Last modified: 22 Jul 2026 13:42
The ocean covers over 70% of the planet and provides food, oxygen, freshwater, and supports the material conditions necessary for the enjoyment of many human rights. However, it is under increasing pressure from climate change and the overexploitation of both its living resources (such as fisheries) and non-living resources (such as hydrocarbons and deep-sea minerals). Developing an effective governance and regulatory regime for the world’s oceans and seas remains—perhaps now more than ever—one of the greatest challenges for states and the international community.
This course examines how the ocean has been regulated under international law through a range of legal instruments, with particular emphasis on the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
| Study Type | Undergraduate | Level | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Term | First Term | Credit Points | 30 credits (15 ECTS credits) |
| Campus | Aberdeen | Sustained Study | No |
| Co-ordinators |
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One or more of these courses have a limited number of places. Priority access will be given to students for whom this course is compulsory. Please refer to the Frequently Asked Questions for more details on this process.
The ocean is vital for sustaining life on Earth, and its natural resources play an increasingly important role in the global economy. Approximately 90 per cent of international trade is carried by sea. Since the early twentieth century, there has been growing demand for the exploitation of marine natural resources, both living (such as fisheries and marine mammals) and non-living (such as hydrocarbons and deep-sea minerals).
At the same time, human activities continue to degrade marine environments, including critical ecosystems such as mangroves, coral reefs, and deep-sea habitats. Climate change, overfishing, pollution, and poorly managed resource extraction are of particular concern.
The current legal framework for the oceans is largely codified in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982), often referred to as the “Constitution for the Oceans.” UNCLOS is based on the principle that all ocean problems are interrelated and must be addressed as a whole. This course focuses on UNCLOS, its three implementing agreements, and related global, regional, and sectoral instruments, including international climate law, biodiversity law, and human rights law.
The course introduces students to contemporary ocean governance, with emphasis on marine natural resource exploitation, marine environmental protection, dispute settlement mechanisms under the law of the sea, and the interaction between UNCLOS and other areas of international law. It also examines emerging issues such as deep-sea mining, the ocean–climate nexus, and biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction.
By the end of the course, students will have developed a grounded understanding of the sources and operation of the international law of the sea, including treaty and customary law, and their application in practice.
Students completing this course will be able to:
Information on contact teaching time is available from the course guide.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 30 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 14 | Feedback Weeks | 17 | |
| Feedback |
Written 1000-word assignment. The feedback will be provided in written form and in accordance with the Common Grading Scale. The feedback will be provided within three weeks as of submission, in accordance with the School’s and University’s policies. |
Word Count | 1000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop reasoning, research and communication skills to investigate, evaluate, synthesise, and evaluate different relevant concepts related to the law and governance of the ocean. |
| Factual | Understand | Students will develop a solid grounding in the international legal framework governing the global ocean, the main sources of the law of the sea and other applicable international agreements . |
| Reflection | Analyse | Understand the relevant concepts and rules of International Law of the Sea and apply these to factual situations |
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | 70 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | 20 | Feedback Weeks | 24 | |
| Feedback |
The feedback will be provided in written form and in accordance with the Common Grading Scale. The feedback will be provided within three weeks as of submission, in accordance with the School’s and University’s policies. |
Word Count | 3000 | |
| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop reasoning, research and communication skills to investigate, evaluate, synthesise, and evaluate different relevant concepts related to the law and governance of the ocean. |
| Factual | Understand | Students will develop a solid grounding in the international legal framework governing the global ocean, the main sources of the law of the sea and other applicable international agreements . |
| Reflection | Analyse | Understand the relevant concepts and rules of International Law of the Sea and apply these to factual situations |
There are no assessments for this course.
| Assessment Type | Summative | Weighting | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Assessment Weeks | Feedback Weeks | |||
| Feedback |
Re-submission of failed element in re-sit diet; the failed course will be capped at 09 (D3). |
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
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| Knowledge Level | Thinking Skill | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Conceptual | Evaluate | Develop reasoning, research and communication skills to investigate, evaluate, synthesise, and evaluate different relevant concepts related to the law and governance of the ocean. |
| Reflection | Analyse | Understand the relevant concepts and rules of International Law of the Sea and apply these to factual situations |
| Factual | Understand | Students will develop a solid grounding in the international legal framework governing the global ocean, the main sources of the law of the sea and other applicable international agreements . |
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