Master’s degree1,500 h · Online · 11 modules

Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea

This master's prepares you to drive the sustainable development of coastal cities through their sea-related activities. You will study the sectors of the blue economy (ports, logistics, tourism, fishing, marine renewable energy and biotechnology), urban and innovation policies, financing and sustainability indicators, and learn to design strategies, entrepreneurship ecosystems and city-of-the-sea projects that create jobs without compromising marine ecosystems.

Duration1,500 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules11
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About the program

What is the Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea?

This master's prepares you to drive the sustainable development of coastal cities through their sea-related activities. You will learn the sectors, scale and impacts of the blue economy in an urban setting, apply indicators and methods to quantify a city's maritime activity, draw up urban blue economy plans with a vision, strategic lines, measures and governance, build clusters, incubators and technology transfer programs, identify public, private and sustainable finance instruments, and integrate environmental and social criteria into economic development.

What sets this master's apart: a city perspective, analyzing the blue economy at urban and metropolitan scale; every sector, from ports, tourism and food to energy, biotechnology and maritime services; strategy tools, including economic diagnosis, clusters, financing and indicators; real sustainability, with criteria to ensure growth does not degrade the ocean; and a Final Project in which you design a blue economy strategy for a real coastal city.

Program typeMaster’s degree
ModeOnline
Duration1,500 hours
Modules11
Start1 December

Program highlights

  • City perspective: the blue economy analyzed at urban and metropolitan scale.
  • Every sector: ports, tourism, food, energy, biotechnology and maritime services.
  • Strategy tools: economic diagnosis, clusters, financing and indicators.
  • Real sustainability: criteria to ensure growth does not degrade the ocean.
  • Real data: official statistics, international reports and coastal city cases.
  • Final Project: a blue economy strategy for a real coastal city.
Syllabus

Syllabus of the Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea

11 modules. Select a module to see its content.

Module 1

The Blue Economy and Coastal Cities

  • 1.1. The concept of the blue economy
  • 1.2. Sustainable blue economy and blue growth
  • 1.3. Cities of the sea through history
  • 1.4. Economic weight of coastal areas
  • 1.5. Established and emerging sectors
  • 1.6. The link between the blue economy and ocean health
  • 1.7. The 2030 Agenda and SDG 14
  • 1.8. International blue economy strategies
  • 1.9. Global trends in coastal cities
  • 1.10. Challenges and risks of blue growth
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 2

Ports, Logistics and the City

  • 2.1. The port as an urban economic engine
  • 2.2. Logistics chains and maritime transport
  • 2.3. Logistics activity zones
  • 2.4. Port digitalization
  • 2.5. Port decarbonisation
  • 2.6. Shore power
  • 2.7. Impacts of the port on the city
  • 2.8. Port-city integration
  • 2.9. Maritime industry and services
  • 2.10. Indicators of port economic impact
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 3

Sustainable Coastal and Maritime Tourism

  • 3.1. Sun and beach tourism
  • 3.2. Cruises and port cities
  • 3.3. Recreational boating and marinas
  • 3.4. Cultural tourism and maritime heritage
  • 3.5. Marine ecotourism
  • 3.6. Tourism carrying capacity
  • 3.7. Managing tourist flows
  • 3.8. Tourism and housing
  • 3.9. Sustainable tourism indicators
  • 3.10. Diversifying the tourism model
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 4

Blue Food and the Seafood Chain

  • 4.1. Fishing and coastal communities
  • 4.2. Sustainable aquaculture
  • 4.3. Fish auctions and seafood markets
  • 4.4. Processing industry
  • 4.5. Gastronomy and city branding
  • 4.6. Seaweed and new marine products
  • 4.7. Traceability and certifications
  • 4.8. Making use of by-products
  • 4.9. Short supply chains
  • 4.10. Employment in the blue food chain
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 5

Marine Energy and Transition in the Coastal City

  • 5.1. Offshore wind energy
  • 5.2. Wave and tidal energy
  • 5.3. Ports as offshore operation bases
  • 5.4. Supply chains for marine renewables
  • 5.5. Hydrogen and new energy carriers in ports
  • 5.6. Coastal energy communities
  • 5.7. Green jobs and training
  • 5.8. Social acceptance of projects
  • 5.9. Planning energy space
  • 5.10. Environmental impacts and their management
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 6

Innovation, Biotechnology and New Blue Sectors

  • 6.1. Marine biotechnology
  • 6.2. Robotics and ocean technologies
  • 6.3. Ocean data and digital services
  • 6.4. Materials and products of marine origin
  • 6.5. Desalination and water
  • 6.6. Blue start-ups
  • 6.7. Technology transfer
  • 6.8. Urban living labs
  • 6.9. Intellectual property in blue innovation
  • 6.10. Emerging sectors and their uncertainty
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 7

Clusters, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Ecosystems

  • 7.1. What a maritime cluster is
  • 7.2. Designing innovation ecosystems
  • 7.3. Blue incubators and accelerators
  • 7.4. Industry-academia collaboration
  • 7.5. Public procurement of innovation
  • 7.6. Entrepreneurship programs
  • 7.7. Attracting talent
  • 7.8. International networks of cities of the sea
  • 7.9. Measuring cluster impact
  • 7.10. Cases of blue ecosystems
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 8

Measuring and Analyzing the Ocean Economy

  • 8.1. Statistical definition of the blue economy
  • 8.2. Sources of economic data
  • 8.3. Ocean satellite accounts
  • 8.4. Input-output tables
  • 8.5. Analysis of employment and value added
  • 8.6. Natural capital accounting
  • 8.7. Environmental and social indicators
  • 8.8. Urban dashboards
  • 8.9. Scenario analysis
  • 8.10. Communicating results
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 9

Urban Policy, Governance and Planning

  • 9.1. Blue economy policies at different scales
  • 9.2. Integrated urban strategies
  • 9.3. Marine spatial planning
  • 9.4. Port-city governance
  • 9.5. Coordination between administrations
  • 9.6. Private sector involvement
  • 9.7. Public participation
  • 9.8. Social justice and the blue transition
  • 9.9. Climate adaptation and the economy
  • 9.10. Evaluating public policies
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 10

Sustainable Blue Finance and Investment

  • 10.1. Public funds for the blue economy
  • 10.2. European and international programs
  • 10.3. Development banks
  • 10.4. Blue bonds and sustainable finance
  • 10.5. Sustainable blue finance principles
  • 10.6. Impact investment
  • 10.7. Public-private partnership
  • 10.8. Project feasibility analysis
  • 10.9. Risks and investment criteria
  • 10.10. Preparing funding proposals
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 11

Final Project

  • 11.1. Selecting the coastal city
  • 11.2. Economic diagnosis of the sea
  • 11.3. Analysis of sectors and value chains
  • 11.4. Environmental and social diagnosis
  • 11.5. Stakeholder map
  • 11.6. Vision and strategic lines
  • 11.7. Program of flagship projects
  • 11.8. Financing plan
  • 11.9. Indicators and monitoring
  • 11.10. Presentation to an assessment panel
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Plan your pace

Duration and format of the Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea

It is 1,500 hours. Tell us how many you can study each week and we will tell you when you will really finish.

4 h30 h
With 12 h per week
29
months to finish
125 weeks
weeks in total

This is the pace at which most students finish. It fits well with the installment plan.

Faculty

Academic leadership and faculty

The Navalis teaching team: working professionals who teach and supervise the programs.

Dra. Marina AlcoverDr. Marina AlcoverAcademic Director and Head of Quality Assurance
Ing. Diego CifuentesEng. Diego CifuentesSenior Lecturer in Naval Welding and Non-Destructive Testing; Head of QA/QC for Welded Joints
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)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 FerrerDr. Pau FerrerSenior Lecturer in Naval Architecture and Simulation; Director of the Hydrodynamics and CFD Laboratory
Dra. Nuria LlobregatDr. Nuria LlobregatSenior Lecturer in Marine Meteorology, SAR and Operational Safety; Navigation Risk Management Coordinator
Ing. Javier BañulsEng. Javier BañulsSenior Lecturer in Electrical Engineering, Automation and ETO Engineering; Electronic Integration and Engine Alarms Coordinator
Ing. Sofía MarquinaEng. Sofía MarquinaSenior Lecturer in Materials, Composites and Corrosion Protection; Coordinator of the Advanced Paints and Coatings Line
Ing. Tomás RieraEng. Tomás RieraSenior Lecturer in Propulsion, Alternative Energy and Hybrid Systems; Energy Performance and Vibration Coordinator
Objectives

Objectives of the Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea

01Understand the blue economy.
02Measure the ocean economy.
03Design urban blue strategies.
04Build innovation ecosystems.
05Finance blue projects.
06Ensure sustainability.
Careers

Career opportunities after the Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea

01Blue economy officerstrategies and programs at city councils and development agencies.
02Maritime cluster managerpromoting businesses and innovation in the sector.
03Urban strategy consultantdevelopment plans for coastal cities.
04Public policy analystdesigning and evaluating blue policies.
05Innovation project managerentrepreneurship and technology transfer programs.
06Sustainable finance specialistanalyzing and structuring blue investments.
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Master's in Urban Blue Economy and Cities of the Sea

The set of sea-related economic activities that take place in a city and its surroundings, analyzed from the standpoint of urban planning and policy.

It is not essential. The program introduces the economic concepts and methods needed for the analysis.

Yes. The health of marine ecosystems is a cross-cutting criterion in every module.

Yes. You use official statistics, reports from international organizations and coastal city case studies.

You design a blue economy strategy for a real coastal city, with an economic diagnosis, flagship projects, a financing plan and monitoring indicators.

The master's is taught entirely online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, recorded live sessions and tutorials. It comprises 1500 hours of study across 11 modules of about 136 hours each, and you progress at your own pace within the schedule you are given on enrollment.

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Online admission

Admission process

No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.

Entry requirements
  • Profile: aimed at graduates in economics, business, geography or environmental sciences, local development officers, professionals at port authorities and maritime clusters, strategy and sustainability consultants, and entrepreneurs who want to build sea-related businesses.
  • Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
  • Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
  • Admission: online application, review of your profile and a short interview with the academic team.
  1. 01
    Application
    Your details, background and documents.
  2. 02
    Instant review
    We check that everything is complete and in order.
  3. 03
    Enrollment
    Choose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
Start my applicationFrom $1,336 deposit

Admission is provisional until the committee validates the documents provided. If you do not meet the requirements, the full amount is refunded.

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