PMAOGVFTT3-2025-6-O - L-Università ta' Malta

Course Title

Master of Arts in Ocean Governance

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

3 Semesters

90 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-time

Information for International applicants

Applicants must be in possession of:

Refer to the list of country-specific qualifications

The Course shall be open to applicants in possession of a first cycle degree in an area of study which the Board of Studies considers as appropriate, provided that the first cycle degree is obtained with a Second Class Honours or better classification, or an equivalent qualification.

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You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

The University of Malta has student accommodation on campus called Campus Hub. Campus Hub is just a 2-minute walk from the main campus. For more information, visit the accommodation website.

Our dedicated team at the student recruitment office is here to support you every step of the way. From the moment you start your application to the moment when you receive your decision letter, we're here to assist you. If you have any questions or need further information, don't hesitate to reach out to us. You can contact us at info@um.edu.mt, and our team will be more than happy to help.

After you receive an offer from us, our International Office will assist you with visas, accommodation and other related issues.

This programme of study is being delivered remotely.

Ocean Governance is a topic of increasing significance and concern in the 21st century. This degree programme on Ocean Governance being offered by the University of Malta in collaboration with the International Ocean Institute is unique in its approach – it aims to forge a knowledge base that is essentially legal but which also delves into the natural and social sciences to determine how an effective regulatory framework should operate. The Master in Ocean Governance serves to further enhance the development of learning and research in the field of marine resource management and maritime security from a multidisciplinary perspective. In this era of globalization and sectoral integration, capacity building in the regulation of ocean governance plays a pivotal role in ensuring safe and healthy oceans for the benefit of humankind and the planet.

Ocean Governance is a topic of increasing significance and concern in the 21st century. The 1982 UN Law of the Sea Convention and other International law instruments are useful tools that safeguard the rule of International Maritime law. Notwithstanding their valuable contribution in the emerging international concerns that are essentially based on the escalating crisis of unsustainability, there is an urgent need to explore new transdisciplinary approaches on ocean governance. Evidently, a more comprehensive, legal framework is required to improve the manner in which States and their nationals maintain the rule of law in marine areas beyond national jurisdiction and in regulating anthropogenic activities affecting the ocean and its resources. Emerging issues and threats, such as global maritime security, the sustainable use of the oceans and their resources, as well as linkages between natural sciences, the opportunities arising from the blue economy, socio-economic requirements and the law, necessitate a multidisciplinary approach for promoting learning and research on ocean governance.

This degree programme on Ocean Governance being offered by the University of Malta in collaboration with the International Ocean Institute is unique in its approach – it aims to forge a knowledge base that is essentially legal but which also delves into the natural and social sciences to determine how an effective regulatory framework should operate. The Master in Ocean Governance serves to further enhance the development of learning and research in the field of marine resource management and maritime security from a multidisciplinary perspective. In this era of globalization and sectoral integration, capacity building in the regulation of ocean governance plays a pivotal role in ensuring safe and healthy oceans for the benefit of humankind and the planet.

TAUGHT COMPONENT


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

BIO5003	The Marine Environment: Biological Patterns, Processes and Resources	5 ECTS
ERL5004	Regulation and Governance for the Conservation of Living Marine Resources	5 ECTS
ERL5005	Regulating Sustainable Use of the Oceans	5 ECTS
INL5011	Contemporary Threats to Maritime Security	5 ECTS
INL5013	The Human Element of Maritime Crime: Migrant Smuggling, Human Trafficking and Stowaways	5 ECTS


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

ERL5003	The Contemporary Definition of Ocean Governance	5 ECTS
IES5130	Earth Observation of Marine/Coastal Processes and Trends	5 ECTS
IES5131	Fundamentals of Sustainability	5 ECTS
INL5014	International Law of the Sea	5 ECTS
SCI5034	Qualitative and Quantitative Research Methods	5 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

ECN5015	Economics and the Marine Environment	5 ECTS
ERL5006	Ocean Policy Making: Application of Policy Measures to Specific Ocean Issues	5 ECTS


Summer Semester

RESEARCH COMPONENTCompulsory Units (All students must register for this unit)

ERL5007	Dissertation	30 ECTS

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Postgraduate Awards, 2021 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of Master of Arts in 0cean Governance under the auspices of the Faculty of Laws.

By the end of the course, you will:

Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the current scientific, technical, administrative and legal framework concerned with ocean governance,
Comprehend key emerging legal and policy issues requiring an effective regulatory and institutional response and the political challenges to advance reform in ocean governance.
Identify contemporary scientific, socio-economic, policy and legal issues relating to ocean governance,
Address underlying problems and learn from success stories in the regional and international governance of living marine resources,
Apply legal instruments and management skills as a response to scientific information and technology as tools for good governance of the oceans,
Apply thematic principles that aim at sustainability of the oceans, namely the ecosystem approach, the precautionary approach, the integrated approach in policy-making and the negotiation/ formulation of regulatory instruments.

As a participant, you will:

Learn about the strengths and weaknesses of the current scientific, technical, administrative and legal framework concerned with ocean governance,
Comprehend key emerging legal and policy issues requiring an effective regulatory and institutional response and the political challenges to advance reform in ocean governance.

The programme would enhance intellectual development through the comprehension of:

Qualitative and quantitative research methods applicable in the scientific, technical, administrative and legal dimension of ocean governance,
The interdisciplinary and comparative approach to ocean governance.
Evaluation methods of current scientific knowledge, economic models, policy and legal tools,
Political thinking affecting the marine environment, marine living and non-living resources,
Anthropological and social aspects affecting the marine environment,

If you successfully obtain this Master’s degree, you will be able to:

Identify contemporary scientific, socio-economic, policy and legal issues relating to ocean governance,
Address underlying problems and learn from success stories in the regional and international governance of living marine resources,
Apply legal instruments and management skills as a response to scientific information and technology as tools for good governance of the oceans,
Apply thematic principles that aim at sustainability of the oceans, namely the ecosystem approach, the precautionary approach, the integrated approach in policy-making and the negotiation/formulation of regulatory instruments,
Apply the requisite and applicable legal framework in negotiation, decision making and dispute settlement,
Synthesize the fundamental steps for a multidisciplinary approach in policy making and regulation of sound ocean governance,
Analyse the complexities of meeting stakeholders’ competing interests in ocean governance,
Evaluate the options that lead to successful negotiation regarding the above,
Analyse the requirements for effective conflict resolution and dispute settlement.

Non EU Applicants:

Total Tuition Fees: Eur 7,500
Deposit upon acceptance: Eur 1,000
Upon Commencement of the Course: Eur 6,500

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This programme would provide the added value of an academic degree promoting a knowledge base for policy makers and practitioners in the maritime field.

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