Global Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration (September 2025)

The Diploma is a unique and exciting opportunity for professionals with some arbitration experience who want to take the next step in their career. Explore the legal and practical framework of international commercial arbitration in an intimate setting and learn from your peers as well as highly experienced faculty. Seminars, workshops, and lectures in a historic Oxford college and networking opportunities like no other make this experience a gamechanger. The Diploma take place from 8-15 September 2025.

Date
Time
Location
Price
From £8,364.00
Type
In Person

Overview

 

The Diploma will prepare candidates to write an arbitral award that is compliant with the legal and procedural requirements of an enforceable award. For eight days, candidates explore the legal and practical framework of international commercial arbitration in seminars, workshops, and lectures, given by the Diploma’s distinguished faculty of highly experienced international arbitration experts.

Candidates can enjoy the unique Oxford experience, including college life as the Diploma takes place in an intimate setting within an historic 18th century university college. The course fee also includes accommodation within Worcester College in Oxford, and some meals. Candidates will have access to the Bodleian Library within their stay.

After successfully passing all three parts of the Diploma assessments, including a dissertation and writing an award, candidates are eligible to apply for a Peer Interview for Fellowship (FCIArb).

In 2024, 30 ADR professionals from over 20 different countries attended the Diploma.

“I’ve been involved in arbitration for many years, but I was just thrown in at the deep end – to learn on my own. The Diploma has given me a lot of confidence because we’ve learnt in a very structured way what international arbitration is all about.”

David Asiedu, a partner at ENS in Ghana - Global Diploma in International commercial Arbitration candidate 2024

Download the brochure here.

Apply now

Professor Assoc. Dr Crina Baltag FCIArb

 

Professor Assoc. Dr Crina Baltag FCIArb is a globally recognised arbitration and dispute resolution practitioner.

She is also an attorney at law and an academic with over 20 years of extensive practice in international dispute resolution, private, and public international law.

Crina has been appointed as presiding, sole and co-arbitrator in numerous arbitrations under the rules of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), the London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA), the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC), the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC Arbitration Institute), the Finland Arbitration Institute (FAI), Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC), and the Center for Arbitration and Mediation of the Chamber of Commerce Brazil-Canada (CAM-CCBC).

She has acted as expert and counsel in various international commercial and investment arbitrations. She has also practiced as counsel, specialising in commercial and disputes, focusing on construction, energy and natural resources projects, financial transactions, intellectual property, and foreign investments.

Crina is the managing editor of Kluwer Arbitration Blog, and an Associate Professor of International Arbitration Law at Stockholm University.

Find out more about Dr Crina Baltag FCIArb in our Member Directory.

 

Key dates to consider

 

Dates

Details

 

3 March 2025

 

  • Due date to send your CV for consideration.

 

 

30 May 2025

 

 

  • Final booking deadline (successful application dependent).
  • Full course fee is due.

 

31 May 2025

 

  • Biography instructions will be sent via email.

 

 

 

22 August 2025

 

 

 

  • Ciarb will send candidates dissertation proposal instructions.
  • Candidates will gain access to course materials and Module 2 exemption test.

 

31 August 2025

 

  • Ciarb will assign candidates a dissertation supervisor.

 

 

7 September 2025

 

 

  • Candidates arrive in Worcester College, Oxford.
  • Assignment 1 is released. 

 

8 - 15 September 2025

 

  • Diploma takes place in Oxford.

 

9 September 2025

 

  • Assignment 1 is due.

 

11 September 2025

 

  • Assignment 2 is released.

 

13 September 2025

 

  • Assignment 2 is due.

 

20 September 2025

 

  • Dissertation proposal is due.

 

18 October 2025

 

  • Final dissertation is due.

 

25 November 2025

 

  • Get access to stage 1 of the final assessment.

 

27 November 2025

 

  • Module 2 exemption test completion deadline.

 

5 December 2025

 

  • Get access to stage 2 of the final assessment.

Assessment

Part 1 Assessment: Law, Practice and Procedure of International Commercial Arbitration

Candidates submit two assignments (500 words) during the Diploma, a dissertation proposal (300 max) on an arbitration topic, including research question and potential literature list, and then a final dissertation (4,00 words) two months later.

The final dissertation is due by 18 October 2025. It is worth 80% of the overall mark.

Candidates need to obtain 55% on each assignment to pass.

Candidates who fail any assessments will be required to retake the assessment, and any failure to submit an assessment will result in a fail mark.

Part 2 Assessment: Law of Obligations

Candidates are required to demonstrate expertise on the common law and civil law of contract tort.

Candidates must pass a multiple-choice online exemption test before commencing to the final assessment. Candidates will be given a reference workbook and a mock assessment before taking the test. Candidates will have 90 minutes to take the test, and the pass mark is 70%. The deadline is 27 November 2025.

Ciarb Fellows do not need to complete the exemption test.

Part 3 Assessment: Evidence and Award Writing of International Arbitration

Candidates are required to submit an award via LearnADR.

The assessment is split into two stages.

Stage one: The documents in the case are released via LearnADR 10 days before the assessment start date. They are sufficient to enable the candidate to review the nature of the case and the likely legal problems. Candidates should consider the recitals they intend to include and the relevant law.

Stage One is released via LearnADR 10 days before the assessment start date.

Stage two: This is the equivalent of the hearing stage, and includes an extract from the candidate’s (i.e. the arbitrator’s) notebook. This records the oral evidence and arguments the arbitrator has heard, as well as any other relevant documents. From the evidence, candidates must make their findings of fact. Different candidates will no doubt make different findings.

When candidates have made their findings of fact, they can write the award. It must be a final award that reflects the issues that they decide.

Stage two is released at 12pm noon GMT on the assessment start date via LearnADR. Stage 2 will be available for five days from the assessment start date. Within the five days, candidates have 48 consecutive hours from the time they access the stage 2 documents, to submit the award onto LearnADR.

The length of the arbitral award is 10,000 words maximum.

Candidates will be marked on technical and judicial merit:

  • Technical Merit: counts as 40% towards the overall mark.
  • Judicial Merit: counts as 60% towards the overall mark.

Candidates must achieve 70% in both technical and judicial merit and 70% overall to pass this assessment. The detailed elements of each technical and judicial merits will be made available with Stage One.

Results are sent to candidates 12 weeks from the deadline date of the submission.

Course fee

Ciarb is offering two early bird discounts.

If you pay the deposit* to secure your place on the course before 31 December 2024, you will pay £9,384 as a non-member, and £8,364 as a member.

If you pay the deposit* to secure your place on the course before 28 February 2025, you will pay £9,690 as a non-member, and £8,670 as a member.

After 1 March 2025, all candidates must pay the full course fee £9,945.00 (includes VAT).

*The deposit is 50% of the total course fee and is non-refundable.

Global Diploma fee

 

Fee including VAT

Until 31 December 2024

Non-member

£9,384.00

Until 31 December 2024

*Ciarb member

£8,364.00

Until 28 February 2025

Non-member

£9,690.00

Until 28 February 2025

*Ciarb member

£8,670.00

After 1 March 2025

Non-member

£9,945.00

After 1 March 2025

*Ciarb member

£9,945.00

*Ciarb member offers are only available to MCIArb and FCIArb members.

Eligibility & Application

 

To be considered for the Diploma, you must:

  • Be actively involved in and have some experience of domestic or international arbitration.
  • Have five years’ experience as a lawyer, surveyor, accountant or similar.

Additionally, you must have a high standard of English.

To apply, please send you full CV to globaldiploma@ciarb.org by 3 March 2025. The review process is thorough and can take six weeks. We appreciate your patience.

Only successful applicants will be contacted regarding registration and payment.

Apply now

For information as to what Ciarb does with personal data, please see Ciarb’s Privacy Policy which includes information about how to withdraw consent.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there a full course information sheet available?

Read the full course information sheet here.

How is the course delivered?

This course is delivered in-person, from 9am-5pm in seminars, lectures and workshops. It takes place in Worcester College, Oxford, UK.

What are the learning outcomes?

Read the learning outcomes in our Course Information Sheet here.

What is covered in the Syllabus?

ADR processes and arbitration

  • Arbitration distinguished from other forms of dispute resolution
  • Nature and limits of arbitration

 

Law and the legal framework surrounding arbitration

  • Types of arbitration: including ad-hoc, institutional and expedited
  • Characteristics of institutional arbitration as presented by leading arbitration institutions
  • Privacy, confidentiality and transparency in arbitration
  • The New York Convention, UNCITRAL Model Law, UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules, examples of National Arbitration Legislation
  • Lex arbitri, seat of arbitration, choice of law; distinction from the venue of the
  • hearing(s); lex causa
  • The role of state courts in the arbitral process and post-award

 

The arbitration procedure

  • Arbitration agreement: validity, interpretation, enforceability
  • Law applicable to the arbitration agreement, to the proceedings and to the merits of the dispute
  • Commencement of arbitration, request for arbitration and answer, terms of Reference
  • The arbitrator’s terms and conditions of appointment, conflicts and challenges
  • Duties and powers of the arbitral tribunal
  • Role of arbitral tribunal secretaries
  • Jurisdiction and admissibility in international arbitration
  • Challenges to arbitral award
  • Recognition and enforcement of arbitral award

 

The hearing

  • Managing the arbitration process: communications, preliminary meetings, interlocutory matters
  • Evidence in international arbitration; submission, admissibility and assessment of
    evidence
  • Evidentiary hearing

 

Awards

  • Form, content and structure of an arbitral award
  • Remedies, costs, and interest, relevance of third-party funding in arbitration
  • Dissenting and concurring opinions
  • The Burden and Standard of Proof
  • Types of evidence: documentary vs. non-documentary, witnesses, experts, site inspection, etc.
  • Privilege and confidentiality in evidentiary matters
  • Disclosure and document production
  • Legal requirements for arbitral awards
  • Identifying the issues for determination
  • Deliberations and decision-making
  • Reasoning of the arbitral award
  • Drafting the dispositive of the award
  • Time limits
  • Dissenting and Concurring opinions
  • Conflict of interest
  • Compliance with institutional award checklists
  • Publication of awards

 

What does the course fee include?

For the course fee, candidates will receive:

 

  • Accommodation at Worcester College in Oxford, UK
    Some meals will be provided
  • Access to Ciarb’s virtual learning platform, LearnADR
  • Study materials
  • Access to a dissertation supervisor
  • All assignments, assessments and exemption tests

What happens when I register for the course?

Upon successful registration on the course, candidates will receive confirmation they are booked on the course.

 


Candidates are encouraged to purchase the following book prior to the start of the Diploma - Redfern and Hunter on International Arbitration by Nigel Blackaby KC, Constantine Partasides KC, and Alan Redfern, Oxford University Press, (7th or the latest edition).

 


Candidates will be provided with access to Ciarb’s virtual learning platform, LearnADR, learning materials, and a suggested reading list. We recommend candidates familiarise themselves with the UNCITRAL Model Law and Arbitration Rules and the substantive law in their respective jurisdiction together with the relevant Act(s) and Scheme(s) and important case decisions (where applicable).

 


Candidates should also refer to the recognised standard textbooks to supplement their study in their respective jurisdiction where these are available.

What is LearnADR?

LearnADR is Ciarb's online learning platform.

 

Once you have purchased the course, you can access it by going to your dashboard and click on 'My Courses'. There you will find a red button that says, 'LearnADR'.

 

What is Ciarb’s policy on cancellation of courses?

Ciarb reserves the right to cancel or change the date, venue or content of Diplomas and the names of speakers, lecturers and tutors. Candidates will be provided with adequate notice of any change. If Ciarb cancels a course, candidates will be provided with a full refund or the opportunity to transfer their registration to the next course. If a candidate wants to cancel/defer registration, they must email education@ciarb.org. Deferral charges apply.


Please note that the first 50% of the course fee is non-refundable.

What is my next step when I complete the course?

On successful completion of the Diploma course and all the corresponding assessments, candidates will:

 

  • Be awarded a Diploma in International Commercial Arbitration.
  • Be able to progress to the Peer Interview of the International Arbitration pathway.
  • Be eligible to apply for Fellowship and take advantage of a range of educational and professional benefits once they have been successful in the Peer Interview.

 

Please note that candidates are only eligible to apply for Fellowship for a maximum of two years after having successfully completed the Diploma and assessments.