General information
WMU’s PhD programme offers students the opportunity to carry out research across the maritime field, but with an emphasis on issues related to the International Maritime Organization’s mission of maritime safety, security and environmental protection. Our doctoral programme offers unrivalled access to international maritime experts both inside and outside academia, and to organizations working at the forefront of research and development.
Doctoral students have come to WMU from industry, academia and the government sector, and have completed their dissertations in a very wide range of subject areas, from investigating oil-spill mitigation to an analysis of organizational learning in shipping companies.
Most doctoral research falls within one of the following topics, but the WMU programme also offers excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary projects, allowing doctoral candidates to pursue their own, and their organization’s, particular interests.
Marine Environmental Research (MER Group). This research area covers environmental management issues in coastal and ocean areas, particularly those related to maritime sectors such as shipping. Interdisciplinary issues involving oceanography, pollution, and ecosystem-based management also fall within this area of research. Recent projects include ballast water management issues, including invasive species; PSSAs; oil spill contingency planning; marine mammals and shipping; climate change and integrated coastal and ocean management.
Maritime Administration: Law, Policy and Security. This research area covers the legislative, regulatory, and enforcement roles of governments and administrations in the context of specific problems facing the maritime industry. These include security, law of the sea, seafarer’s rights, labour standards, marine environmental law, and other issues in the public or private domain with a direct impact on the development of maritime law and policy. Recent research projects include comparative analyses of the Rotterdam Rules and a critical evaluation of the international legal framework for piracy and other unlawful acts at sea.
Shipping and Port Management. This research area explores all areas of shipping and port management, and offers the chance of carrying out in-depth investigation within the fields of maritime economics, ship or port operations and management, and shipping and port policy, as well as in the related fields of logistics, ship finance, cargo handling, and port governance.
Maritime Technology and Education. The research area covers both technical developments in the shipping industry and their relation to maritime educational processes, maritime human resource management and cultural, gender and linguistic issues. It includes interdisciplinary work linking technical innovation and education, such as simulation training, information/communication technology and organizational knowledge management. Recent activities include the development of IMO model courses on energy-efficient ship operation, the establishment of accreditation systems within the wider scope of quality management in maritime education, collaborative learning in maritime education, educational psychology, inter-cultural psychology, communication and human factors, women seafarers and identity management, and organizational learning in shipping companies.
Maritime Risk and System Safety (MaRiSa Group). This research group specializes in developing multi-disciplinary research angles in the area of maritime risk governance and management with a special focus on maritime safety and human-related issues. Technical developments, such as the concept of e-navigation or the use of simulation to help maritime risk assessment are also considered. The group has been very active over a long period in a wide range of EU-funded projects including MarNIS, ADOPTMAN, IMPACT and TeamSafety, as well as other projects such as ProGreenShipOperation and research on SAR for passenger ships.
Maritime Energy. Energy management and efficiency, renewable energy and technological innovation underpin the work of this group, which aims to provide solutions that help the international maritime community to achieve a sustainable and low-carbon industry. The group’s research focuses on the fundamental understanding of energy and applying this understanding across the field from ships to ports, and from offshore structures to shipyards, to ensure the cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly use of resources.
Content
The highlighted icons, represent the fields of education (in compliance with ISCED Classification) engaged during this course/programme.
Venue
Malmö, Sweden
Application
Click here to apply: http://www.wmu.se/apply-phd-maritime-affairs/phd-program-application-form
Cost:
<p>The full University fee is USD 33,400, and is charged by the credits obtained. It includes supervision, library and laboratory access, IT support and medical, life and accident insurance.</p> <p>In addition, a student needs around SEK 12,000 per month for rent and general living costs in Malmö, plus air tickets.</p> <p>Since WMU is a UN institution and not part of the national Swedish education system, our students cannot claim study support from the Swedish government or any other EU state.</p> <p><a href="http://www.wmu.se/phd/fees-and-costs">More information can be found here</a></p>
Prerequisites:
The Admissions Board will consider only those applicants who meet the minimum general entrance requirements, which are:
- a Master’s degree, with a dissertation, in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent university qualification
- competence in English language, demonstrated by an internationally recognised standard test
- computer competence
The Admissions Board will select only the best-qualified candidates, taking into account all their qualifications and achievements.
In exceptional circumstances, an applicant who holds only a Bachelor’s degree may be considered for admission. In these cases, the Admissions Board will give careful consideration to the candidate’s ability, publications, research record and other evidence. The applicant may also be required to take an entrance examination
Test of English
- TOEFL: 96+ in the internet-based test 590+ in the paper-based test
- IELTS:band 7.0 or above
- Cambridge Examinations: Cambridge Proficiency Examination at grade A or B
- GCE O-level or the equivalent: a good pass grade.
Application Procedure:
Complete the application form and the detailed research proposal (of 1.500 – 2.000 words) outlining the objectives and methodology of your research. Certified copies of transcripts and certificates supporting the qualifications listed on the form, must be attached. Send your complete application to the Doctoral Office as follows:
Email: Phd@wmu.se
Fax: +46 – 40 – 12 84 42
Post: World Maritime University, PO Box 500, S-201 24 Malmö, Sweden
Courier: World Maritime University, Citadellsv 29, S-211 18 Malmö, Sweden
In addition, arrange two letters of academic reference to be sent directly from your referees to the Doctoral Office.
Regulations:
The credit system
The PhD program consists of 240 ECTS credits completed usually over a registration period of three to six years. Candidates may be based at the University or elsewhere, usually at their place of employment.
Within the time limits of three to six years, candidates may work at their own pace, which can also vary during their period of enrollment. For example, you may choose to spend one year working at WMU full time, and then return home to complete your work over a longer period, with short visits to the University for progression seminars, meetings, and so on
1 ECTS credit (EC) is approximately 25 study load hours. One academic year is generally 60 EC, or 1500 study load hours, or 36 hours per week over an academic year of 42 weeks.
Progression
Each of the four progression seminars, successfully completed, earns 40 EC. Successful defence of a finalized dissertation earns a candidate 60 EC.
In the initial 6 to 12 months of their registration, students complete a research methodology programme (20 EC), and prepare a detailed proposal for their research, including a literature review. At the end of this initial period, the first progression seminar is held, at which the candidates each present their research proposals.
Throughout the doctoral programme, further progression seminars are held where the candidates present their work to date and their research plans for the next twelve-month period. After every seminar, the Progression Board meets, and considers each candidate's report and a report from each principal supervisor. At this Board meeting, decisions are taken as to whether the candidate is to be permitted to progress to the next stage of the research.
The defence of each PhD dissertation is assessed by a specially established committee, which includes at least one senior and well recognised external expert in the relevant field, from an established organization.
A candidate’s enrolment can be terminated at any point if his/her progress is not considered to be satisfactory.
Advanced standing. A candidate who has completed part of a doctoral degree elsewhere may transfer into the WMU programme with advanced standing. Their period of enrolment at WMU will vary in line with the amount of research they have already completed, but the minimum permissible period of enrolment must include at least two progression seminars and the dissertation (140 EC). A candidate with advanced standing must therefore be registered for at least 12 months.
Supervision. All doctoral students have a principal supervisor who is a member of the resident faculty. According to the topic of research, a student may also have a co-supervisor, who may be a Visiting Professor or a suitable person from outside the University.
Qualification
Credits:
WMU’s PhD programme offers students the opportunity to carry out research across the maritime field, but with an emphasis on issues related to the International Maritime Organization’s mission of maritime safety, security and environmental protection. Our doctoral programme offers unrivalled access to international maritime experts both inside and outside academia, and to organizations working at the forefront of research and development.
Doctoral students have come to WMU from industry, academia and the government sector, and have completed their dissertations in a very wide range of subject areas, from investigating oil-spill mitigation to an analysis of organizational learning in shipping companies.
Most doctoral research falls within one of the following topics, but the WMU programme also offers excellent opportunities for interdisciplinary projects, allowing doctoral candidates to pursue their own, and their organization’s, particular interests.
Marine Environmental Research (MER Group). This research area covers environmental management issues in coastal and ocean areas, particularly those related to maritime sectors such as shipping. Interdisciplinary issues involving oceanography, pollution, and ecosystem-based management also fall within this area of research. Recent projects include ballast water management issues, including invasive species; PSSAs; oil spill contingency planning; marine mammals and shipping; climate change and integrated coastal and ocean management.
Maritime Administration: Law, Policy and Security. This research area covers the legislative, regulatory, and enforcement roles of governments and administrations in the context of specific problems facing the maritime industry. These include security, law of the sea, seafarer’s rights, labour standards, marine environmental law, and other issues in the public or private domain with a direct impact on the development of maritime law and policy. Recent research projects include comparative analyses of the Rotterdam Rules and a critical evaluation of the international legal framework for piracy and other unlawful acts at sea.
Shipping and Port Management. This research area explores all areas of shipping and port management, and offers the chance of carrying out in-depth investigation within the fields of maritime economics, ship or port operations and management, and shipping and port policy, as well as in the related fields of logistics, ship finance, cargo handling, and port governance.
Maritime Technology and Education. The research area covers both technical developments in the shipping industry and their relation to maritime educational processes, maritime human resource management and cultural, gender and linguistic issues. It includes interdisciplinary work linking technical innovation and education, such as simulation training, information/communication technology and organizational knowledge management. Recent activities include the development of IMO model courses on energy-efficient ship operation, the establishment of accreditation systems within the wider scope of quality management in maritime education, collaborative learning in maritime education, educational psychology, inter-cultural psychology, communication and human factors, women seafarers and identity management, and organizational learning in shipping companies.
Maritime Risk and System Safety (MaRiSa Group). This research group specializes in developing multi-disciplinary research angles in the area of maritime risk governance and management with a special focus on maritime safety and human-related issues. Technical developments, such as the concept of e-navigation or the use of simulation to help maritime risk assessment are also considered. The group has been very active over a long period in a wide range of EU-funded projects including MarNIS, ADOPTMAN, IMPACT and TeamSafety, as well as other projects such as ProGreenShipOperation and research on SAR for passenger ships.
Maritime Energy. Energy management and efficiency, renewable energy and technological innovation underpin the work of this group, which aims to provide solutions that help the international maritime community to achieve a sustainable and low-carbon industry. The group’s research focuses on the fundamental understanding of energy and applying this understanding across the field from ships to ports, and from offshore structures to shipyards, to ensure the cost-effective, safe and environmentally friendly use of resources.
Complete the application form and the detailed research proposal (of 1.500 – 2.000 words) outlining the objectives and methodology of your research. Certified copies of transcripts and certificates supporting the qualifications listed on the form, must be attached. Send your complete application to the Doctoral Office as follows:
Email: Phd@wmu.se
Fax: +46 – 40 – 12 84 42
Post: World Maritime University, PO Box 500, S-201 24 Malmö, Sweden
Courier: World Maritime University, Citadellsv 29, S-211 18 Malmö, Sweden
In addition, arrange two letters of academic reference to be sent directly from your referees to the Doctoral Office.
The Admissions Board will consider only those applicants who meet the minimum general entrance requirements, which are:
- a Master’s degree, with a dissertation, in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent university qualification
- competence in English language, demonstrated by an internationally recognised standard test
- computer competence
The Admissions Board will select only the best-qualified candidates, taking into account all their qualifications and achievements.
In exceptional circumstances, an applicant who holds only a Bachelor’s degree may be considered for admission. In these cases, the Admissions Board will give careful consideration to the candidate’s ability, publications, research record and other evidence. The applicant may also be required to take an entrance examination
Test of English
- TOEFL: 96+ in the internet-based test 590+ in the paper-based test
- IELTS:band 7.0 or above
- Cambridge Examinations: Cambridge Proficiency Examination at grade A or B
- GCE O-level or the equivalent: a good pass grade.
The credit system
The PhD program consists of 240 ECTS credits completed usually over a registration period of three to six years. Candidates may be based at the University or elsewhere, usually at their place of employment.
Within the time limits of three to six years, candidates may work at their own pace, which can also vary during their period of enrollment. For example, you may choose to spend one year working at WMU full time, and then return home to complete your work over a longer period, with short visits to the University for progression seminars, meetings, and so on
1 ECTS credit (EC) is approximately 25 study load hours. One academic year is generally 60 EC, or 1500 study load hours, or 36 hours per week over an academic year of 42 weeks.
Progression
Each of the four progression seminars, successfully completed, earns 40 EC. Successful defence of a finalized dissertation earns a candidate 60 EC.
In the initial 6 to 12 months of their registration, students complete a research methodology programme (20 EC), and prepare a detailed proposal for their research, including a literature review. At the end of this initial period, the first progression seminar is held, at which the candidates each present their research proposals.
Throughout the doctoral programme, further progression seminars are held where the candidates present their work to date and their research plans for the next twelve-month period. After every seminar, the Progression Board meets, and considers each candidate's report and a report from each principal supervisor. At this Board meeting, decisions are taken as to whether the candidate is to be permitted to progress to the next stage of the research.
The defence of each PhD dissertation is assessed by a specially established committee, which includes at least one senior and well recognised external expert in the relevant field, from an established organization.
A candidate’s enrolment can be terminated at any point if his/her progress is not considered to be satisfactory.
Advanced standing. A candidate who has completed part of a doctoral degree elsewhere may transfer into the WMU programme with advanced standing. Their period of enrolment at WMU will vary in line with the amount of research they have already completed, but the minimum permissible period of enrolment must include at least two progression seminars and the dissertation (140 EC). A candidate with advanced standing must therefore be registered for at least 12 months.
Supervision. All doctoral students have a principal supervisor who is a member of the resident faculty. According to the topic of research, a student may also have a co-supervisor, who may be a Visiting Professor or a suitable person from outside the University.
