Naval, Maritime and Coastal History (Distance Learning) MA at University of Portsmouth

About

Transform your love of naval, maritime and coastal 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, coastal and maritime 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.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements

Eligibility

This course accepts UK, EU, and International students.

January 2026 start

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.

Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.

Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as military service, previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.

To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.5.

You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:

you have a UK degree
you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
you are a national of a majority English speaking country

Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

September 2026 / January 2027 start

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.

Please get in touch if you're not sure if your undergraduate subject is relevant to this degree.

Equivalent professional experience and/or qualifications will also be considered, such as military service, previous study, employment, voluntary work and training courses, including courses and qualifications you didn't complete. Learn more about our Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL).

If you're applying as an international student with a non-UK degree, you’ll need to show you meet the UK entry requirements listed above.

To find out if your non-UK degree or other qualification is accepted, please visit our page for your country and view the UK equivalent of your qualification.

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.5.

You do not need an IELTS or equivalent certification if:

you have a UK degree
you have a degree from a majority English speaking country (not taught by Distance Learning)
you are a national of a majority English speaking country

Degrees taught solely in English from non-majority English speaking countries will be considered on a case by case basis. Find out more about our English language requirements.

If you do not meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Fee Information

Tuition Fee

GBP 9,400

Application Fee

GBP

Naval, Maritime and Coastal History (Distance Learning) MA

University of Portsmouth

University of Portsmouth

Key Facts

Start & Deadlines