prosecutors, lawyers and senior civil servants. This applies not only to the traditional law degree programme leading to the first examination, but to the entire range of courses offered by the Faculty.

The Faculty is convinced that the skills sought for “standardized lawyers” – namely, the ability to engage in in-depth academic work, to independently explore new developments, to think critically and to act responsibly within a free, democratic and social constitutional state – are also crucial for the professional success of our students outside of typical legal professions. The same applies to the Faculty's aim of preparing students for the increasingly important international dimension of law.

The Faculty is encouraged in these assumptions by the favorable career prospects of Cologne graduates. Many companies and large law firms find their next generation of lawyers among the Faculty's former students.

Internationality

For over half a century, research and teaching at the Cologne Faculty of Law has been characterized by a special international focus. The faculty recognised the relevance of this issue early on and has consistently dedicated itself to it ever since.

Not only 16 internationally oriented institutes and legal research facilities at the faculty, but also the research conducted at all other chairs and institutes take into account the international and comparative law aspects of legal issues. The research benefits from numerous collaborations with renowned partner universities abroad and covers the entire spectrum of international, supranational and transnational law.

These conditions are particularly beneficial to students interested in cross-border activities. They can earn a double degree in two countries through seven binational degree programmes. In addition, the faculty maintains over 60 partnerships across three continents, resulting in around 600 study places each year for periods abroad during their studies. Relevant specialisation areas or certificate programmes undertaken alongside their studies enable students to gain qualifications locally.

Equal opportunities

The Faculty of Law is committed to promoting greater equality of opportunity.. It pursues this goal through various measures in the areas of gender equality, family-friendly policies, educational equality, inclusion, critical engagement with racism and anti-Semitism and anti-discrimination (see the development plan for details).

For example, the Faculty supports doctoral students with child(ren) in accessing literature, offers remote working options, provides advice at the Study and Career Advice Centreon for first-generation students, addresses students' mental health with the “Mental Health Monday”, and generally relies on pseudonymisation for written examinations, whilst also providing trusted lecturers for students affected by discrimination.

Partnerships