Course summary
Overview Transform your love of naval and maritime history into a versatile postgraduate qualification on this Master's in Naval, Maritime and Coastal History, all from the home of the Royal Navy. Thanks to our partnerships with the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the HMS Warrior and other key maritime heritage institutions, you'll have digital or in-person access to a treasure trove of expertise, archives and galleries to enrich your studies. With the entire course online via distance learning, you can choose to study full-time over a year or part-time over two years, if you're looking to study alongside work or military service. You'll embark on a deep dive into the global legacy of developments in the naval domain from 1508 to 1960. Considering factors from strategic to sociological, technological to cultural, you'll explore subject areas including the role of the Women’s Royal Naval Service during the Second World War, debates around the naval battle at Jutland, how Nelson won at Trafalgar, and what contributed to the Boston Tea Party. You'll learn from a team of naval experts and historical curators who share your passion for the field, and analyse topics with a diverse cohort of fellow students from all around the world. When you graduate, you'll have specialist expertise in naval, maritime and coastal history as well as enhanced career-ready skills in critical analysis, research, source evaluation and writing. You'll be an ideal candidate for PhD study, or for roles in fields such as journalism, education, museum curation, or the Armed Forces. What you'll experience On this course you'll:
- Immerse yourself in a rich exploration of naval history, into areas such as the European Imperial expansion, the birth of the United States, and the role of the sea in the English Civil War, the Spanish Armada, the reign of King Henry VIII and the disappearance of the Mary Rose
- Enjoy digital or in-person access to the collections of the National Museum of the Royal Navy, the HMS Warrior, Lloyd's Register Foundation, the Legasee Educational Trust, and the Wellington Trust, and have the chance to get involved in research projects, field trips and behind-the-scenes tours
- Hear from expert guest lecturers, such as Dr Edward Hampshire from the Royal Navy’s Naval Historical Branch, and opt to attend history research seminars conducted by the University and external academics
- Develop your ability to carry out historical research and interpret multi-archive sources using our extensive interactive library, including unique primary sources, secondary literature, and video clips of experts in the field
- Build a network of fellow naval historians and, once you graduate, join our naval history alumni group
- Choose an area of naval, maritime or coastal history to explore in-depth for your dissertation or research project
- Journalism
- Law
- Teaching
- Administration
- Archive and museum work
- Civil service
- Armed forces
- Research
Modules
Each module on this course is worth a certain number of credits. You will need to study modules worth a total of 180 credits across 1 year (full time) or 2 years (part time). For example, 4 modules worth 30 credits and 1 module worth 60 credits. Modules (full-time) All modules on this MA Naval, Maritime and Coastal History degree are core.
- Dissertation/Major Project (Naval, Maritime and Coastal History) (60 credits)
- Naval, Maritime and Coastal History Project (30 credits)
- Naval, Maritime and Coastal History Research Skills (30 credits)
- Rise and Fall: Naval Hegemony and Decline, 1815-1960 (30 credits)
- The Wooden Walls - the Royal Navy Under Sail, 1500-1815 (30 credits)
Assessment method
You’ll be assessed through: essays document analysis book reviews 15,000 word dissertation You’ll be able to test your skills and knowledge informally before you do assessments that count towards your final mark. You can get feedback on all practice and formal assessments so you can improve in the future.
Entry requirements
A minimum of a second-class honours degree or equivalent in History or a related subject (International Relations, War Studies, Journalism etc.), or equivalent professional experience in a relevant field such as heritage or the navy and armed forces.
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6.5 | English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.5. |
| PTE Academic | 65 | An overall score of 65 with a minimum of 65 in each skill. |
| TOEFL (iBT) | 91 | 91 with a minimum of 24 in Reading, 23 in Listening, 25 in Speaking and 24 in Writing. |
| Cambridge English Advanced | Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 176. | |
| Cambridge English Proficiency | Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE) taken after January 2015. An overall score of 176 with no component score less than 176. | |
| Trinity ISE | Trinity College Integrated Skills in English (ISE) Level III with a Pass in all 4 components |
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
| EU | £9400 | Year 1 |
| International | £9400 | Year 1 |
| England | £9400 | Year 1 |
| Northern Ireland | £9400 | Year 1 |
| Scotland | £9400 | Year 1 |
| Wales | £9400 | Year 1 |
| Channel Islands | £9400 | Year 1 |
| Republic of Ireland | £9400 | Year 1 |
Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website .
Additional fee information
Fees are accurate at the time of publishing and are subject to change at any time without notice.
For further fee information please see the corresponding University of Portsmouth course page or visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/masters-and-postgraduate-taught/fees-and-funding
Provider information
University of Portsmouth
University House
Winston Churchill Avenue
Portsmouth
PO1 2UP