Professional diploma800 h · Online · 8 modules

Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat

This professional diploma prepares you to face one of the hardest decisions in coastal adaptation: when and how to withdraw in an orderly way from the most exposed areas. You will study sea level rise projections and their uncertainty, risk assessment, dynamic adaptation pathways and the legal, financial and social instruments of managed retreat, with particular attention to equity and to the participation of the communities affected.

Duration800 h
ModeOnline
Start1 December
Modules8
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About the programme

What is the Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat?

This professional diploma prepares you to plan the adaptation of coasts to a rising sea with rigour and sensitivity. You will learn the causes of sea level rise, how it is observed with tide gauges and satellites, how to read IPCC projections, high-impact scenarios and regional subsidence, how hazard, exposure and vulnerability combine in low-lying areas, how protection, accommodation, advance and retreat compare, how dynamic adaptation pathways, thresholds and decision-making under deep uncertainty work, and which legal, planning, financial and social instruments make an orderly retreat possible.

What sets this professional diploma apart: a focus on an emerging strategy that features more and more in coastal plans; a scientific basis built on IPCC projections and the management of uncertainty; a social approach centred on equity, participation and the wellbeing of affected communities; concrete legal, planning and financial instruments; an in-depth structure of eight modules from the physical science to community relocation; and a practical case in which you design a retreat strategy for a real coastal area.

Programme typeProfessional diploma
ModeOnline
Duration800 hours
Modules8
Start1 December

Programme highlights

  • Emerging subject: an adaptation strategy increasingly present in coastal plans.
  • Scientific basis: IPCC projections and the management of uncertainty.
  • Social approach: equity, participation and the wellbeing of affected communities.
  • Concrete instruments: legal, planning and financial tools.
  • Adaptation pathways: thresholds, decision points and options over time.
  • Practical case: a retreat strategy for a real coastal area.
Syllabus

Syllabus of the Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat

8 modules. Select a module to see its content.

Module 1

Sea level rise

  • 1.1. Causes of sea level rise
  • 1.2. Observations with tide gauges and satellites
  • 1.3. IPCC projections
  • 1.4. Low-probability, high-impact scenarios
  • 1.5. Regional variations and subsidence
  • 1.6. Storm surges and extremes
  • 1.7. Planning time horizons
  • 1.8. Managing uncertainty
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 2

Coastal risk in low-lying areas

  • 2.1. Hazard, exposure and vulnerability
  • 2.2. Permanent and episodic flooding
  • 2.3. Erosion and shoreline retreat
  • 2.4. Saltwater intrusion into aquifers
  • 2.5. Critical infrastructure and services
  • 2.6. Social vulnerability
  • 2.7. Risk mapping
  • 2.8. Coastal risk indicators
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 3

Coastal adaptation strategies

  • 3.1. Protection with engineering works
  • 3.2. Accommodation and adapted building
  • 3.3. Advancing seawards
  • 3.4. Managed retreat
  • 3.5. Nature-based solutions
  • 3.6. Combining strategies
  • 3.7. Limits of protection
  • 3.8. Maladaptation
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 4

Adaptation pathways and decision-making

  • 4.1. The dynamic adaptation pathways approach
  • 4.2. Thresholds and tipping points
  • 4.3. Early warning signals and monitoring
  • 4.4. Cost-benefit analysis
  • 4.5. Multi-criteria analysis
  • 4.6. Decision-making under deep uncertainty
  • 4.7. Flexibility and real options
  • 4.8. Periodic review of plans
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 5

Legal and planning instruments

  • 5.1. Coastal public domain and shoreline retreat
  • 5.2. Restrictions on land use
  • 5.3. Risk classification and zoning
  • 5.4. Conditional and time-limited permits
  • 5.5. Expropriation and voluntary acquisition
  • 5.6. Transfer of development rights
  • 5.7. Adaptation easements
  • 5.8. Liability of public authorities
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 6

Funding and economic aspects

  • 6.1. The cost of inaction
  • 6.2. Valuation of exposed assets
  • 6.3. Voluntary buyout programmes
  • 6.4. Public adaptation funds
  • 6.5. Insurance and retreat
  • 6.6. Impact on property values
  • 6.7. Municipal tax base
  • 6.8. Funding relocation
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 7

Social dimension and participation

  • 7.1. Place attachment and identity
  • 7.2. Equity and climate justice
  • 7.3. Vulnerable communities
  • 7.4. Cultural heritage at risk
  • 7.5. Designing participatory processes
  • 7.6. Risk communication
  • 7.7. Psychosocial support
  • 7.8. Community relocation
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Module 8

Practical case: managed retreat strategy

  • 8.1. Selection of the coastal area
  • 8.2. Analysis of local projections
  • 8.3. Risk assessment
  • 8.4. Stakeholder map
  • 8.5. Comparison of alternatives
  • 8.6. Design of the adaptation pathway
  • 8.7. Instruments and funding
  • 8.8. Presentation of the strategy
At this stage
100 hestimated workload
8 wkweeks at your pace
Plan your pace

Duration and format of the Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat

It is 800 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
15
months to finish
67 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 Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat

01Interpret sea level projections.
02Assess coastal risk.
03Compare adaptation strategies.
04Design adaptation pathways.
05Apply retreat instruments.
06Manage the social dimension.
Careers

Career opportunities after the Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat

01Coastal adaptation officeradaptation plans in local and regional government.
02Climate risk consultantrisk studies and retreat strategies.
03Spatial plannerintegration of coastal risk into land-use planning.
04Relocation programme managercoordination of voluntary buyouts and relocations.
05Participation specialistcommunity adaptation processes.
06Climate policy analystdesign and evaluation of adaptation policies.
Frequently asked questions

Questions about the Professional Diploma in Sea Level Rise and Managed Retreat

It is the orderly, anticipated relocation of people, assets and infrastructure away from the most exposed coastal areas, as part of an adaptation strategy.

No. Retreat is studied as one option among others, alongside protection and accommodation, so that the most suitable combination can be chosen for each place.

It covers general principles and experiences from different countries; the specific legal instruments depend on the regulations of each territory.

No. You will learn to interpret projections and risk maps, not to develop models.

You design a managed retreat strategy for a real coastal area, with risk analysis, alternatives, instruments and funding.

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

The professional diploma comprises 800 hours of study across 8 modules of about 100 hours each and ends with a practical case. You can progress at your own pace within the schedule set when you enrol.

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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 coastal, planning and environmental officers in public administration, risk and climate adaptation consultants who advise coastal municipalities, urban planners and geographers who plan exposed territories, lawyers and public managers working in coastal zone management, and NGO and social sector professionals who support coastal communities. A degree in geography, urban planning, architecture, engineering, environmental sciences, law, social sciences or a related field, or professional experience in coastal management or climate adaptation, 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.
Start my applicationFrom $420 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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