To introduce students to the essentials of business practice and to ensure a
basic knowledge and understanding of the elements of shipping business

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• Exam timetable
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COMMERCIAL GEOGRAPHY

Continents, Oceans, Currents, & Tides, Weather & Climate, Canals &
Waterways, Geographical regions. Location of major countries and
ports. Latitude & Longitude.

INTERNATIONAL TRADE

Global markets and the need for shipping.

CARGOES AND TRADE ROUTES

The role of liners and tramps.
The dry bulk trades.
The oil and other liquid trades.
Manufactured goods.
Origins and distributors of principal cargoes and trades.

SHIP TYPES

Bulk Carriers, Tankers, Containerships, Ro-Ro and General Purpose
vessels.

CONTRACTS OF CARRIAGE

The basic anatomy of voyage and time charter parties.
The main specialist terms and expressions.
Basic functions of the Bill of Lading with a comparison of its role
in the liner and tramp trades.

LAW OF CARRIAGE

The fundamental difference between Contract and Tort.
Hague/Hague-Visby/Hamburg Rules.
The role of international conventions.
Legal aspects of Bills of Lading.
The role of marine insurance and P & I Associations.

SHIP REGISTRATION AND CLASSIFICATION

Flag state, offshore registers and flags of convenience.
The function of classification societies.

THE PRACTITIONERS IN SHIPPING BUSINESS

Principals – shipowners, charterers, shippers and NVOCs
Intermediaries – dry cargo chartering brokers, tanker chartering
brokers, ship sale & purchase brokers, port agents, liner agents,
ship managers, freight forwarders

BASIC ACCOUNTING

The fundamentals of bookkeeping & corporate accounts.
Definitions and roles of Revenue, Cost, Profit, Capital, Cash-flow,
Interest.
The structure of business entities.