Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport
This master's follows cargo from the berth to the hinterland. You will learn port governance and concession models, terminal layout and capacity planning, berth and port call planning, yard, inventory and equipment management, gate, customs and documentation, multimodal corridors and rail services, port pricing and cost control, digital systems such as TOS, PCS and EDI, and security, sustainability and leadership, with a hands-on workshop in every module so you can improve port competitiveness and make sound operational and strategic decisions.
Prior knowledge check
These are the skills this program gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.
You are starting from scratch in this subject. The program is designed precisely for that.
What is the Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport?
This master's covers port management as the coordination of every link between the ship and the inland customer. You will study port and terminal types, port governance, concessions and PPPs, hinterland and foreland and port KPIs; terminal layout and berth, yard, gate and rail capacity, equipment sizing, simulation and investment master plans; port call scheduling, berth allocation, stowage sequences, STS operations, special cargo, damage claims and congestion recovery; stacking strategies, dispatching, inventory accuracy, reefer and IMDG management and availability-based maintenance; gate processes, truck appointment systems, customs, BL, VGM and ENS documentation and physical security; multimodal corridors, block trains, empty container repositioning and door-to-door operations; port tariffs, revenue models, activity-based costing and NPV and IRR appraisal; TOS, PCS, EDI and APIs, IoT, analytics and IT/OT cybersecurity; ISPS, occupational safety, decarbonization and climate resilience; and operational excellence and change management.
What sets this master's apart: it is organized as a sequence of practical workshops, from a process map and performance baseline of a terminal to a layout proposal, a port call plan, new yard rules, a paperless gate flow, an intermodal service design, a terminal improvement business case and a digital TOS-PCS architecture; it pairs operations with the economics of the port, with pricing, revenue management and unit cost control; it covers land-side flows as thoroughly as the quay; and it closes with a Final Project built on a defined problem, data plan and validation, presented and defended before a panel.
Program highlights
- Port governance and concessions: authority and operator roles, PPP models, risk allocation, SLAs and port KPIs.
- Capacity planning: berth, yard, gate and on-dock rail capacity, equipment sizing, simulation and CAPEX master plans.
- Quay and yard operations: port call plans, STS crane management, stacking rules, reefers, IMDG and cost per move.
- Land side and corridors: gate and truck appointments, customs and documentation, block trains, empty repositioning and door-to-door.
- Port economics and digital systems: tariffs, activity-based costing, NPV and IRR, TOS, PCS, EDI and APIs and IT/OT cybersecurity.
- A practical workshop in every module and a Final Project defended before a panel.
Syllabus of the Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
The global port ecosystem, governance, concession models and the logistics value chain
- 1.1. Types of ports and terminals: container, bulk, ro-ro, multipurpose, passenger and offshore
- 1.2. Port governance and the logistics community: port authority, concessionaires, shipping lines, operators and agents
- 1.3. Concession and PPP models: risk allocation, investment obligations, SLAs and control mechanisms
- 1.4. Strategic port planning: hinterland, foreland, corridors and competitive positioning
- 1.5. The port value chain: maritime services, stevedoring, storage, value-added services and last mile
- 1.6. Resilience and continuity: contingencies, disruptions, redundancy and operational recovery plans
- 1.7. Benchmark port KPIs: productivity, occupancy, port call times, dwell time and unit costs
- 1.8. Process design and SOPs: standardization, change control and operational traceability
- 1.9. Stakeholders and social license: communication, externalities, port-city coexistence and reputation
- 1.10. Diagnostic workshop: port process map and performance baseline by terminal type
Terminal engineering, layout design and scenario-based capacity planning
- 2.1. Functional terminal design: zoning, flows, access, constraints and modular expansion
- 2.2. Berth capacity: windows, occupancy, metocean restrictions and buffers
- 2.3. Yard capacity: density, segregation, reefers, IMO cargo, empties and optimization
- 2.4. Gate capacity: appointments, queues, turnaround time, peaks and lane sizing
- 2.5. On-dock rail capacity: slots, train makeup, rail yard, operations and synchronization with the yard
- 2.6. Equipment sizing: STS, RTG and RMG cranes, reach stackers, terminal tractors and technical availability
- 2.7. Simulation and conceptual twin: scenarios, sensitivity, bottlenecks and operating policies
- 2.8. Investment master plan: prioritization, business case, risks and CAPEX schedule
- 2.9. Safety by design: traffic separation, restricted areas, emergencies and operational ergonomics
- 2.10. Layout workshop: design proposal and preliminary validation of capacities and constraints
Maritime operations, berth planning and ship-terminal-land coordination
- 3.1. Port call scheduling: ETA and ETD, windows, prioritization and managing uncertainty
- 3.2. Berth planning: berth allocation, drafts, towage and pilotage and operational restrictions
- 3.3. Loading and discharge plan: sequences, distribution by hold and bay and target productivity
- 3.4. Management of STS operations: crane allocation, hatch moves, interference and safety
- 3.5. Special cargo: out-of-gauge, ro-ro, reefers, project cargo and dangerous goods
- 3.6. Damage control and claims: evidence, surveys, traceability and contractual closure
- 3.7. Congestion management: anchorage, waiting times, yard overflow and recovery measures
- 3.8. Metocean windows: go/no-go criteria, restrictions and decision protocols
- 3.9. Operational reporting: reports, indicators, shipping line SLAs and daily performance review
- 3.10. Port call control workshop: design of a port call plan with KPIs and contingencies
Yard, inventory and equipment management: productivity, safety and unit cost
- 4.1. Stacking strategies: rules by dwell, destination, IMO class and reefer status and minimizing rehandles
- 4.2. Move planning: sequencing, dispatching, resource balancing and reduction of waiting times
- 4.3. Inventory management: accuracy, reconciliation, events, exceptions and yard audits
- 4.4. Operation of yard equipment: RTG and RMG cranes, reach stackers and straddle carriers and risk control
- 4.5. Availability-oriented maintenance: criticality, MTBF and MTTR, spare parts and planned stoppages
- 4.6. Occupational safety in the yard: exclusion zones, procedures, permits and incident analysis
- 4.7. Reefer management: power, monitoring, alarms, protocols and custody liability
- 4.8. IMO and IMDG cargo management: segregation, marking, emergency plans and documentary compliance
- 4.9. Yard KPIs: moves per hour, dwell time, utilization, damage, backlog and cost per move
- 4.10. Optimization workshop: redesign of yard rules for productivity and safety
Gate, customs and documentation: land-side flow, access control and compliance
- 5.1. Gate process design: pre-gate, OCR, weighing, inspection and exit with the EIR
- 5.2. Truck appointment systems (TAS): rules, capacity, seasonal peaks and queue control
- 5.3. Customs integration: release, inspections, bonded areas, seals and exception handling
- 5.4. Key documentation: BL, delivery order, VGM, manifests, ENS and ICS and event traceability
- 5.5. Physical security: credentials, perimeters, CCTV, access control and audits
- 5.6. Management of haulier fleets and carriers: SLAs, compliance, communication and penalties
- 5.7. Inspections and scanners: operational coordination, times, priorities and chain of custody
- 5.8. Incident management: holds, fraud, discrepancies and resolution protocols
- 5.9. Gate KPIs: truck turnaround, throughput, rejection rate, punctuality and congestion
- 5.10. Documentation workshop: design of a paperless flow with controls, roles and evidence
Multimodal transport and intermodality: corridors, hinterland and service planning
- 6.1. Multimodal architecture: sea, road, rail, inland waterway and air and mode selection criteria
- 6.2. Logistics corridors: capacity, nodes, bottlenecks and time and cost competitiveness
- 6.3. Rail planning: slots, block trains, train makeup, inland terminals and synchronization
- 6.4. Depot operations and empties: repositioning, costs, availability and agreements with shipping lines
- 6.5. Door-to-door operations: consolidation, cross-docking, distribution and last mile
- 6.6. Management of special containers: reefers, tanks and flat racks and their maintenance
- 6.7. Risk in the multimodal chain: damage, delays, security, traceability and continuity
- 6.8. Contracts and liabilities: Incoterms, insurance, liability limits and claims management
- 6.9. Multimodal KPIs: OTIF, lead time, reliability, cost per TEU-km and emissions
- 6.10. Service design workshop: an intermodal proposal for a corridor with an operating plan and KPIs
Port economics, pricing, revenue management and operating cost control
- 7.1. Structure of port and terminal tariffs: components, surcharges and elasticity
- 7.2. Revenue models: contracts, volumes, guaranteed minimums and SLA penalties
- 7.3. Activity-based costing (ABC): drivers, allocation, unit costs and profitability by service
- 7.4. CAPEX and OPEX budgeting: forecasting, variances, control and executive reporting
- 7.5. Productivity versus cost: benchmarking, experience curves and investment decisions
- 7.6. Purchasing and supplier management: approval, SLAs, audits and performance control
- 7.7. Management of claims and disputes: evidence, timelines, surveys and contractual resolution
- 7.8. Financial appraisal of projects: NPV and IRR, sensitivity, risk and scenarios
- 7.9. Financial governance: dashboards, compliance, segregation of duties and internal control
- 7.10. Financial workshop: business case for a terminal improvement with ROI and implementation plan
Port digitalization: TOS, PCS, EDI and APIs, IoT and analytics for real-time decisions
- 8.1. TOS architecture: modules, business rules, inventory, exceptions and traceability
- 8.2. PCS and single window: interoperability, data governance and community coordination
- 8.3. EDI and API integrations: messages, quality, versioning and change control
- 8.4. IoT and sensors: OCR, equipment telemetry, RTLS and priority use cases
- 8.5. End-to-end visibility: track and trace, events, alerts and predictive ETA
- 8.6. Operational analytics: dashboards, bottlenecks, congestion forecasting and optimization
- 8.7. Automation and smart terminals: workflows, RPA, partial autonomy and operational safety
- 8.8. IT/OT cybersecurity: access, segmentation, hardening, backups and digital continuity
- 8.9. Data governance: metadata, lineage, retention, audit and compliance
- 8.10. Lab: design of a TOS-PCS digital architecture with KPIs and a data model
Security, sustainability and compliance: ISPS, IMDG, environment and climate resilience
- 9.1. ISPS port security: assessment, plans, roles, access control and audits
- 9.2. Occupational health and safety: critical risks, permits, LOTO, special work and preventive culture
- 9.3. IMDG and IMO cargo management: segregation, storage, marking, emergencies and documentation
- 9.4. Environmental management: waste, spills, emissions, noise and verifiable mitigation measures
- 9.5. Port decarbonization: electrification, onshore power supply, alternative fuels and transition plans
- 9.6. Climate resilience: flooding, extreme waves, heat, continuity and infrastructure adaptation
- 9.7. Emergency management: plans, drills, external coordination and lessons learned
- 9.8. Audits and compliance: nonconformities, corrective actions and evidence systems
- 9.9. Port ESG indicators: metrics, reporting, traceability and continuous improvement
- 9.10. Risk workshop: integrated operational and environmental risk matrix with a response plan
Strategic management, leadership, change management and operational excellence in ports and logistics
- 10.1. Operational excellence models: lean port management, standardization and visual management
- 10.2. Change management: adoption, training, resistance and internal communication
- 10.3. Talent management: critical roles, shifts, productivity, fatigue and competencies
- 10.4. KPI governance: KPI tree, daily and weekly reviews and accountability
- 10.5. Customer relationships: SLAs, quarterly business reviews, customer success and service improvement
- 10.6. Stakeholder management: port community, regulator, city and strategic alliances
- 10.7. Expansion planning: phases, CAPEX, permits, risks and commissioning
- 10.8. Innovation and portfolio: prioritization of initiatives, maturity and scaling
- 10.9. Operational crisis management: decision-making, communication and recovery
- 10.10. Final Project preparation: case definition, scope, metrics, data plan and validation plan
Final Project
- 11.1. Choice of topic and definition of the problem to solve
- 11.2. Formulation of objectives, working hypotheses and scope
- 11.3. Review of the state of the art and the specialized literature
- 11.4. Analysis of the applicable regulatory and technical framework
- 11.5. Design of the methodology and work plan
- 11.6. Collection, processing and validation of data
- 11.7. Technical development and analysis of results
- 11.8. Discussion, conclusions and future lines of work
- 11.9. Writing of the project report to academic standards
- 11.10. Presentation and defense before a panel
Duration and format of the Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport
It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.
This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.
Academic leadership and faculty
The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.
Dr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Eng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Capt. Javier Abaroa (MCA)Senior Lecturer in Ship Handling, Electronic Navigation (ECDIS/Radar/ARPA) and GMDSS; STCW Compliance and Bridge Resource Management Coordinator
Dr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Eng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Eng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Eng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration CoordinatorObjectives of the Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport
Career opportunities after the Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport
Questions about the Master's in Port Management and Multimodal Transport
Port management and operations together with the multimodal transport and logistics that connect the port with its hinterland, from the berth to the inland customer.
Every module ends with a workshop: a terminal diagnosis, a layout proposal, a port call plan, new yard rules, a paperless gate flow, an intermodal service design, a business case, a digital architecture and a risk matrix.
No. The program is aimed at logistics professionals, port managers, engineers and technicians, business and economics graduates and consultants. The admission interview confirms that your profile fits.
Yes. A full module covers port and terminal tariffs, revenue models, activity-based costing, CAPEX and OPEX budgeting, NPV and IRR appraisal and financial governance.
Online, with multimedia resources, personalized tutoring and real case studies, in a format designed for working professionals.
Through the workshops and assignments in each module and a Final Project in which you solve a defined problem with your own data and methodology and defend it before a panel.
A Navalis Institute master's certificate and a portfolio of workshop deliverables and a Final Project that you can show to employers.
More programs in Ports and marinas
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: a degree in economics, business administration, civil or industrial engineering, law or a related field, or professional experience in the port or logistics sector.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with camera and microphone, a stable broadband connection and software compatible with the virtual learning platform.
- Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
- 01ApplicationYour details, background and documents.
- 02Instant reviewWe check that everything is complete and in order.
- 03EnrollmentChoose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.
Ask us before you enroll
Leave your details and admissions will write to you to answer any questions. If you are already sure, you can apply and pay in the same session.