"International law can feel like an overwhelming maze, yet this course threads through it with such clarity that the big picture came into focus early on."
LLiam W.
Canada★★★★★
Canada★★★★★
All courses
International
International
Law
International law shapes how nations trade, cooperate, and settle disputes — and you don't need a law degree to grasp it. In about three hours, you'll learn how treaties, institutions, and legal rules work, so you can read global affairs with real confidence.The essentials of international law — treaties, institutions, and disputes — in about three hours.
What you will learn
International law comes down to a handful of core ideas you can actually learn — and this course covers the ones that matter most. Whether you follow global business or simply want to understand the rules between nations, you'll leave able to read treaties, institutions, and disputes with clarity.
Core skills
- Understand how international law is made and applied
- Interpret treaties, disputes, and the rules between states
- Recognize the key sources and bodies (UN, ICJ, WTO, treaties, customary law, etc.)
This isn't theory for its own sake. Across ten focused chapters you'll work through what international law actually governs — how treaties bind, how disputes get resolved, and how global institutions hold it together — with a clear grasp you can bring to news, business, or study the same day.
Why this matters
$33T
in goods and services crossed borders in 2024, a record — and every deal of it rests on the treaties and rules international law provides.
Source: UNCTADInternational law is the framework that lets sovereign states trade, negotiate, and coexist. This course gives you a clear, practical grounding in how that framework works and why it shapes so much of global life.
Across ten short chapters, you'll cover the foundations — the sources of international law, how treaties are formed and enforced, the role of states and sovereignty, human rights, the law of the sea, and how disputes between nations are resolved.
You'll get more than definitions. The course shows you how key institutions like the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the World Trade Organization operate, and how customary law and treaties apply to real situations you can recognize in the headlines.
It's designed for a wide audience and open to everyone — no legal background or prior experience needed. It's especially valuable if you want to grow professionally, understand the global rules behind business and policy, and advance your career.
The full course runs about three hours in text and audio, is fully self-paced, and comes with lifetime access and no prerequisites. Pass the short final exam to earn a verifiable certificate — which also counts toward IBMI's Global Governance program at no extra cost.
What we will cover
10 focused chapters that build from the fundamentals to the tools you’ll actually use — each grounded in practical, real-world examples.
- Introduction
- Terminology
- Enforcement
- Sovereignty
- Diplomacy
- History
- Treaties
- Customs
- General Principles
- Judicial Decisions
- Law of War
- Human Rights Law
- Criminal Law
- Law of the Sea
- Economic Law
- Labor Law
- Environmental Law
- Refugee Law
- States
- International Organizations
- NGOs
- Individuals
- Multinational Corporations
- Purpose
- UN Bodies
- UN Agencies
- UN Related Organizations
- UN Programs and Funds
- Evaluation
- International Court of Justice
- International Criminal Court
- European Court of Human Rights
- Conclusion
Course Quiz & Your CertificateMultiple choice · free retakes · no time limit · certificate issued instantly on passing
Learn your way
Read or listen at your own pace, on any device — and yours to keep forever.
- No app neededIn your browser
- Any devicePhone to laptop
- Auto-savedContinue anytime
- Stay focusedDistraction-free
Certificate
A certificate you can
actually use
- Instantas a digital PDFPDF download
- Includedno extra fees
- Lifetimeno expiry
- ShareableLinkedIn & CV
- Verifiableunique ID number
Demo verification
IBMI-BM-8F3K2
Valid certificateInternational LawIssued by IBMI Berlin to David Fischer · 15 July 2025
Check any real certificate ID on our verification page.Check any real certificate ID here.
Ratings & feedback
Rated 4.4/5.0 by our users
The average rating from users who’ve taken this course.
"The structure is the real strength here — each module leads logically into the next, so you always know where you are and why it matters."
CChloe M.
Australia★★★★★
Australia★★★★★"Dense material handled with a light touch; the pacing gave me room to think rather than just memorize, and I finished feeling genuinely informed."
MMarco B.
Italy★★★★★
Italy★★★★★"Appreciated how the opening overview framed the whole subject before diving in — it made everything that followed much easier to place."
LLucía G.
Spain★★★★★
Spain★★★★★"Clearly explained and surprisingly engaging for such a serious topic, and earning the certificate at the end felt properly worthwhile."
MMinjun K.
South Korea★★★★★
South Korea★★★★★"A thoughtful and well-organized introduction. I'd have liked a bit more on a couple of areas, but as a first step into the field it's excellent value."
KKwame D.
Ghana★★★★☆
Ghana★★★★☆"What impressed me was how accessible it stayed without cutting corners — I never needed a legal background to keep up."
IIryna C.
Ukraine★★★★★
Ukraine★★★★★"For anyone curious about how international law actually works in practice, this is a clear, well-paced, and rewarding place to begin."
AAndrei C.
Romania★★★★★
Romania★★★★★"Steady, sensible, and easy to follow from start to finish — I came away with a real framework rather than a jumble of facts."
AAliya N.
Kazakhstan★★★★★
Kazakhstan★★★★★Drag to explore more reviewsSwipe to explore more reviews
Quotes from verified users. Selected and shortened for length; wording unchanged.
You can also find independent reviews on our Trustpilot profile.
Featured in
Program
This course is part of
a larger credential
It’s a required course in the Global Governance program — and it counts toward that program certificate at no extra cost.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Add the course to your cart and create your student account during checkout. You can start right after payment — and you keep lifetime access, so breaks and retakes are always possible.
It’s a focused short course — 10 chapters and 33 topics, about 3 hours in total, 100% online and self-paced. Read the content or listen to the audio on your computer, tablet, or phone, and pick up exactly where you left off. No additional reading material required.
None. This course is designed for students and non-students alike — no prior knowledge and no formal application. All you need is a web browser and some motivation.
With the current discount, this course costs US$15. That includes the full course content and your personal certificate — there are no additional costs.
Work through the course content and pass the course quiz — multiple choice, with free retakes and no time limit. Your certificate is issued instantly as a digital PDF that you can download, print, share on LinkedIn, and that employers can verify online via its unique ID.
IBMI holds its distance learning programs to the same high standards applied by traditional educational institutions, and our certificates are acknowledged by employers around the world as professional certificates. Please note we do not award academic titles or degrees.
The full course — audio and text — is in English. You can also read the course text in 100+ other languages via automatic (machine) translation, so you can follow along in whichever language you’re most comfortable with. See available languages →
Yes. Alongside your course certificate, this course counts toward the Global Governance program certificate — at no extra cost. Finish the required courses in a program and you earn its certificate too.
More questions? Visit the Help Center →
Short course, fast results
From start to certificate
in about 3 hours
Start
Enroll & start instantly
Checkout takes a minute — chapter one opens right away.
3 hours
Read or listen to the content
Compact topics and real case studies, at your own pace.
The quiz
Take the course quiz
Multiple choice, free retakes, no time limit.
Finish
Certificate in hand
Issued instantly — add it to your CV and LinkedIn.
International Law
Start now and get certified today
Self-paced online courseOnline course · Personalized certificate
One-time payment · Lifetime access
Keep learning
Students also bought
4.6
Economics and International Business
Certificate · lifetime access 3 hours3h · self-paced
4.6
International Politics
Certificate · lifetime access 3 hours3h · self-paced
Top rated4.8
Essential Management Skills
Certificate · lifetime access 3 hours3h · self-paced
4.8
Basics of Project Management
Certificate · lifetime access 2 hours2h · self-pacedRelated products
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$15.00Current price is: $15.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$15.00Current price is: $15.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$12.00Current price is: $12.00.
Sale!
Online Course
Original price was: $50.00.$15.00Current price is: $15.00.