Academic degree
Doctoral degrees or doctorates, such as the Doctor of Philosophy degree (PhD or DPhil) or Doctor of Education (EdD or DEd) are awarded following a programme of original research that contributes new knowledge within the context of the student's discipline. Doctoral degrees usually take three years full-time. Therefore, in the UK it may only take seven years to progress from undergraduate to doctoral level – in some cases six, since having a Master's is not always a precondition for embarking on a doctoral degree. This contrasts with nine years in the United States, reflecting differences in the educational systems.
International Maritime Law Institute
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) programme is exclusively research-based and involves the writing and defence of a 100,000-word thesis in an area of international maritime law. A prestigious list of world-renowned experts in maritime law acts as supervisors. This is an external degree which must be completed within three to five years and may be undertaken almost entirely from abroad. A Master’s degree and university education in law are considered as pre-requisites.