Maritime Law – LLM

Why study this course?

Designed for professionals working in maritime and international trade sectors, you’ll develop practical knowledge in how international sales contracts are made and enforced, plus how to advise on maritime claims.

These courses are taught online, so you have the freedom to learn from wherever you are in the world. We offer this programme as either an LLM (Master of Laws), postgraduate diploma or postgraduate certificate.

More about this course

These practical courses will teach you about the legal frameworks at the heart of shipping claims, trade disputes and commercial relationships. The aim is to give you a professional edge and help advance your career in the maritime industry.

Explore how marine disputes and liabilities are investigated and managed, as well as learning about the importance of English law in international trade.

You’ll also scrutinise sale contracts on shipment terms, learn how to advise the buyer and seller on the merits of claims, and develop the professional grounding to apply this knowledge practically.

By the end of these courses, you’ll be able to distinguish between the physical and documentary duties of the trade protagonists under a sale contract, and understand the role of the bill of lading in shipping, as well as the importance of drafting proper sale and carriage contracts.

Our courses are suitable if you’re a legal practitioner in this industry, an academic, or if you’re a non legal professional working in the shipping industry.

You’ll be taught by lecturers who have backgrounds in both academia and legal practice, with experience of working as barristers or solicitors.

These courses are delivered online, so you can study from anywhere in the world.

It’s also possible for you to study a PG Diploma and a PG Certificate version of this course. These qualifications do not hold the same academic weighting as a Master of Laws degree (LLM), but are still beneficial for people already working in the industry. If you’d like to know more about the PG Diploma and PG Certificate versions, please scroll to the ‘Other qualifications’ section of this page.

As part of the LLM dissertation, you’ll be able to research and critically analyse an area of maritime law of your choice. The dissertation module is only available to LLM students.

Accreditation of Prior Learning

Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.

Modular structure

Example modules include: 

• Dissertation (alternate core for LLM, 60 credits)
• Experiential Learning Project (alternate core for LLM, 60 credits)
• Research Methods for Lawyers (option, 20 credits)
• The English Legal System and Commercial Law (option, 20 credits)
• International Sale of Goods and Finance (option, 20 credits)
• Carriage of Goods by Sea (option, 20 credits)
• Admiralty Law and Marine Insurance (option, 20 credits)
• International Intellectual Property Law (option, 20 credits)
• Marine Dispute Management and Commercial Arbitration (option, 20 credits)
• Oil Pollution from Shipping (option, 20 credits)

Where this course can take you

These courses provide a stepping stone to career advancement within the maritime and international trade sectors. On successful completion of the course, you’ll be able to advise on the intricacies of maritime claims and disputes.

If you complete the LLM qualification, you’ll have a Master of Laws degree. The PG Dip and PG Cert are also postgraduate qualifications that will give you an insight into maritime and international trade law and can help you progress in this field professionally.