Hi,

I am considering to pursue an LLM in Maritime Law and would like your help in making an informed decision. After researching various options, I have narrowed down my choices to Swansea University's LLM in International Commercial and Maritime Law and the National University of Singapore's LLM in Maritime Law.

As a budding maritime lawyer with a slight experience in the field, I am look forward to explore opportunities to relocate abroad after my graduation. I have some questions and concerns that I would appreciate your advice on:

1. What are the employment opportunities like after completing either of these programs? I have heard Swansea has a decent presence in the maritime industry and thus jobs are floating throughout the year. However, I am unsure about NUS, considering the stricter work permit rules.

2. What is the return on investment like for these programs? As an international student, I am investing a significant amount of money and time in pursuing an LLM, and I want to ensure that it provides a good return on investment.

3. How long do international students have to look for employment opportunities in the respective countries after completing their studies? What are the growth opportunities like after completing either of these programs? Are there opportunities to further advance my career in the maritime industry, either in the respective countries or internationally?

I would appreciate any advice and insights from the LLMguide community on these matters. Your input will go a long way in helping me make an informed decision on which program to pursue.

Thank you in advance for your help.

Hi, I am interested in pursuing LL.M. in maritime law too. In my opinion, both schools are slightly incomparable if we are discussing the location. I'd love to hear some insights from the alumni too. I discussed this with some alumni from Swansea. They told me that the professors are world-class experts in the field, who may have authored/co-authored maritime law textbooks, and most of the students possess working experiences. In terms of connection, I think Swansea is a good place to connect with people in the field which may lead to job opportunities. It is cheaper than in Singapore. Well, if it is a good investment with other legal industries aka corporate law firms, NUS is over Swansea; this is my opinion. 

1. The main issue with Singpaore these days is, as you say, the difficulty of getting jobs there for non-citizens post-Covid. England is generally just far easier to land a legal job in than Singpaore these days unless you ahve some very strong and relevant background from your home jurisdiction already. As for English unis, Swansea does seem to have decent industry contacts, but I doubt that this truly outweighs the advantage of the London unis. 
2. Depends on what you mean by return on investment. You describe yourself as a 'budding maritime lawyer', which gives the suggestion that your aim is to become a maritime law solicitor. The reality is that the London law firms that specialise in shipping don't really care about your LLM, I'm afraid. One would think that maritime law LLMs would at least give you an advantage over other LLMs or a general LLB, but I don't really see much evidence that there is any greater representation of maritime llm graduates at the london law firms that specialise in shipping than, well, any other degree background, really. Will you find LLM graduates from Swansea, Soton, UCL and Queen Mary at these firms? Yes. Will there be any more of them than any other background (legal or non-legal)? Seemingly not. As for the barristers' chambers with a good shipping reputation, you'd be far better off just going to Oxbridge... To be fair, you're better of going there if you want to become a maritime solicitor as well, even if they don't have a single course related to maritime law. 
3. Difficult to say how long it takes. If you're applying to law firms in London, you often have to apply 1-2 years before graduation depending on  whether you're qualified in your home jurisdiction or not. Since you mention what I assume would be your LLB (equivalent) graduation, I'll assume you don't have a licence to practice law as a lawyer/solicitor/barrister yet, meaning you'd have to apply for a training contract 2 years before graduating (solicitor route) or the bar course and a pupillage contract the year you start your LLM (barrister route). In neither case is there much evidence that a specialist LLM actually provides much benefit in landing those contracts. As for Singapore, you will generally never qualify for anything above paralegal work if you're not qualified already in your home jurisdiction. Situation might be more favourable in both cities if you don't go for legal practice, eg P&I Clubs, marine insurance, etc. 

I studied at Swansea and like many of my classmates found a job straight after in shipping sector:
see
 

LLM Employability Initiatives and Results - Swansea University