Short course300 h · Online · 5 modules

Great Explorers and Discoveries Course

This course takes you along the sea and land routes that transformed history. You will analyze the motives, challenges and legacies of figures such as Columbus, Magellan, Elcano, Cook, Humboldt and Livingstone, work with their maps, instruments and original accounts, and study the cultures they encountered, the trade they opened and the global impact of their expeditions, including a critical reading of their consequences.

Duration300 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules5
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About the program

What is the Great Explorers and Discoveries Course?

This short course offers a journey through the history of exploration and its role in building our knowledge of the world. You will study the motives behind exploration, the known world before the great expeditions and the innovations that made them possible, the pioneering voyages of Antiquity and the Middle Ages, from the Phoenicians and Islamic navigators to Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and the Vikings, the age of oceanic discovery with Portugal and Castile, and the scientific expeditions of the Enlightenment and the nineteenth century.

What sets this course apart: constant work with primary sources such as old maps, logbooks, travel journals and letters; a historical and cultural context that explains the societies and motives of each period; attention to the geopolitical and economic impact of the discoveries on trade and international relations; an open discussion of the ethical controversies and negative consequences of exploration; and a final project in which you analyze an explorer, voyage or discovery of your choice.

Program typeShort course
ModeOnline
Duration300 hours
Modules5
Start1 December

Program highlights

  • Why people explored: political, commercial, scientific, religious and strategic motives.
  • Pioneers of Antiquity and the Middle Ages: the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean and the Vikings.
  • The age of oceanic discovery: Columbus, Dias, Vasco da Gama, Magellan and Elcano.
  • Scientific exploration: Cook in the Pacific, Humboldt and the naturalist expeditions.
  • A critical reading of colonialism, memory and the heritage of the explorers.
  • Final project: a historical, geographical and cultural study of a discovery.
Syllabus

Syllabus of the Great Explorers and Discoveries Course

5 modules. Select a module to see its content.

Module 1

Historical foundations of exploration, geographical expansion and the construction of knowledge of the world

  • 1.1. The concept of exploration through history: political, commercial, scientific, religious and strategic motives
  • 1.2. The known world before the great expeditions: ancient cartography, geographical imaginaries and the limits of knowledge
  • 1.3. The innovations that made exploration possible: navigation, astronomy, shipbuilding and orientation techniques
  • 1.4. Empires, routes and rivalries: the role of crowns, trading cities and maritime powers in expansion
  • 1.5. Historical sources of the discoveries: chronicles, travel journals, maps, nautical charts and official records
At this stage
60 hestimated workload
5 wkweeks at your pace
Module 2

Explorers of Antiquity and the Middle Ages: pioneering voyages, exchange routes and the widening of the geographical horizon

  • 2.1. Explorers of the ancient world: Phoenicians, Greeks and Romans and their contributions to geographical and maritime knowledge
  • 2.2. Voyages and networks of the Islamic world: geographers, merchants and navigators in Africa, Asia and the Mediterranean
  • 2.3. Medieval land and sea routes: the Silk Road, the Indian Ocean and intercontinental trading circuits
  • 2.4. Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta and other great medieval travelers: accounts, observation and the transmission of information
  • 2.5. Viking exploration and early Atlantic expansion: Iceland, Greenland and the voyages to North America
At this stage
60 hestimated workload
5 wkweeks at your pace
Module 3

The age of oceanic discovery: Atlantic navigation, the opening of new routes and imperial expansion

  • 3.1. Portugal and Castile in oceanic expansion: strategic aims, rivalries and the consolidation of sea routes
  • 3.2. Christopher Columbus and the opening of the Atlantic: context, voyages, consequences and the historical reinterpretation of his enterprise
  • 3.3. Vasco da Gama, Bartolomeu Dias and the route to the East: African exploration and the sea link with Asia
  • 3.4. Magellan and Elcano: the first circumnavigation and its impact on the global understanding of the planet
  • 3.5. Cartography, nautical science and imperial control: maps, sailing directions, treaties and the organization of oceanic knowledge
At this stage
60 hestimated workload
5 wkweeks at your pace
Module 4

Scientific explorers and expeditions of the early modern and modern eras: science, territory and observation of the world

  • 4.1. Enlightenment scientific exploration: aims, methods and the transition from imperial expansion to systematic research
  • 4.2. James Cook and the Pacific expeditions: cartography, astronomical observation and the discovery of new territories
  • 4.3. Alexander von Humboldt and continental scientific exploration: nature, measurement and an integrated vision of the planet
  • 4.4. Botanical, geographical and naturalist expeditions: collecting, classification and the circulation of scientific knowledge
  • 4.5. Exploring the interiors of Africa, Asia and the Americas: travelers, missionaries, soldiers and scientists in unknown territories
At this stage
60 hestimated workload
5 wkweeks at your pace
Module 5

The legacy of the great explorers and final project of historical, geographical and cultural analysis of a significant discovery

  • 5.1. How the discoveries transformed the world: the global economy, strategic routes and the circulation of species and ideas
  • 5.2. Critical readings of exploration: colonialism, violence, appropriation and contemporary historiographical perspectives
  • 5.3. Exploration, memory and heritage: museums, archives, monuments and debates on the legacy of the explorers
  • 5.4. Methods for analyzing historical expeditions: chronology, comparative cartography, primary sources and geopolitical context
  • 5.5. Final project: an applied study of an explorer, voyage or discovery, with its aims, structure and analytical criteria
At this stage
60 hestimated workload
5 wkweeks at your pace
Plan your pace

Duration and format of the Great Explorers and Discoveries Course

It is 300 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
6
months to finish
25 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 Great Explorers and Discoveries Course

01Interpret historical maps, logbooks and geographical records to understand how expeditions planned their routes and documented new territories.
02Understand the motives and consequences of exploration, identifying its economic, social and cultural impact on both the explorers and local populations.
03Explain the navigation instruments and techniques of each period, from dead reckoning and astronomical observation to the charts that guided the great voyages.
04Analyze how expeditions faced uncertainty, risk and survival in unknown environments and what their successes and failures teach.
05Assess the encounters between cultures that exploration produced, with a critical and respectful view of intercultural exchange and its conflicts.
06Study leadership and crew management on long expeditions and its role in the outcome of the great voyages.
Careers

Career opportunities after the Great Explorers and Discoveries Course

01Specialist guidedesigning and leading themed routes on exploration and discovery, with an emphasis on history and geography.
02Researcher or historianwork in historical archives, analysis of original documents and contributions to the history of exploration.
03Cultural heritage managerconservation and promotion of museums, monuments and heritage routes linked to exploration.
04Educator and science communicatoreducational and outreach content on exploration for schools, media and the general public.
05Documentary researcher and audiovisual producerresearch and scriptwriting for documentaries on historical and contemporary expeditions.
06Exhibition curatordesign of themed exhibitions on explorers and discoveries in museums and cultural centers.
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Great Explorers and Discoveries Course

The answer depends on the perspective. The Americas were already inhabited by Indigenous peoples, Norse voyagers reached North America around the year 1000, and Columbus's voyages from 1492 opened lasting contact between Europe and the Americas. The course examines all three.

Among others, Phoenician and Greek navigators, Marco Polo, Ibn Battuta, the Vikings, Columbus, Bartolomeu Dias, Vasco da Gama, Magellan and Elcano, James Cook, Alexander von Humboldt and the explorers of the interiors of Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Maritime voyages are at its core, but it also covers land routes such as the Silk Road and inland scientific expeditions, because both built our knowledge of the world.

Yes. The final module includes critical readings of colonialism, violence and appropriation and current historiographical debates on the legacy of the explorers.

You choose an explorer, voyage or discovery and analyze it using chronology, comparative cartography, primary sources and its geopolitical context.

Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.

The course comprises 300 hours of study across 5 modules of about 60 hours each and ends with an applied project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.

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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 history lovers, students of geography, history and anthropology, travelers and adventurers, teachers who want to enrich their lessons with accurate accounts of the age of discovery, and readers and the general public interested in stories of daring, survival and encounters between civilisations; no specific qualification is required, although a background in the humanities or social sciences is helpful.
  • Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
  • Technical resources: a computer with a stable internet connection and an up-to-date browser to follow the sessions and consult the maps, primary sources and audiovisual materials.
  • 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 $192 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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