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

Master's in Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience

This master's prepares you to assess and strengthen the resilience of ports and coastal infrastructure against storms, flooding and sea level rise. You will study climate risk analysis, maritime works engineering, adaptive design, hybrid and nature-based solutions and port business continuity, and learn to turn technical knowledge into investment and adaptation plans that stand up before port authorities, public bodies and insurers.

Duration1,500 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules11
Programme diagnosis

Prior knowledge check

These are the skills this programme gives you. Tick the ones you already master and we will tell you which part of the syllabus is for you.

Your diagnosis
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You are starting from scratch in this subject. The programme is designed precisely for that.

About the programme

What is the Master's in Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience?

This master's prepares you to assess and strengthen the resilience of ports and coastal infrastructure against storms, flooding and sea level rise. You will explain waves, storm surges, sea level rise and erosion, analyse the exposure and vulnerability of ports and coastal defences, use IPCC projections in design and planning, propose grey, green and hybrid measures on sound technical grounds, draw up continuity and response plans for extreme events, and prioritise investment with cost-benefit analysis and decision-making under uncertainty.

What sets this master's apart: a risk perspective, applying hazard, exposure and vulnerability to ports and coasts; applied engineering, covering breakwaters, quays, drainage and coastal defences with adaptation criteria; data and scenarios, using climate projections and open oceanographic data; port management, with business continuity, operations and risk governance; and a Final Project in which you build a resilience plan for a real port or stretch of coast.

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

Programme highlights

  • Risk perspective: hazard, exposure and vulnerability applied to ports and coasts.
  • Applied engineering: breakwaters, quays, drainage and coastal defences with adaptation criteria.
  • Data and scenarios: climate projections and open oceanographic data.
  • Port management: business continuity, operations and risk governance.
  • Grey, green and hybrid: from breakwater upgrades to dunes, salt marshes and living breakwaters.
  • Final Project: a resilience plan for a real port or stretch of coast.
Syllabus

Syllabus of the Master's in Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience

11 modules. Select a module to see its content.

Module 1

Coastal and Port Infrastructure in a Changing Climate

  • 1.1. Types of coastal infrastructure
  • 1.2. Functions of the modern port
  • 1.3. Interdependencies between infrastructure
  • 1.4. The concept of resilience
  • 1.5. Evidence of climate change on the coast
  • 1.6. Recent extreme events and their analysis
  • 1.7. International disaster risk reduction frameworks
  • 1.8. Port sector initiatives on adaptation
  • 1.9. Actors and responsibilities
  • 1.10. Challenges for the next decade
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 2

Coastal Dynamics and Maritime Climate

  • 2.1. Waves and propagation towards the coast
  • 2.2. Astronomical tides
  • 2.3. Storm surges
  • 2.4. Total sea level and extremes
  • 2.5. Sediment transport
  • 2.6. Beach morphodynamics
  • 2.7. Erosion and accretion
  • 2.8. Extreme value analysis
  • 2.9. Databases and reanalysis
  • 2.10. Maritime climate in design
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 3

Sea Level Rise and Climate Scenarios

  • 3.1. Causes of sea level rise
  • 3.2. IPCC projections
  • 3.3. Regional variations and subsidence
  • 3.4. High-impact scenarios
  • 3.5. Changes in waves and storms
  • 3.6. Deep uncertainty
  • 3.7. Design horizons
  • 3.8. Copernicus climate services
  • 3.9. Downscaling for local studies
  • 3.10. Communicating scenarios to decision-makers
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 4

Risk and Vulnerability Analysis

  • 4.1. Hazard, exposure and vulnerability
  • 4.2. Inventory of port assets
  • 4.3. Damage curves
  • 4.4. Coastal flood models
  • 4.5. Overtopping of maritime structures
  • 4.6. Risk to operations and equipment
  • 4.7. Cascading risks
  • 4.8. Risk mapping
  • 4.9. Resilience indicators
  • 4.10. Vulnerability study of a port
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 5

Maritime Works Engineering for Resilience

  • 5.1. Rubble mound breakwaters
  • 5.2. Vertical and composite breakwaters
  • 5.3. Quays and jetties
  • 5.4. Failures of maritime structures
  • 5.5. Raising and strengthening breakwaters
  • 5.6. Overtopping and armour layer stability
  • 5.7. Foundations and scour
  • 5.8. Durability of materials
  • 5.9. Physical model testing
  • 5.10. Design recommendations and guidelines
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 6

Adaptive Design and Adaptation Pathways

  • 6.1. Principles of adaptive design
  • 6.2. Dynamic adaptive pathways
  • 6.3. Adaptation tipping points
  • 6.4. Phased design
  • 6.5. Expandable infrastructure
  • 6.6. Managed retreat
  • 6.7. Accommodation and protection
  • 6.8. Monitoring and decision thresholds
  • 6.9. Managing uncertainty
  • 6.10. Adaptive planning cases
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 7

Nature-Based and Hybrid Solutions

  • 7.1. Dunes and beaches as defences
  • 7.2. Salt marshes and mangroves
  • 7.3. Artificial and natural reefs
  • 7.4. Seagrass meadows
  • 7.5. Living breakwaters
  • 7.6. Hybrid grey-green solutions
  • 7.7. Ecological design of infrastructure
  • 7.8. Additional benefits for biodiversity
  • 7.9. Limitations and risks
  • 7.10. Monitoring their effectiveness
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 8

Drainage, Flooding and Critical Services

  • 8.1. Port and urban drainage
  • 8.2. Compound flooding from rain and sea
  • 8.3. Energy and power supply
  • 8.4. Communications networks
  • 8.5. Road and rail access
  • 8.6. Storage of dangerous goods
  • 8.7. Protecting equipment and cranes
  • 8.8. Critical buildings and facilities
  • 8.9. Early warning systems
  • 8.10. Single points of failure
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 9

Operational Continuity and Emergency Management

  • 9.1. Business continuity management
  • 9.2. Port emergency self-protection plans
  • 9.3. Storm protocols
  • 9.4. Coordination with authorities
  • 9.5. Crisis communication
  • 9.6. Post-event recovery
  • 9.7. Resilient supply chains
  • 9.8. Cyber resilience of port systems
  • 9.9. Drills and exercises
  • 9.10. Lessons learned
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 10

Governance, Finance and Decision-Making

  • 10.1. Coastal risk governance
  • 10.2. Regulatory frameworks and planning
  • 10.3. Climate risk disclosure
  • 10.4. Cost-benefit analysis
  • 10.5. Multi-criteria analysis
  • 10.6. Decision-making under uncertainty
  • 10.7. Insurance and risk transfer
  • 10.8. Public funding for adaptation
  • 10.9. Stakeholder engagement
  • 10.10. Monitoring indicators
At this stage
136 hestimated workload
11 wkweeks at your pace
Module 11

Final Project

  • 11.1. Selecting the port or stretch of coast
  • 11.2. Characterising the maritime climate
  • 11.3. Inventory of assets and functions
  • 11.4. Design climate scenarios
  • 11.5. Risk analysis
  • 11.6. Identifying measures
  • 11.7. Adaptation pathways
  • 11.8. Operational continuity plan
  • 11.9. Economic appraisal
  • 11.10. Report and 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 Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience

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 instalment plan.

Faculty

Academic leadership and faculty

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

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 Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience

01Understand coastal hazards.
02Assess vulnerability.
03Apply climate scenarios.
04Design adaptation measures.
05Plan operational continuity.
06Prioritise investment.
Careers

Career opportunities after the Master's in Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience

01Port resilience engineeradaptation plans at port authorities and terminals.
02Coastal climate risk consultantvulnerability studies for public bodies and companies.
03Maritime works engineerstrengthening and adapting breakwaters and quays.
04Emergency management officercontinuity and storm response plans.
05Insurance and investment risk analystvaluing exposed coastal assets.
06Coastal planning officeradaptation strategies in public administration.
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Master's in Coastal and Port Infrastructure Resilience

Both. You work with ports, coastal defences and urban waterfronts, with particular attention to port operations and the continuity of the services that depend on them.

Yes. You work with IPCC scenarios and open data from services such as Copernicus, and learn to translate them into design horizons and decision thresholds.

It helps, but it is not essential. The programme includes the fundamentals of coastal dynamics and maritime engineering before moving on to adaptation and risk.

No. It is a specialist programme of Navalis Institute and does not replace the officially recognised qualifications that grant professional engineering competences in each country.

You build a resilience plan for a real port or stretch of coast, with maritime climate characterisation, risk analysis, adaptation measures and pathways, a continuity plan and an economic appraisal, presented before an assessment panel.

Yes. Module 7 covers dunes, salt marshes, mangroves, reefs, seagrass meadows, living breakwaters and hybrid grey-green solutions, including their limitations and how to monitor their effectiveness.

The master's is taught online and comprises 1500 hours of study across 11 modules of about 136 hours each, ending with a Final Project in which you apply what you have learned to a complete resilience case.

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Online admission

Admission process

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

Entry requirements
  • Profile: aimed at civil and port engineers, port authority and terminal staff, coastal administration professionals, risk and sustainability consultants, and insurance and investment professionals; a background in civil or naval engineering, marine or environmental sciences, geography or a related field, or professional experience in ports or coastal management, is recommended.
  • 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
    Enrolment
    Choose full payment or instalments and reserve your place.
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