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Diploma · 800 h · 8 modules
Diploma in Coastal Green Infrastructure
The Diploma in Coastal Green Infrastructure Prepares you to design and assess coastal green infrastructure: dunes, saltmarshes, seagrass meadows, reefs and hybrid solutions that protect the coast while restoring ecosystems. You wi
Duration800 h
FormatOnline
Starts30 November
Places20 / 20
Prior knowledge
Prior Knowledge Assessment
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Programme overview
What is the Diploma in Coastal Green Infrastructure?
The Diploma in Coastal Green Infrastructure
Prepares you to design and assess coastal green infrastructure: dunes, saltmarshes, seagrass meadows, reefs and hybrid solutions that protect the coast while restoring ecosystems. You will study the coastal processes that make them work, their design criteria and limits, how to evaluate their effectiveness, and the management, funding and engagement needed to take them from concept to delivery with realistic expectations.
Key advantages
- Engineering and ecology: Physical and biological processes in a single approach.
- Practical design: Criteria for dunes, saltmarshes, reefs and hybrid solutions.
- A realistic view: The benefits, uncertainties and limits of each solution.
- Management and funding: How these schemes are planned, financed and maintained.
- Case study: A green infrastructure proposal for a stretch of coast.
Programme type
Diploma
Study mode
Online
Duration
800 hours
Modules
8
Programme highlights
- Understand the coast: Grasp the coastal and ecological processes that provide protection.
- Design solutions: Apply criteria to dunes, saltmarshes and reefs.
- Combine approaches: Integrate green and grey solutions where needed.
- Measure results: Plan effectiveness monitoring.
- Boost your career: Open doors to public bodies, environmental consultancies and coastal engineering firms.
- Train to protect the coast by working with nature, not against it.
Curriculum
Programme Structure
The programme is structured in 8 modules, listed below in order of study.
01
Fundamentals of Coastal Green Infrastructure
- The green infrastructure concept
- Nature-based solutions
- Coastal ecosystem services
- Protection against erosion and flooding
- Comparison with grey infrastructure
- International reference frameworks
- Quality criteria for solutions
- Myths and realistic expectations
02
Coastal and Ecological Processes
- Waves and attenuation by vegetation
- Sediment transport
- Sediment budgets
- Dune dynamics
- Saltmarsh hydrodynamics
- Seagrass ecology
- Reef ecology
- Response to sea level rise
03
Beaches and Dune Systems
- How the beach-dune system works
- Beach nourishment
- Dune restoration
- Dune vegetation
- Sand fencing
- Access and public use
- Topographic monitoring
- Common mistakes
04
Saltmarshes, Estuaries and Mangroves
- Saltmarshes as coastal defence
- Saltmarsh restoration
- Tidal reconnection
- Managed realignment
- Mangroves on tropical coasts
- Sedimentation and accretion
- Blue carbon
- Risks and limitations
05
Seagrass, Reefs and Living Structures
- Seagrass meadows
- Seagrass transplanting and restoration
- Oyster and shellfish reefs
- Coral reefs and coastal protection
- Ecological artificial reefs
- Living breakwaters
- Ecological design of structures
- Conditions for success
06
Hybrid Solutions and Design
- From concept to hybrid solution
- Functional design criteria
- Modelling effectiveness
- Spatial and temporal scales
- Adaptive design
- Costs and benefits
- Comparing options
- International technical guidance
07
Management, Funding and Monitoring
- Planning and consents
- Community engagement
- Public and private funding
- Long-term maintenance
- Effectiveness indicators
- Monitoring programmes
- Adaptive management
- Communicating results
08
Case Study: Green Infrastructure Proposal for a Stretch of Coast
- Choosing the stretch of coast
- Diagnosing processes and problems
- Identifying solutions
- Concept design
- Options appraisal
- Monitoring plan
- Management and funding plan
- Technical report
Workload
Study Time and Workload
800 hours of study, online and at your own pace. Move the slider to the hours a week you can really put in.
Hours a week8
Weeks to finish—
You finish around—
Who it is for
Civil and coastal engineers: who want to bring nature-based solutions into their work Biologists, environmental scientists and marine science graduates: working on coastal restoration Coastal authority staff: who plan coastal defence Environmental consultants: producing restoration studies and schemes NGO and conservation professionals: driving coastal projects
Faculty
Academic direction and faculty
The teaching team at Navalis: working professionals who deliver and oversee the institute's programmes.
Eng. Diego Cifuentes
Cap. Javier Abaroa (MCA)
Dr. Pau Ferrer
Dr. Nuria Llobregat
Eng. Javier Bañuls
Eng. Sofía Marquina
Eng. Tomás Riera
Verified reviews
Student Reviews
Reviews collected and verified by Opynio, not written by us.
Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
- 01Understand green infrastructure
- 02Analyse coastal processes
- 03Design specific solutions
- 04Integrate hybrid solutions
- 05Evaluate effectiveness
- 06Manage projects
Careers
Career Opportunities
01Nature-based solutions specialist: Coastal protection schemes with an ecological approach.
02Coastal restoration consultant: Studies and design for dune and saltmarsh restoration.
03Coastal management officer: Planning in public administration.
04Coastal engineer: Designing hybrid solutions.
05Environmental monitoring officer: Assessing the effectiveness of schemes.
06Conservation project manager: Coordinating projects in NGOs and charities.
Questions
Entry Requirements
Not always. It depends on the site and the standard of protection needed; often the best option is a hybrid solution.
Both. The programme combines physical and ecological processes and suits different backgrounds.
Yes. Temperate and tropical coasts are covered, including dunes, saltmarshes, seagrass, reefs and mangroves.
You work with design criteria and simple estimation tools, without requiring advanced modelling.
A green or hybrid infrastructure proposal for a real stretch of coast, with its monitoring plan.
100% online, with a virtual campus available 24/7, live sessions that are recorded, and tutorials with the teaching staff.
The programme involves 800 hours of study. You can work at your own pace within the timetable we give you when you enrol.
Each programme has its own start date, shown on this page and confirmed by our admissions team when you enquire.
On completing the programme you receive the Diploma in Coastal Green Infrastructure qualification awarded by Navalis Magna Institute.
Online admissions
Admissions Process
No waiting for a phone call. If your documents are complete, you can pay in the same session.
Entry requirements
Entry profile: A degree in civil engineering, marine science, biology, environmental science, geography or a related field; or professional experience in coastal management or environmental restoration. Language: A good working level of English to follow classes and materials. Technical requirements: A computer with a stable internet connection, an up-to-date browser and a webcam for live sessions and project presentations. Admissions process: Online application, profile review and a short interview with the academic team. We confirm your start date when you enquire.
Questions?
Frequently Asked Questions
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