MDER - Master of Law

This seminar reviews three ways of understanding the relation between Law and power in any of their branches, using the 16th to 19th centuries as historic background. In the first model put forward, Law is portrayed as a tool to restrict or controlling power, whether because it translates a reasons opposite to the irrationality of violence or reflects unbreakable agreements. In the second, Law is regarded as an administration tool through which a group tries to modify the current existing conditions. Lastly, in the third model, the seminar transforms into a reflection of the power relationships inside or outside the juridical field. The discussion is focused within the context of a Europe that have taken shape as the knowledge production center globalized through various colonial projects, while forming the national States. In the theory, this stress is made clear in the national consolidation following the independence of the American states.  

This seminar critically analyzes the main theoretic perspectives that describe, explain or justify the consolidation of the modern State in the global north. In addition, it conducts an in-depth study of the consolidation of Law as an independent science and the theories of Law that question the possibility of a radical separation between Law and other disciplines. This course also analyzes how the theories of State and Law have played a role in the emergence, consolidation and/or justification of Law and Latin American states in general, and the Colombian State in particular. Finally, it aims for students to develop their skills for reading and interpreting texts on political philosophy and Law and writing essays relating to the same topics.

This colloquium provides students whose work is in the final phases with an opportunity to discuss their graduation theses, giving them the chance to interact with Colombian and foreign academics and discuss the legal research and writing process. This enables them to improve the arguments of their Master’s thesis in the light of the comments of their classmates and guest professors.

During the first semester, the objective of the tutorial is to design and delimit the theoretic framework of the research project. In order to do so, seminars are taught by the faculty’s different professors aiming to strengthen the methodological tools required to optimize the work to be carried out with the tutor in later semesters.

During this semester, the candidate must meet with the director at least four hours per month. Meetings will attempt to formalize the outline, structure, methodology and introduction to the thesis, taking into consideration the work carried out in Tutorial I.

During this semester, the candidate must meet with the director at least four hours per month. This tutorial will aim to go over versions of the different chapters and prepare the candidate´s presentation in the Research Colloquium.  

Once the mandatory and optional courses have been enrolled and passed, along with the three tutorials, students have one additional semester to finish their graduation thesis. The main objective of the thesis is to be a relevant contribution to current academic literature on the topic researched by the student throughout the Master’s Program.