Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy
This professional diploma offers an in-depth look at the maritime geopolitical landscape and equips you to understand and respond to security and defense challenges at sea. It focuses on the analysis of emerging threats, the development of maritime security strategies and the application of international legal frameworks, and through case studies and simulations you will build strategic decision-making and naval operations planning skills.
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 Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy?
This professional diploma connects strategic thinking about the sea with the platforms, capabilities and doctrine that put it into practice. You will study the geopolitics of the oceans and classic sea power theory from Mahan and Corbett, sea control and sea denial, chokepoints and UNCLOS; maritime security threats such as piracy, trafficking, terrorism, IUU fishing and attacks on critical infrastructure, together with maritime domain awareness; warship design, naval weapons, electronic warfare and combat management systems; anti-submarine and mine warfare; amphibious operations and replenishment at sea; autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, cyber defense and space; and regional naval strategies, alliances and the management of escalation.
What sets this diploma apart: it is a strategy and defense program rather than a ship security or port security course, so it works at the level of fleets, theatres and national interests rather than individual vessels; it combines geopolitical analysis and the law of the sea with a solid technical grounding in naval platforms and sensors; it gives specific attention to unmanned systems, AI and cyber warfare; and it ends with an integrating project in which you analyze a maritime crisis scenario, build a task force, draft an operational plan and test it in a wargaming exercise.
Program highlights
- Maritime geopolitics: sea power theory, sea control and denial, chokepoints, UNCLOS and naval diplomacy.
- Maritime security: asymmetric threats, piracy, trafficking, terrorism, IUU fishing and maritime domain awareness.
- Naval platforms: surface combatants, submarines, weapons, sensors, electronic warfare and combat systems.
- Underwater and littoral warfare: ASW, sonar, mine warfare and countermeasures, amphibious operations and RAS.
- Emerging capabilities: USVs, UUVs and UAVs, AI in the combat information center, cyber defense and space.
- Integrating project: maritime defense strategic plan with ORBAT analysis, OPLAN and wargaming.
Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy
8 modules. Select a module to see its content.
Fundamentals of maritime geopolitics and naval power theory
- 1.1. Introduction to the geopolitics of the oceans: the importance of the seas in global trade, power projection and control of sea routes
- 1.2. Naval power theory: analysis of the strategic thought of Alfred Thayer Mahan, Julian Corbett and contemporary admirals
- 1.3. Sea control and sea denial: operational concepts, deterrence strategies and force projection
- 1.4. Strategic chokepoints: analysis of the Suez Canal, the Panama Canal, the Strait of Malacca, Bab el-Mandeb and Hormuz
- 1.5. The impact of UNCLOS on defense: maritime zones, sovereign rights and their implications for military naval operations
- 1.6. Gunboat diplomacy and naval diplomacy: naval presence, courtesy visits, strategic deterrence and preventive diplomacy
- 1.7. Evolution of naval conflicts: lessons learned from the Second World War, the Falklands War and conflicts in the Black Sea
- 1.8. Classic naval power thinkers
Global maritime security, asymmetric threats and piracy
- 2.1. Overview of maritime security: traditional and non-traditional threats to the stability of the oceans
- 2.2. Asymmetric warfare at sea: combat in shallow waters (littoral warfare), use of fast attack craft (FAC) and swarms
- 2.3. Combating piracy and armed robbery: high risk areas (HRA), international patrol missions and best management practices (BMP)
- 2.4. Maritime drug trafficking and smuggling: maritime interdiction, use of semi-submersibles and submarines and inter-agency coordination
- 2.5. Maritime terrorism and protection of critical infrastructure: protection of ports, offshore platforms and subsea data cables
- 2.6. Maritime domain awareness (MDA): use of AIS, over-the-horizon radar (OTHR), satellites and data fusion
- 2.7. Security in the exclusive economic zone (EEZ): patrolling, combating illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and sovereignty
- 2.8. Energy security and sea routes
Architecture and technology of warships and naval platforms
- 3.1. Design and types of surface ships: frigates, destroyers, corvettes, offshore patrol vessels (OPV) and aircraft carriers
- 3.2. Naval weapon systems: naval guns, surface-to-air missiles (SAM), anti-ship missiles (SSM) and close-in weapon systems (CIWS)
- 3.3. Submarine warfare and submarines: diesel-electric submarines (SSK), AIP submarines and nuclear-powered attack submarines (SSN)
- 3.4. Naval electronic warfare (EW): electronic support measures (ESM), electronic countermeasures (ECM), chaff and flares
- 3.5. Marine sensors and radar systems: 3D surveillance radars, active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars and optronic fire control systems
- 3.6. Integrated combat management systems (CMS): military software architecture, sensor integration and tactical data links (Link 11 / Link 16)
- 3.7. Stealth technology in ships: reduction of radar cross-section (RCS) and acoustic, magnetic and infrared signatures in naval design
- 3.8. Naval combat systems and sensors
Anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and naval mine warfare
- 4.1. Fundamentals of anti-submarine warfare (ASW): sound propagation in the sea, the thermocline and complex acoustic environments
- 4.2. Naval sonar systems: hull-mounted sonars, variable depth sonars (VDS), towed array sonars and sonobuoys
- 4.3. ASW weapons: heavyweight and lightweight torpedoes, depth charges and rocket-propelled anti-submarine missiles
- 4.4. Maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) and ASW helicopters: onboard sensors, magnetic anomaly detectors (MAD) and hunting missions
- 4.5. Naval mine warfare: mine types (contact, acoustic, magnetic and pressure) and strategic mining tactics
- 4.6. Mine countermeasures (MCM): minesweepers, minehunters, remotely operated vehicles (ROV) and neutralization of underwater explosives
- 4.7. Force protection and convoy defense: naval escort tactics, formation of battle groups and anti-submarine defense screens
- 4.8. Acoustic detection and sonar
Amphibious operations, power projection and special operations
- 5.1. Principles of amphibious warfare: landing doctrine, LHD, LPD and LST ships and air assault aircraft
- 5.2. Planning an amphibious landing: phases of the assault, beach reconnaissance, preparatory fire and beachhead logistics
- 5.3. Marine infantry forces: tactical role, tactical mobility, helicopter assault and use of armored amphibious vehicles
- 5.4. Naval special operations units: naval commandos, combat divers and infiltration, sabotage and counter-terrorism missions
- 5.5. Naval surface fire support (NSFS): naval gunfire support, integration with close air support (CAS) and GPS/laser-guided artillery
- 5.6. Non-combatant evacuation operations (NEO): rescue of citizens from conflict zones and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) missions
- 5.7. Logistics at sea (UNREP/RAS): replenishment under way and transfer of fuel, ammunition and stores between ships
- 5.8. Amphibious logistics
Autonomous systems, artificial intelligence and naval cyber defense
- 6.1. Unmanned surface vehicles (USV): tactical applications, USV swarms for attack or patrol and vessel autonomy
- 6.2. Unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV/AUV): deep exploration, seabed mapping, mine warfare and covert acoustic surveillance
- 6.3. Integration of drones (UAVs) in navies: operations from flight decks, persistent aerial surveillance and target designation
- 6.4. Artificial intelligence applied to naval combat: automation of the combat information center (CIC), radar processing and decision-making
- 6.5. Naval cyber defense and cyber warfare: protection of ships' operational technology (OT) networks and prevention of GPS/ECDIS hijacking and cyberattacks
- 6.6. Directed energy and electromagnetic weapons: railguns, laser weapon systems (LaWS) and their integration on ships
- 6.7. Warfare in the space domain: military observation satellites, naval satellite communications (SATCOM) and anti-satellite weapons
- 6.8. Naval drones and swarms
Naval strategy in regional scenarios and operational doctrine
- 7.1. The geopolitics of the Indo-Pacific: the island chain strategy, China's naval expansion and the role of allied navies
- 7.2. Strategy in the North Atlantic and the Arctic: the GIUK gap, Arctic ice melt and the opening of new military and commercial routes
- 7.3. Security and defense in Latin America and the Caribbean: operational challenges, protection of island resources and the fight against organized crime
- 7.4. Strategic alliances and multilateral agreements: the role of NATO at sea, AUKUS, the Quad and combined naval exercises (RIMPAC, UNITAS)
- 7.5. Operational plans and tactical decision-making: use of the naval operational planning methodology to resolve crises
- 7.6. Information warfare and psychological operations: control of the narrative in maritime conflicts, tactical deception and media warfare
- 7.7. Managing the risk of military escalation: confidence-building measures (INCSEA), the Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES) and prevention of direct conflict
- 7.8. NATO naval doctrine
Integrating project: maritime defense strategic plan and tactical simulation
- 8.1. Definition of the crisis scenario: selection of a simulated maritime theater of operations (island dispute, chokepoint interdiction or amphibious invasion)
- 8.2. Threat analysis and order of battle (ORBAT): assessment of the opponent's naval capabilities, sensors, missile ranges and bases
- 8.3. Design of the naval force strategy: structuring the task force and selecting ships and submarine and air assets
- 8.4. Development of the operational plan (OPLAN): drafting the directives to achieve sea control, convoy protection or area denial
- 8.5. Cybersecurity and electronic warfare matrix: definition of defensive protocols to protect the naval group's command and control networks
- 8.6. Running a wargaming exercise: resolution of dynamic naval combat scenarios, casualty management and response to contingencies
- 8.7. Presentation of the strategic plan
- 8.8. Final presentation: defense of the maritime defense strategic plan before a panel of senior officers, defense analysts and geopolitical experts
Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy
It is 800 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 Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy
Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy
Questions about the Professional Diploma in Naval Defense and Maritime Strategy
Naval defense and maritime strategy: how states use the sea, protect their maritime interests and plan naval operations, from geopolitical analysis to platforms, doctrine and crisis management.
It combines both. Strategic and legal analysis is applied through case studies, operational planning exercises and a final wargaming simulation of a maritime crisis.
Those programs focus on protecting individual ships and ports. This diploma works at the strategic and operational level of navies, task forces and theatres, while still covering piracy, trafficking and terrorism as part of maritime security.
No. It is also designed for analysts, consultants, public officials, journalists and researchers; the admission interview confirms that the program fits your profile.
Yes. One module deals with unmanned surface, underwater and aerial systems, artificial intelligence in the combat information center, naval cyber defense, directed energy weapons and the space domain.
Through case studies and exercises in each module and an integrating project in which you analyze a crisis scenario, build a task force, draft an operational plan and test it in a wargaming exercise.
A professional diploma issued by Navalis Institute, together with the strategic plan and analyses you develop during the program.
Fully online, through a virtual campus available 24/7 with asynchronous modules, discussion forums and personalized tutoring. The diploma comprises 800 hours across 8 modules of 100 hours each.
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Admission process
No waiting for a call back. If your documents are in order, you can enroll in the same session.
- Profile: aimed at naval, coast guard and merchant navy officers, security analysts and consultants, government officials involved in maritime policy, logistics and port professionals and researchers in political science, international relations and naval studies; a degree in defense, security, international relations, political science or a related field, or professional experience in the maritime or defense sector, is recommended, and basic knowledge of geopolitics and the law of the sea is helpful.
- Language: sufficient command of English to follow the classes and the technical documentation.
- Technical resources: a computer with internet access, an up-to-date web browser and basic office software skills.
- 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.