Master’s degree1,500 h · Online · 11 modules
Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
This master's gives you the tools and specialist knowledge to manage disputes in the maritime sector with confidence. You will learn to analyze charter parties, marine insurance policies, ship sale and purchase agreements and other key contracts, and to master negotiation, mediation and arbitration techniques, with a solid grasp of international maritime law and arbitral procedure.
Duration1,500 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules11
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About the program
What is the Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution?
This master's prepares you to prevent, manage and resolve maritime disputes from the first notice of claim to the enforcement of the award. You will study the sources of international maritime law, time, voyage and bareboat charters, bills of lading and cargo liability regimes, the typical conflicts of the industry (demurrage, seaworthiness, cargo claims, collisions, salvage, general average, pollution and ship arrest), the foundations of international commercial arbitration, the leading arbitral institutions such as the LMAA, SMA, SCMA and CMAC, the conduct of proceedings and expert evidence, awards and their enforcement under the New York Convention, marine insurance and P&I Clubs, and maritime mediation and hybrid ADR methods.
What sets this master's apart: a practical approach built around real case analysis and arbitration simulations; a comparative view of the main maritime arbitration systems in London, New York, Singapore, China and continental Europe; in-depth treatment of technical and expert evidence, from VDR and AIS data to general average adjustment; full coverage of insurance, P&I cover and FD&D in dispute funding; a complete moot arbitration as an integrative project; and a Final Project in which you apply everything to a research question of your choice.
Program typeMaster’s degree
ModeOnline
Duration1,500 hours
Modules11
Start1 December
Program highlights
- Practical approach: real case analysis and maritime arbitration simulations.
- Contracts and claims: charter parties, bills of lading, S&P, salvage and general average.
- Global institutions: LMAA, SMA, SCMA, CMAC, ICC and European maritime arbitration centers.
- Expert evidence: VDR, AIS, damage quantification and witness conferencing.
- Insurance and P&I: H&M, P&I Clubs, FD&D cover and letters of undertaking.
- Moot arbitration: a complete simulated procedure from notice to final award.
Syllabus
Syllabus of the Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Module 1
International legal framework of maritime law and shipping contracts
- 1.1. Sources of international maritime law: IMO conventions, customary law and lex maritima
- 1.2. The ship as a subject of rights: nationality, registration, ship mortgages and maritime liens
- 1.3. Time charters and their essential performance clauses
- 1.4. Voyage charters: laytime, demurrage and despatch
- 1.5. Bareboat charters and ship leasing
- 1.6. International liability regimes for the carriage of goods: Hague-Visby, Hamburg and Rotterdam Rules
- 1.7. The bill of lading: functions, issue, transfer and jurisdiction and arbitration clauses
- 1.8. Carrier liability for loss of, damage to or delay in delivery of cargo
- 1.9. Port service contracts: towage, pilotage, stevedoring and terminal handling
- 1.10. Shipbuilding, sale and purchase and ship repair contracts (SALEFORM)
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 2
Types of conflict in the maritime and port industry
- 2.1. Claims for delays, demurrage and unauthorised deviation under charter parties
- 2.2. Disputes over seaworthiness and maintenance of class
- 2.3. Conflicts arising from loss, damage or shortage of bulk, liquid, reefer and containerised cargo
- 2.4. Collisions: apportionment of fault, assessment of damage and COLREGs 1972
- 2.5. Salvage and assistance at sea: the 1989 Salvage Convention and Lloyd's Open Form (LOF)
- 2.6. General average: declaration, adjustment and the York-Antwerp Rules
- 2.7. Disputes over pollution by oil, noxious substances and ballast water management
- 2.8. Contractual disputes in offshore wind projects and extraction platforms
- 2.9. Arrest of ships as an interim measure and its operational consequences
- 2.10. Conflicts in the multimodal logistics chain, free zones and container terminals
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 3
Foundations of international commercial maritime arbitration
- 3.1. Legal nature of maritime arbitration: party autonomy, confidentiality and speed
- 3.2. The UNCITRAL Model Law on International Commercial Arbitration and its global influence
- 3.3. International arbitration conventions: the 1958 New York Convention and the 1975 Panama Convention
- 3.4. Types of maritime arbitration: ad hoc versus institutional
- 3.5. Separability of the arbitration clause from the main contract
- 3.6. Drafting arbitration clauses in maritime contracts: model, pathological and multi-option clauses
- 3.7. Choosing the seat of arbitration and its legal consequences (lex arbitri)
- 3.8. Law applicable to the merits of the dispute and to the arbitration agreement
- 3.9. Interaction between state courts and arbitration: judicial assistance and interim measures
- 3.10. International public policy as a limit on the arbitrability of maritime disputes
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 4
Global seats and institutions of maritime arbitration
- 4.1. The London Maritime Arbitrators Association (LMAA): structure, LMAA Terms and market leadership
- 4.2. LMAA procedures: standard procedure, Small Claims Procedure and Intermediate Claims Procedure
- 4.3. The Society of Maritime Arbitrators (SMA) of New York: procedural rules and features of US law
- 4.4. Maritime arbitration in Asia: the Singapore Chamber of Maritime Arbitration (SCMA) and its regional growth
- 4.5. The China Maritime Arbitration Commission (CMAC): handling disputes in Asian trade
- 4.6. The International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and major shipbuilding and infrastructure disputes
- 4.7. Maritime arbitration in continental Europe: the Spanish-Portuguese court, Hamburg and Rotterdam
- 4.8. Comparative analysis of costs, timeframes and flexibility across maritime institutions
- 4.9. IBA Rules on the Taking of Evidence in International Arbitration
- 4.10. IBA Guidelines on Conflicts of Interest in International Arbitration
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 5
Maritime arbitral procedure: from commencement to the oral hearing
- 5.1. Notice of arbitration, appointment of arbitrators and constitution of the tribunal
- 5.2. Capacity, independence and impartiality of arbitrators: disclosure and challenges
- 5.3. Organizing the proceedings: the case management conference and Procedural Order No. 1
- 5.4. Written submissions: claim, defense, counterclaim and reply in charter party and cargo disputes
- 5.5. Document production and the Redfern Schedule
- 5.6. Interim measures in maritime arbitration: freezing orders, payment security and P&I guarantees
- 5.7. Preparing witness evidence: witness statements of fact and cross-examination
- 5.8. Technical expert evidence: navigation, naval architecture and average adjusting experts
- 5.9. Preparing and conducting the hearing: opening statements, examination and closing submissions
- 5.10. Third-party funding of maritime arbitration and security for costs
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 6
Technical and expert evidence in maritime arbitration
- 6.1. Types of evidence in marine casualties: logbooks, VDR (black box) records and AIS satellite data
- 6.2. Telematics, digital temperature records and photographic surveys of damaged cargo
- 6.3. Expert evidence on machinery failure, fires on board and structural defects
- 6.4. Collision expertise: maneuver reconstruction, navigation simulation analysis and COLREGs
- 6.5. Quantifying damage to cargo, loss of profit and consequential loss
- 6.6. Party-appointed experts versus tribunal-appointed experts
- 6.7. Witness conferencing (hot-tubbing) in complex arbitral hearings
- 6.8. Assessing classification society and Port State Control inspection reports
- 6.9. Expert evidence in general average adjustment: contributions and the proximate cause rule
- 6.10. Electronic data audits, preservation of digital evidence and chain of custody in maritime disputes
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 7
The maritime arbitral award, setting aside and international enforcement
- 7.1. Types of award: partial, final, consent, jurisdictional and interim measures awards
- 7.2. Formal and substantive requirements of the award: reasoning, consistency and signature
- 7.3. Costs in maritime arbitration: the costs-follow-the-event principle
- 7.4. Correction, interpretation and rectification of awards by the tribunal
- 7.5. Applications to set aside the award before the courts of the seat: limited grounds and time limits
- 7.6. Recognition and enforcement of foreign awards under the 1958 New York Convention
- 7.7. Grounds for refusing enforcement: invalid agreement, lack of due process, excess of jurisdiction or public policy
- 7.8. Enforcing awards against maritime assets: ship arrest, freight, bank accounts and P&I guarantees
- 7.9. Sovereign immunity of states and state-owned shipping companies at the enforcement stage
- 7.10. Publicity, anonymised publication and precedent value of maritime awards (SMA and LMAA)
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 8
Marine insurance, P&I Clubs and their role in dispute resolution
- 8.1. Hull and machinery (H&M) insurance: risk cover, casualties and contractual disputes
- 8.2. Protection and indemnity (P&I) Clubs: mutual structure, rules of cover and dispute handling
- 8.3. Freight, demurrage and defense (FD&D) cover in funding disputes
- 8.4. Letters of undertaking (LOU) from P&I Clubs as an alternative to ship arrest
- 8.5. Insurer subrogation to the rights of the insured when commencing arbitration
- 8.6. Conflict of laws in marine insurance contracts: the Marine Insurance Act 1906 and the Insurance Act 2015
- 8.7. Jurisdiction and arbitration clauses in marine insurance and reinsurance policies
- 8.8. Dispute resolution in land and multimodal transport insurance linked to maritime trade
- 8.9. Disputes between the insured, the broker and the insurer over the disclosure of risks
- 8.10. Amicable settlement of mass casualties through collective action by insurers and P&I Clubs
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 9
Maritime mediation, ADR and hybrid dispute resolution methods
- 9.1. Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) in the maritime sector: a comparative overview
- 9.2. Maritime mediation: principles, flexibility and preserving ongoing relationships between owners and charterers
- 9.3. The Singapore Convention on Mediation and cross-border enforcement of settlement agreements
- 9.4. Mediation procedure under the LMAA rules and the Center for Effective Dispute Resolution (CEDR)
- 9.5. The role of the maritime mediator: facilitation, technical evaluation and joint and private sessions (caucuses)
- 9.6. Hybrid procedures in maritime disputes: Med-Arb, Arb-Med and Early Neutral Evaluation
- 9.7. Dispute boards in shipbuilding contracts and major port infrastructure projects
- 9.8. Direct negotiation of marine casualties and crisis management after a serious accident at sea
- 9.9. Strategies for breaking deadlock in mediations over high-volume cargo claims
- 9.10. Drafting the settlement agreement and recording it as an agreed award
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 10
Integrative project: moot maritime arbitration
- 10.1. Allocation of the case study: a complex dispute involving charter party, cargo damage, delays and salvage
- 10.2. Case analysis, identification of relevant contract clauses and legal strategy
- 10.3. Drafting and serving the notice of arbitration or the response
- 10.4. Selection, challenge or confirmation of arbitrators and constitution of the moot tribunal
- 10.5. Drafting the statement of claim with evidential exhibits and technical expert reports
- 10.6. Drafting the statement of defense and counterclaim
- 10.7. Drafting the procedural timetable and managing document exchange (Redfern Schedule)
- 10.8. Preparing and conducting the examination of fact witnesses and maritime expert hot-tubbing
- 10.9. Holding the moot hearing with opening statements, evidence and closing submissions
- 10.10. Drafting the final award or settlement agreement, with a breakdown of costs and legal reasoning
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your paceModule 11
Final Project
- 11.1. Choosing the topic and defining the research problem
- 11.2. Objectives, hypotheses and scope
- 11.3. Review of the state of the art and specialist literature
- 11.4. Analysis of the applicable regulatory and technical framework
- 11.5. Methodology and work plan
- 11.6. Data collection, processing and validation
- 11.7. Technical development and analysis of results
- 11.8. Discussion, conclusions and future lines of work
- 11.9. Writing the final report to academic standards
- 11.10. Presentation and defense before the assessment panel
At this stage
136 hestimated workload11 wkweeks at your pacePlan your pace
Duration and format of the Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
4 h30 h
With 12 h per week
29
months to finish
125 weeks
weeks in total
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Faculty
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives
Objectives of the Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
01Master mediation techniques in complex maritime disputes, analyzing contracts, policies and survey reports to pinpoint the key issues quickly and accurately.
02Apply the international legal framework of maritime arbitration, including the New York Convention and UNCITRAL instruments, to arbitration clauses and the enforcement of awards.
03Manage arbitral proceedings effectively, from the appointment of arbitrators to the issue of the award, defending the interests of the parties throughout.
04Draft and negotiate robust maritime contracts with clauses that mitigate industry-specific risks.
05Assess and mitigate risks in maritime operations through negotiation and mediation strategies that take cultural and legal factors into account.
06Implement dispute prevention and resolution strategies, applying arbitration and mediation clauses in marine insurance with knowledge of the relevant case law.
Careers
Career opportunities after the Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
Frequently asked questions
Questions about the Master's in Maritime Arbitration and Dispute Resolution
Arbitration and the resolution of maritime disputes, from charter party and cargo claims to insurance, salvage and general average.
Both. The core is commercial maritime dispute resolution, set within the framework of international maritime law and the relevant conventions.
The LMAA, the SMA, the SCMA, the CMAC and the ICC, as well as continental European centers, with a comparison of their costs, timeframes and procedures.
Yes. A full module covers maritime mediation, the Singapore Convention, hybrid methods such as Med-Arb and Early Neutral Evaluation, and dispute boards.
Yes. Insurance professionals, shipping executives and consultants are welcome; the program builds the legal foundations you need. The admission interview confirms your fit.
Through case analyses, drafting exercises, the moot arbitration in the integrative project and the Final Project, which you present and defend at the end.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The master's comprises 1,500 hours of study across 11 modules of about 136 hours each and ends with the Final Project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
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Online admission
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
Entry requirements
- Profile: aimed at maritime and corporate lawyers, marine insurance professionals (brokers, underwriters and adjusters), executives of shipping companies, ports and logistics firms, maritime consultants, and graduates in law, business administration, economics or political science; relevant professional experience in the maritime sector, international trade or dispute resolution is also considered.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with a camera and microphone, a stable internet connection for live sessions and access to the virtual campus.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
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