The University of Akureyri offers the following studies in Polar Law: a 120 ECTS programme leading to an MA degree; a 90 ECTS programme leading to a LLM degree; a 60 ECTS study at master level leading to a Graduate diploma; and individual courses in Polar law leading to a certificate. All courses in Polar Law are taught in English.
The programme provides a unique focus on Polar law. It comes about in a timely fashion, when climate changes are having a dramatic effect on the Arctic and Antarctic, when the opening of new shipping routes is becoming probable, when current and potential boundary disputes on land and sea remain unresolved, when issues and questions of national and local governance are moving forward on national and international agendas, and, last but not least, when multiple threats to the environment are sending serious danger-signals and calling for urgent measures. One of the interesting areas of study to which this program can contribute concerns possible lessons that the legal regime for Antarctica could provide for solutions in the Arctic.
Polar Law describes the legal regimes applicable to the Arctic and the Antarctic. It is interdisciplinary, placing emphasis on relevant areas of public international law and social sciences. Subject areas include: environmental law; the law of the sea; sovereignty issues and boundary disputes on land and sea; natural resources governance; the rights of indigenous peoples in the North; self-government and good governance; economic development; Arctic security and Arctic strategies; and land and resource claims in Polar regions.
The Polar Law Programmes are incorporated within the International West Nordic Studies Masters Programme. This is a cooperative Programme with the University of the Faroe Islands, the University of Greenland, the University of Nordland and the University of Iceland.
In addition to these partner institutes, The Polar Law Programme at the University of Akureyri involves experts from the University of Lapland, the University of Tilburg, the University of Tromso, the University of Tasmania, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Arctic Council and the Stefansson Arctic Institute.
Next application deadlines for degree-seeking students is in 2015:
1st of April 2015 (NON-EU/EEA RESIDENTS)
5th June 2015 (EU/EEA RESIDENTS)
Please note that the first course for the Fall term 2015 will begin on 12th August 2015.
Applications for the academic year 2015-2016 are now open
Please keep in mind that you need to upload the following:
CV (Curriculum Vitae)
Statement of your objectives and expectations regarding the studies
Transcripts of record
Copy of passport
Two letters of reference
More information here.