International Commercial and Maritime Law LLM

Take advantage of one of our 100 Master’s Scholarships to study International Commercial and Maritime Law at Swansea University, the Times Good University Guide’s Welsh University of the Year 2017. Postgraduate loans are also available to English and Welsh domiciled students. For more information on fees and funding please visit our website.

The wide range of LLM degrees including LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law offered by the Swansea College of Law and Criminology gives students the advantage of choice and specialism. For the student who does not wish to specialise to that extent, the College of Law and Criminology offers a general LLM postgraduate degree (LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law). This general LLM provides opportunities for students to develop and demonstrate knowledge and understanding, qualities, skills and other attributes in both Commercial and Maritime Law by choosing specialised modules from both areas of law.

Key Features of International Commercial and Maritime Law

The LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law course is built upon the wide range of research of high calibre produced by the members of the Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law, who are also teaching diverse modules at the course. Teaching is research-led and practice-driven aiming at producing global graduates educated and equipped for distinguished personal and professional achievement. Teaching methods on the International Commercial and Maritime Law LLM are geared towards our students’ needs, conducted mainly through seminars and tutorials in small classes.

The LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law requires commitment to study throughout one calendar year. Students on the International Commercial and Maritime Law course are given the opportunity to develop a number of important skills which are not only essential to those wishing to become lawyers but are valuable, transferable skills in themselves in other employment contexts. The Shipping and Trade Law Department offers its students dedicated resources, including IT facilities and teaching rooms. Students on the International Commercial and Maritime Law course are fully supported by the College's dedicated Law Librarian and the Law Library holds an extensive selection of legal materials and on-line services such as Lexis and Westlaw. Students are encouraged to make full use of the facilities offered by the Postgraduate Faculty and, in particular, to take advantage of training sessions run by the Faculty, such as the legal research methods and Employability sessions, as well as of the Visiting Lectures’ series.

Modules

The LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law degree is modular, with students required to accumulate 180 credits to graduate. In appropriate circumstances, a student of the International Commercial and Maritime Law course may graduate with a merit or distinction. Each programme is divided into two parts: Part I consists of 4 taught modules each weighted at 30 credits. Students pursuing the LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law may choose any four options from the modules listed below. At least one module must be chosen from the asterisked (*) modules and at least one module from the double asterisked (**) modules.

Admiralty Law (*)

Carriage of Goods by Sea, Land and Air (*)

Charterparties: Law and Practice (*)

Law of the Sea (*)

Marine Insurance Law (*)

Oil and Gas Law: Contracts and Liabilities (*)

Competition Law (**)

E-Commerce (**)

International Corporate Law and Governance (**)

International Intellectual Property Law (**)

International Trade Law (**)

Law of Intellectual Assets Management and Transactions (**)

Law and Practice relating to International Banking and Commercial Payments (**)

Ship and other Mobile Assets Finance Law (**)

International Commercial Arbitration

Part II is composed of two projects (LLM Research Projects) and is weighted at 60 credits. The LLM Research Projects will customarily be researched and written up over the summer period following the successful completion of the taught modules and are designed to enable LLM students to develop their research skills.

For further information on modules please visit the LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law page.

Extra-Curricular Activities

Throughout their studies, LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law students are provided with the opportunity to take part in a number of extra-curricular activities and enhance their practical understanding of shipping, insurance and commercial practice. Such activities include;

- employability lectures
- guest lecture series delivered inter alia by former judges, directors of international organisations and prominent partners from city law firms
- networking events, including an Annual LLM Career Fair
- visits to a number of leading enterprises within the City of London which also give our students another chance to network with professionals working in the commercial and maritime field
- mooting training throughout the year, including tailored guidance and weekly training classes
- free English language classes designed to assist you in improving your critical legal thinking and writing

Careers & Employability

The International Careers Adviser at Swansea runs weekly workshops for international students, for example, on how to improve career prospects and improve interview techniques. The Postgraduate Department also employs two dedicated LLM employability officers who run a series of talks to develop the skills of LLM students and inform their career plans.

The Department also enjoys close links with many City law firms. For example, one of our professors on the LLM programme was a senior partner, and is now a consultant with, Ince & Co, a leading London law firm, specialising in international trade, insurance and shipping law. The IISTL provides training programmes for London City solicitors, P&I Clubs and shipping organisations. Many of our graduates secure employment shortly after completing their degrees. Several international firms keep a close relationship with the Shipping and Trade Law Department and regularly send representatives for guest lectures and graduate recruitment purposes. Also every year the Department hosts the LLM Careers Fair which is attended by representatives from a wide range of local and international organisations. For further information on the Employability initiatives, please visit http://www.swansea.ac.uk/law/shipping-trade-law-department/llmemployabilityinitiativesandresults/

The entry requirements for the LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law is a 2:2 honours degree (or above) or cognate discipline. Candidates with relevant experience are also encouraged to apply. If English is not your first language you will need an acceptable pass in an approved English Language qualification to make sure you get the full benefit from studying at Swansea. We consider a wide range of qualifications, including the Swansea University English Test and the British Council IELTS test (with a score of at least 6.5 and 6.0 in each component).