Program Overview

Program Overview

The University of Copenhagen offers a course in Maritime Security, which is a thriving field of international activity. The course provides a concise introduction to security problems at sea and how to situate and analyze them.

Course Details

Course Description

Maritime security is a field that deals with issues such as piracy, extremist violence at sea, the smuggling of people and illicit goods via the sea, or environmental crimes such as illegal fishing. The course reviews the problems, institutions, actors, and responses of maritime security in the light of contemporary security theory.

Learning Outcomes

• Gain an in-depth understanding of contemporary maritime security challenges
• Learn how different international actors respond to maritime security challenges
• Gain knowledge about the core approaches for the analysis and interpretation of security practices
• Practice core analytical skills, including summarizing, processing, interpreting, and presenting information
• Learn how to conduct small-scale research projects on contemporary security challenges

Literature

• Bueger, Christian and Timothy Edmunds. 2024. Understanding Maritime Security. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
• Urbina, Ian. 2015. The Outlaw Ocean, New York Times Series
• Nye, Joseph S. 1975. “Ocean Rule Making from a World Politics Perspective.” Ocean Development & International Law 3(1): 29–52
• Havice, Elizabeth, and Anna Zalik. 2018. “Ocean Frontiers: Epistemologies, Jurisdictions, Commodifications.” International Social Science Journal 68(229–230): 219–35.
• Voyer, Michelle et al. 2018. “Maritime Security and the Blue Economy: Intersections and Interdependencies in the Indian Ocean.” Journal of the Indian Ocean Region 14(1): 28–48.
• Steinberg, Philip E. 2001. The Social Construction of the Ocean. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Recommended Academic Qualifications

• Knowledge and understanding of international relations and international security

Teaching and Learning Methods

• 16 hours of seminars on theories, concepts, actors, and institutions of maritime security
• Two hours of practice sessions that focus on the skills required for the formative and summative assessments
• A student research workshop, in which course participants will present the results of their research and receive detailed feedback

Workload

• Category: Class Instruction
• Hours: 28
• Total: 28

Assessment

• Type of assessment: Written assignment
• Type of assessment details: Free written assignment
• Marking scale: 7-point grading scale
• Censorship form: No external censorship
• Re-exam: Free written assignment

Criteria for Exam Assessment

• Grade 12 is given for an outstanding performance
• Grade 7 is given for a good performance
• Grade 02 is given for an adequate performance

Course Information

• Language: English
• Course code: ASTK18180U
• Credit: 7.5 ECTS
• Level: Full Degree Master, Bachelor
• Duration: 1 semester
• Placement: Spring
• Course is also available as continuing and professional education

Study Board

• Department of Political Science, Study Council

Contracting Departments

• Department of Political Science
• Social Data Science

Contracting Faculty

• Faculty of Social Sciences

Course Coordinators

• Christian Bueger

Eligibility

The course is open to:

• Full-degree students enrolled at the Department of Political Science, UCPH
• Full-degree students enrolled at the Faculty of Social Science, UCPH
• Exchange and Guest students from abroad
• Credit students from Danish Universities
• Open University students

Program Structure

The program is structured to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of maritime security, including its challenges, institutions, actors, and responses. The course is delivered through a combination of seminars, practice sessions, and a student research workshop.