Master's in Ocean Exploration Mission Management
This master's immerses you in the demanding world of marine research operations. You will gain the skills to plan, lead and execute ocean expeditions from initial concept to final data analysis, master the technologies used in subsea exploration, including AUVs, ROVs, gliders and advanced sonar systems, and develop a thorough understanding of risk management, complex logistics and interdisciplinary collaboration.
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 Ocean Exploration Mission Management?
This master's prepares you to manage ocean exploration missions from start to finish. You will learn how research vessels, dynamic positioning, deck equipment and onboard laboratories work, how UNCLOS, marine scientific research permits, the International Seabed Authority, the Polar Code and the BBNJ Agreement govern exploration, how ROVs, AUVs, gliders, multibeam echosounders, acoustic positioning and CTD rosettes are deployed, and how budgeting, supply chains, risk assessment, emergency response, data management, GIS and stakeholder communication come together in a successful expedition.
What sets this master's apart: an end-to-end view of mission management, from concept to demobilisation; in-depth coverage of research vessels, deck systems and dynamic positioning; full treatment of subsea robotics, oceanographic instrumentation and underwater acoustics; a solid grounding in the international legal framework and permits for marine research; a strong focus on logistics, budgeting, safety and emergency response at sea; and an integrative project in which you produce the master plan for a complete oceanographic mission.
Program highlights
- End-to-end mission management: from concept and permits to demobilisation.
- Research platforms: vessels, dynamic positioning, deck equipment and laboratories.
- Subsea robotics: ROVs, AUVs, gliders, hybrid vehicles and launch and recovery.
- Instrumentation and acoustics: multibeam, side scan sonar, USBL, ADCP and CTD.
- Logistics and safety: budgets, supply chains, RAMS and emergency response plans.
- Integrative project: the master plan for a complete oceanographic mission.
Syllabus of the Master's in Ocean Exploration Mission Management
11 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Foundations of ocean exploration, platforms and research vessels
- 1.1. History and evolution of major ocean exploration missions
- 1.2. Types and architecture of oceanographic research vessels and polar ships
- 1.3. Floating platforms: drilling ships, ROV support vessels and fixed platforms
- 1.4. Dynamic positioning systems (DP1, DP2, DP3) and station keeping
- 1.5. Design of onboard laboratories: dry, wet, hyperbaric and control rooms
- 1.6. Main deck equipment: oceanographic winches, A-frames, cranes and electromechanical cables
- 1.7. Storage, refrigeration and preservation of scientific samples
- 1.8. Stability, maneuverability and operation in extreme weather
- 1.9. Onboard data networks and satellite connectivity
- 1.10. Future trends: autonomous ships, green propulsion and zero-emission platforms
International legal framework, maritime permits and ocean governance
- 2.1. UNCLOS and maritime jurisdiction zones
- 2.2. Regulation of marine scientific research in territorial waters and the EEZ
- 2.3. Obtaining international clearances through diplomatic channels
- 2.4. The International Seabed Authority and the regulation of the Area
- 2.5. The Polar Code and operating rules in the Arctic and Antarctic
- 2.6. IMO conventions SOLAS, MARPOL and STCW applied to missions
- 2.7. Protection of underwater cultural heritage: the 2001 UNESCO Convention
- 2.8. The BBNJ Agreement and biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction
- 2.9. Civil liability, hull and machinery insurance and pollution cover
- 2.10. Intellectual property, scientific data rights and access to marine genetic resources
Subsea robotics and exploration vehicles: ROVs, AUVs and gliders
- 3.1. Classification and capabilities of ROVs: observation class and work class
- 3.2. Deep-water ROV architecture: umbilicals, tether management systems and hydraulic power
- 3.3. AUVs: inertial navigation, pre-programmed missions and energy autonomy
- 3.4. Ocean gliders: variable buoyancy and long-duration monitoring
- 3.5. Hybrid ROVs and adaptive control for polar and under-ice missions
- 3.6. Robotic manipulators and sampling tools: grabs, suction samplers and cutters
- 3.7. Integrated sensors: 4K cameras, measuring lasers and LED lighting
- 3.8. Subsea power: lithium batteries, fuel cells and seabed charging stations
- 3.9. Preventive maintenance, fault diagnosis and repair
- 3.10. Launch and recovery systems in rough seas
Oceanographic instrumentation, sensors and underwater acoustics
- 4.1. Sound propagation in water: sound velocity profile, SOFAR channel and thermohaline structure
- 4.2. Deep-water multibeam echosounders: patch test calibration and bathymetric resolution
- 4.3. Side scan sonar and sub-bottom profilers
- 4.4. Underwater acoustic positioning: USBL, LBL and SBL
- 4.5. Acoustic Doppler current profilers on rosettes and hulls
- 4.6. CTD rosettes: conductivity, temperature, depth and dissolved oxygen
- 4.7. Biogeochemical sensors: nitrate, pH, pCO2, chlorophyll and turbidity
- 4.8. Sediment traps, continuous plankton samplers and large-volume rosettes
- 4.9. Calibration, drift checks and maintenance of high-precision sensors
- 4.10. Fixed observatories, Argo floats and deep moorings
Logistics planning, budgeting and fleet management
- 5.1. The expedition master plan: concept, preparation, execution and demobilisation
- 5.2. Vessel day rates, fuel, consumables and personnel costs
- 5.3. International supply chain management: customs, ship agents and freight
- 5.4. Provisioning food, fresh water, industrial gases and critical spares
- 5.5. Port calls, crew changes and emergency shipyard services
- 5.6. Standardized scientific containers and modular fitting
- 5.7. Contracting support services: tugs, helicopters and satellite communications
- 5.8. Operational KPIs and budget control during the mission
- 5.9. Financial contingency plans for weather delays, breakdowns and diversions
- 5.10. Demobilisation: return of equipment, cold chain transport of samples and final inventory
Risk management, maritime safety and emergency response
- 6.1. Risk assessment and method statements for offshore missions
- 6.2. Deck safety: lifting operations, confined spaces and protective equipment
- 6.3. Hazards of high-voltage cables, umbilicals and hydraulic systems
- 6.4. Onboard emergency response plans and coordination with MRCCs
- 6.5. Recovery of trapped or lost subsea vehicles
- 6.6. First aid in remote areas, telemedicine and medical evacuation
- 6.7. Safety and survival in polar environments: hypothermia and frostbite
- 6.8. Human factors, leadership under stress and team dynamics
- 6.9. SOPEP and immediate response to oil spills
- 6.10. Safety audits, OVID and CMID inspections and pre-departure drills
Ocean data management, mapping and geographic information systems
- 7.1. The oceanographic data lifecycle: acquisition, processing, archiving and distribution
- 7.2. Real-time quality assurance and control on board
- 7.3. Multibeam data processing: noise removal, tidal correction and digital terrain models
- 7.4. Managing ocean big data: high-resolution imagery, ROV video and continuous sensor logs
- 7.5. Marine GIS with QGIS and ArcGIS Pro
- 7.6. International marine data standards: NetCDF, GeoTIFF and IHO S-44
- 7.7. Global public repositories: NODC, EMODnet and PANGAEA
- 7.8. AI and machine learning for automatic classification of underwater images
- 7.9. 3D reconstruction and photogrammetry from robotic video
- 7.10. Data reports and open-access geospatial platforms
Exploration strategies for specific ecosystems and seabed resources
- 8.1. Exploring abyssal and hadal zones: technologies for trenches and ultra-high pressure
- 8.2. Missions at hydrothermal vents and cold seeps: fluid sampling and chemosynthetic ecosystems
- 8.3. Surveying seamounts, cold-water coral reefs and submarine canyons
- 8.4. Assessment methods for polymetallic nodules, ferromanganese crusts and massive sulphides
- 8.5. Exploration under sea ice in the Arctic and Antarctic
- 8.6. Search and location of historic wrecks, aircraft and high-value objects
- 8.7. Monitoring marine litter, microplastics and persistent pollutants in deep water
- 8.8. Environmental impact assessment before, during and after exploration
- 8.9. Site surveys for floating offshore wind and tidal energy
- 8.10. Designing integrated monitoring networks for high-seas MPAs
Leadership, science communication and stakeholder relations
- 9.1. Leading multicultural and multidisciplinary scientific and engineering teams
- 9.2. The interface between ship's crew, robotics technicians and scientists
- 9.3. Conflict management, prolonged confinement and crew wellbeing
- 9.4. Science outreach and real-time public communication of missions
- 9.5. Live telepresence and engagement with schools and media
- 9.6. Relations with sponsors, private funders and international organizations
- 9.7. Negotiating charter parties and consortium agreements
- 9.8. Media crisis management and communication of incidents
- 9.9. Preparing competitive research funding proposals
- 9.10. Technology transfer, capacity building and ocean science diplomacy
Integrative project: design and master planning of an oceanographic mission
- 10.1. Defining the scientific question or operational goal
- 10.2. Selecting the study area and analyzing historical metocean conditions
- 10.3. Choosing and justifying the research vessel, deck configuration and robotic systems
- 10.4. Preparing the full file of international permits and regulatory requirements
- 10.5. Detailed planning of the track, sampling stations and robotic transects
- 10.6. Risk management plan, emergency protocols and medical plan
- 10.7. Master budget, cost breakdown and schedule
- 10.8. Plan for data acquisition, onboard processing and archiving
- 10.9. Public communication, real-time outreach and socio-environmental impact plan
- 10.10. Oral presentation and defense of the mission master plan before an assessment panel
Final Project
- 11.1. Choosing the topic and defining the research problem
- 11.2. Objectives, hypotheses and scope
- 11.3. Review of the state of the art and specialist literature
- 11.4. Analysis of the applicable regulatory and technical framework
- 11.5. Methodology and work plan
- 11.6. Data collection, processing and validation
- 11.7. Technical development and analysis of results
- 11.8. Discussion, conclusions and future lines of work
- 11.9. Writing the final report to academic standards
- 11.10. Presentation and defense before the assessment panel
Duration and format of the Master's in Ocean Exploration Mission Management
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 Ocean Exploration Mission Management
Career opportunities after the Master's in Ocean Exploration Mission Management
Questions about the Master's in Ocean Exploration Mission Management
The management of ocean exploration missions, including planning, logistics, operations, safety and data analysis.
Marine science and ocean exploration, including research organizations, government agencies, NGOs, survey companies and offshore industries.
You study how these vehicles are designed, deployed, maintained and integrated into missions. Hands-on piloting qualifications are obtained through specific industry training.
Yes. You learn the UNCLOS framework for marine scientific research, how clearances are requested and the specific rules for polar regions and the international seabed.
Yes. The program covers the Polar Code, under-ice exploration, hybrid vehicles and survival in polar environments.
In the integrative project you produce the complete master plan for an oceanographic mission; the Final Project is an individual piece of applied research presented and defended at the end.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7, with live sessions that are recorded and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The master's comprises 1,500 hours of study across 11 modules of about 136 hours each and ends with the Final Project. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enroll.
Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at marine scientists and biologists who want to lead deep-ocean research projects, ocean and robotics engineers who design and operate AUVs and ROVs, offshore energy professionals, environmental policy and conservation officers, and science or engineering graduates. A degree in marine sciences, oceanography, marine biology, marine geology, engineering or a related field, or experience in expeditions, subsea operations or ocean research, 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, GIS software (free tools are sufficient) and a camera for live sessions and project presentations.
- 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.