spring 2026
JUR-3910 Master's thesis in Law of the Sea - 30 ECTS
Type of course
The course is part of the Master of Laws (LL.M) in Law of the Sea programme, cf. Programme description for Master of Laws (LL.M) in Law of the Sea.
Only students admitted to the Master of Laws (LL.M) in Law of the Sea programme may register for this course.
For students on the Master of Laws (LL.M) in Law of the Sea programme, semester 1 and 2 (JUR-3050, JUR-3054, JUR-3052 and JUR-3053) must successfully be completed before admission to this course (semester 3), cf. Regulations for the Law of the Sea programme, section 8.
Course content
The course builds on and is intended to further develop the knowledge and skills acquired by the students during the previous courses of the programme, including through the written assignments, oral skills developed through compulsory oral presentations and an oral exam, and methodological knowledge and skills. The purpose of the master's thesis is to provide the students with experience in processing and presenting larger legal or partly legal research questions, based on an independent analysis of the theme and relevant sources. The Master's thesis followed by an oral exam requires an in-depth study of a particular topic by students. As part of the academic supervision that students receive, they will also learn about time management and working with deadlines. They also gain experience in having academic discussions on the topic of the thesis with the supervisor, which gives good practice for the oral exam.Objectives of the course
Knowledge:
A student who successfully completes this course shall have acquired:
- Advanced knowledge on presenting and discussing larger legal issues and questions related to the law of the sea.
- Advanced knowledge of legal methodology and methods in order to conduct independent analysis of a legal theme and relevant sources
- Advanced knowledge of the use of references in legal texts.
- Advanced knowledge of a particular theme of the law of the sea.
- Knowledge of ethical dilemmas in legal research and writing.
Skills:
A student who successfully completes this course shall be able to:
- Effectively identify, formulate and discuss legal research issues and questions related to the law of the sea,
- Identify, analyse and apply legal sources in a critical and independent way.
- Argue in a transparent, complete and balanced manner with precise and verifiable use of references.
- Produce a lager research output on minimum 37 pages and maximum 55 pages.
- Critically discuss the applicable law and reflect on the need for revision or updating of the laws.
- Identify and discuss the societal relevance of particular legal issues and questions.
- Summarise and present major legal research orally.
General competence:
A student who successfully completes this course shall be able to:
- Apply knowledge and skills acquired in the process of researching and writing the master’s thesis, individually and in collaboration with others.
- Clearly communicate legal arguments and conclusions both in writing and orally
- Apply knowledge and skills acquired in the process of researching and writing the Master’s thesis to a work setting.
- Identify and reflect on issues of academic ethics both in writing and orally.
- Apply their knowledge and skills to carry out large research project within a deadline.
Teaching methods
This course uses interactive and dynamic teaching methods. As part of the teaching methods a mandatory course is held providing students with an introduction to writing a major paper and to scientific thinking. All students are required to attend this introductory course.
Students are required to submit a Master’s thesis topic proposal to the Faculty of Law for approval within a fixed deadline.
The students are entitled to 19 hours of individual supervision in the writing of the Master's thesis, cf. the Regulations for the Master of Laws in Law of the Sea program, section 17. The academic supervisors are usually drawn from the Faculty of Law, UiT The Arctic University of Norway. However, in special circumstances or due to their expertise, the Faculty may appoint external supervisors.
Schedule
Examination
| Examination: | Weighting: | Duration: | Grade scale: |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oral exam | 1/1 | 30 Minutes | A–E, fail F |
| Assignment | 0/1 | A–E, fail F |
More info about the coursework requirements
Before students can start writing the Master’s thesis, they are required to attend the introductory course and to submit a master’s thesis topic proposal to the Faculty of Law for approval within a fixed deadline.
An exemption from attending the course is only granted in special circumstances, based on a written application to the Faculty of Law.
More info about the assignment
The Master´s thesis must comply with the for the Chapter 3 (Master´s thesis) of the regulations for the Master of Laws in Law of the Sea program at UiT, which is available in Canvas and on the website of the Faculty of Law, UiT The Arctic University of Norway.
The Master’s thesis must be submitted for assessment no later than the deadline set by the Faculty of Law (or the first working day after, in case the deadline is on a weekend). A thesis submitted for assessment may not be withdrawn.
The students must write the thesis independently. It is not possible to write Master’s thesis in groups.
The master’s thesis is assessed by two examiners to which at least one is external. The academic supervisor cannot be one of the examiners.
More info about the oral exam
The oral exam consists of an introductory presentation where the student presents the topic, methodology and main findings of the thesis, followed by a discussion/questioning between the student and the examiners on these issues. The presentation may be no longer than 10 minutes, and the subsequent conversation may last up to 20 minutes. The oral exam has a total duration of 30 minutes.- About the course
- Campus: Tromsø |
- ECTS: 30
- Course code: JUR-3910
- Responsible unit
- Faculty of Law
- Earlier years and semesters for this topic