Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport Course
Online 300-hour course in environmental liability in maritime transport. 6 modules covering the MARPOL 73/78 Convention, the International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC 1992) and GNOME (NOAA). Assigned tutor and open enrolment.
Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport Course — studying from South Africa
South Africa has one of the more developed insurance and financial services sectors on the continent, with major insurers and reinsurers headquartered in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Actuarial and risk analysis skills are in demand for pricing, reserving and risk management. The Financial Sector Conduct Authority and the Prudential Authority regulate the sector, and insurers rely on data-driven models to meet capital and solvency requirements. Engineers with statistics and data skills are increasingly recruited into these roles.
Fees for South Africa: R 10 200 (South African rand), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in South Africa
Typical roles
Questions from South Africa
Will a SEIUM qualification be recognised by the professional bodies in South Africa for this area?
SEIUM qualifications are private qualifications, not official state degrees, and they are not accredited by any South African body. Actuarial work in South Africa is overseen by the Actuarial Society of South Africa (ASSA), whose professional credentials follow their own examination and regulatory routes. Recognition of a SEIUM qualification is decided by employers or the relevant body, so verify this directly with them before enrolling.
How might this qualification be used by employers in South Africa in insurance and risk roles?
Insurers, banks and risk consultancies look for strong data, modelling and risk skills. A private qualification may support your profile, particularly alongside relevant experience, but it will not replace formal professional credentials where these are required. Whether a particular employer values it is up to them, so it is worth asking hiring managers in your target field how they would view it.
Can I study this programme alongside full-time work from South Africa, and is there a time zone or language issue?
Yes, the programme is delivered fully online and in English, so no student visa is needed to study from home. Master's programmes require 1,900 hours, postgraduate diplomas 800 hours and specialist courses 300 hours. Each student is assigned a technical tutor, fees can be paid in instalments, and employer sponsorship is possible. Ask SEIUM about the time-zone and weekly workload expectations before committing.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Identify the types of environmental damage arising from maritime transport.
Explain the international framework for liability for pollution from ships.
Verify compliance with MARPOL on board and in document management.
Plan the response to a spill in accordance with the OPRC Convention.
Apply the CLC, Fund and Bunkers regimes to a specific incident.
Analyse the coverage provided by P&I clubs and the mandatory insurance certificates.
Prepare a claim for environmental damage arising from a maritime incident.
Who it's for
- Marine pollution specialist wishing to specialise in Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport.
- P&I club claims manager wishing to specialise in Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport.
- Maritime environmental lawyer wishing to specialise in Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport.
- MARPOL compliance inspector wishing to specialise in Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport.
- Environmental manager of a shipping company wishing to specialise in Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport.
- Spill response technician wishing to specialise in Environmental Liability in Maritime Transport.
- Engineering or science graduates seeking to enter shipping companies.
What you'll work with
- MARPOL 73/78 Convention
- International Convention on Civil Liability for Oil Pollution Damage (CLC 1992)
- 1992 Fund Convention (FIDAC)
- Bunkers Convention (2001)
- Nairobi International Convention on the Removal of Wrecks (2007)
- OPRC Convention (1990)
- Directive 2004/35/EC (environmental liability)
6 modules · 300 h
1.1Types of pollution from ships1.2Oil spills and their behaviour1.3Harmful and potentially hazardous substances1.4Sewage and garbage1.5Ballast water and invasive species1.6Atmospheric emissions from ships1.7Underwater noise and wildlife1.8Sector vocabulary and acronyms1.9Reference accidents and their regulatory effect1.10Exercise: impact map of an operation
2.1International convention on pollution prevention2.2Annexes and their content2.3Civil liability conventions for oil pollution2.4International compensation funds2.5Bunker fuel convention2.6Wreck removal convention2.7Ballast water management convention2.8Liability limits and their calculation2.9Mandatory ship certificates2.10Practice: identifying the applicable regime
3.1Shipboard marine pollution emergency plan3.2Record books and their maintenance3.3Treatment equipment and its maintenance3.4Fuels and sulphur limits3.5Exhaust gas cleaning systems3.6Port State control3.7Inspections and common deficiencies3.8Crew training3.9Culture of compliance on board3.10Practice: documentary audit of a ship
4.1Notification and activation of plans4.2Coordination with authorities and the club4.3Spill containment and recovery4.4Protection of sensitive areas4.5Management of collected waste4.6Assessment of environmental damage4.7Restoration and compensation4.8Documentation and chain of custody4.9Public communication4.10Practice: an operator's response plan
5.1Liability of the shipowner and cargo owner5.2Compulsory insurance and certificates5.3Role of protection and indemnity clubs5.4Environmental damage claims5.5Loss of income of affected third parties5.6Valuation of ecosystem damage5.7Criminal and administrative liability5.8International litigation5.9Prevention through insurance5.10Practice: analysis of claims arising from an incident
6.1Choice of ship and its operation6.2Map of impacts and applicable rules6.3Onboard compliance analysis6.4Prevention and response plan6.5Liability and insurance analysis6.6Assessment of a spill scenario6.7Crew training plan6.8Monitoring indicators6.9Project report6.10Project defence
How you'll learn
100% online training on the SEIUM Institute campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and assigned technical tutor. No fixed timetables: students progress at their own pace within the intake, making it possible to combine study with work.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is GNOME (NOAA), OILMAP, QGIS, advanced Excel, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Tests are studied using real procedures for simulating oil spill drift and analysing a claim before the FIDAC. Assessment is continuous, module by module, plus a final integrating project.
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Identify the types of environmental damage arising from maritime transport.
Explain the international framework for liability for pollution from ships.
Verify compliance with MARPOL on board and in document management.
Plan the response to a spill in accordance with the OPRC Convention.
Apply the CLC, Fund and Bunkers regimes to a specific incident.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- No prior degree required.
- Internet connection and a computer capable of running the programme's software.
- Sufficient Spanish to follow technical regulatory texts.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 300 hours, spread over 3 to 5 months. That is an average of 10 to 15 hours per week, compatible with full-time work.
You work with GNOME (NOAA), OILMAP, QGIS and advanced Excel. Free, academic or evaluation versions are used, and the tutor indicates the free alternative where one exists.
An own diploma from the SEIUM Institute on passing continuous assessment and the integrating project. It is in-house training, not an official Ministry qualification.
Yes. Modules passed on a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are credited towards the higher-level programme. Check the credit transfer policy when you enrol.
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