Graduate Diploma in Maritime Law & Arbitration

The Graduate Diploma in Maritime Law and Arbitration is a programme offered since the 2007-08 academic year. Designed for students who do not possess a first degree in law, the Diploma provides specialized training in maritime law and arbitration to professionals such as master mariners, chief engineers and graduates from other disciplines working in the maritime sector.

Like its sister programme, the LLM (Maritime Law), the Graduate Diploma allows individuals from Singapore-based companies who are able to furnish evidence of full sponsorship or a letter of support from their companies or the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) to pursue the course on a part-time basis over two years. Overseas students will generally complete the Graduate Diploma in one year. The maximum candidature for the Graduate Diploma will be 24 months, or 4 semesters. The Graduate Division of the Faculty of Law may approve an extension of up to 12 months. Candidates must be a qualified Master Mariner or chief engineer or have a tertiary degree in another discipline. Candidates must also meet the same standards of English proficiency as students in the LLM programme. As a general rule, candidates should also have a minimum of 2 years' working experience in the maritime field.

To complete the course, students will be required to take 32 credits (or 8 subjects) of coursework subjects. The programme is specially designed such that students who complete the requirements for the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration will be granted 12 credits toward the 32 credits required for the Graduate Diploma. Thus, students must complete 12 credits (3 subjects) required to obtain the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration, followed by the remaining 20 credits (5 subjects) from the following list of subjects:

»	Admiralty Law & Practice
»	Carriage of Goods by Sea
»	Charterparties
»	International Commercial Arbitration
»	International Regulation of Shipping
»	Law of Marine Insurance
»	Maritime Conflict of Laws
»	Maritime Law
»	Ocean Law & Policy in Asia
»	Principles of Conflict of Laws

Through the integration of the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration into the Diploma in Maritime Law and Arbitration, students will obtain the benefit of training in commercial arbitration, as well as the advantage of two qualifications. This added incentive is also designed to reflect the emergence of arbitration as an important means of dispute settlement in the shipping world. At the same time, students who are already enrolled in the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration programme may find it worth their while to take 20 more credits in order to obtain the Graduate Diploma. This will facilitate the entry of more professionals into the maritime industry, in line with Singapore's maritime hub status. The course fee will incorporate the fees for the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration.

A further note on the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration:

On successful completion of the three modules required for the Graduate Certificate, candidates will be qualified for direct admission as Fellows of the Singapore Institute of Arbitrators (SIArb). In addition, they will be exempted from the entry examinations (Parts I, II and III) set by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators in London (CIArb). Candidates may thereafter complete the assessment and pupilage programmes of the CIArb to gain further recognition as a Fellow of the CIArb and Chartered Arbitrator. The three modules that are required to obtain the Graduate Certificate in International Arbitration are:

»	Principles of Contract, Tort and Evidence [CTE]
»	Arbitration Law & Practice [ALP]
»	Drafting and Award-writing Practicum [DAP]