Exploring maritime schools across Europe: The universities providing excellence in maritime education

Both on the water and behind the scenes, the world needs more people who understand how shipping works. Over 80% of global trade is carried by sea, with billions of tons of cargo transported. That works out to around 1.5 tons per person based on the current global population. Such figures reflect the rising demand for maritime logistics and expertise and growing career opportunities.  

Getting a master’s degree in maritime studies can make you an in-demand candidate in this rapidly expanding field. Whether you’re aiming to advance your position or pivot in a new role, jobs in this field can be found in ports, shipping companies, research labs, and even government offices. And they need more experts than ever before.  

If you seek a future defined by ports, policy, and progress, start with a master’s degree that connects big ideas with global trade – like those listed below:  

Warsash Maritime School is a world-leading provider of maritime education, boasting 80 years of experience. Source: Warsash Maritime School

Warsash Maritime School

Southampton Solent University’s Warsash Maritime School has steered generations of students into successful careers. Many now helm careers in leading shipping, maritime, and naval architecture organisations including BP Shipping, IKEA, Kuwait Oil Tanker Co, Maersk, Shell, the International Maritime Organization, Sunseeker Yachts, Viareggio Shipyards and more. Others thrive at international ports in Europe – Southampton, Antwerp and Rotterdam — and across the globe.

Such is the result of choosing a school with 80 years of experience in providing world-class maritime education. Here, students gain technical and academic proficiency and a global network of alumni and professionals spanning over 70 nations. As graduates, they’re ready for future-proofed seagoing or shoreside careers.

Should you choose to join their ranks, Warsash Maritime School positions you within the industry – incredibly effectively, according to graduates. At the postgraduate level, curriculum here balances rigorous theory with real-world insight, delivered through a suite of specialised master’s programmes. They include MSc International Maritime Business, MSc International Shipping and Logistics, MSc Shipping Operations, MSc Maritime Education and Training, and MSc Sustainable Marine Craft and Superyacht Design. The latter two are recent additions to the portfolio that signal the school’s forward-looking ethos. Whether you’re crafting policy, designing vessels, or leading operations, the school offers a launching pad that’s both practical and global.

For those looking to shape and inspire the next generation of maritime professionals, the MSc Maritime Education and Training is a top choice. The MSc Sustainable Marine Craft and Superyacht Design, on the other hand, builds on an exceptional pedigree of 55 years of course delivery. Recently updated and relaunched with sustainability at its core, it was redeveloped in close collaboration with the University’s engineering team and Centre for Marine Sustainability to provide the technical fluency and design acumen needed by students to craft the next wave of sustainable vessels, from superyachts to advanced marine craft.

Being based in Southampton, a storied port city on England’s south coast and a key node in European shipping, is another big advantage. You’ll be close to industry heavyweights and have access to professionals and organisations embedded in the city’s maritime ecosystem. Anchored here, you’re set to forge global connections well before graduation.

Register your interest and chart your own course at Warsash Maritime School today.

Marine Sciences students are treated to seminars by top researchers and technicians from leading organisations. Source: Universidade de Lisboa

University of Lisbon

Located in the heart of Portugal’s capital city, the University of Lisbon offers the most diversified and unique learning experience you will find in the country. As one of the largest in Europe, the university is a hub of knowledge that brings various fields together to facilitate the evolution of science, technology, arts, and humanities. Here, you gain an in-depth understanding through quality teaching and innovative research, both of which prepare you for a fulfilling career. 

Take Marine Sciences, for example. In the first year, you deep dive into multidisciplinary courses that cover oceanography, chemistry, biology, and geology (which are included in three scientific domains of science: Life Sciences, Earth Sciences, and Chemistry), then work on a research project to learn more practically about the field you have chosen for the following year. Oceanographic cruises and field and laboratory work add more hands-on experience. 

This being the University of Lisbon, you will learn from both experts within and beyond campus. Top researchers and technicians from organisations such as the Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA), the Hydrographic Institute (IH), Atlantic International Research (AIR) Centre, and FOR-MAR, often host seminars with engaging discussions 

Your future is bright with a master’s degree in Marine Sciences from the University of Lisbon in hand. You can work with various industries like aquaculture, biotechnology, and environmental monitoring; continue your studies to a higher level; or join a research institution to find more answers to today’s problems. 

The World Maritime University’s master’s degrees align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Source: World Maritime University – headquarters

World Maritime University

Founded within the framework of a specialised agency of the United Nations (UN), the World Maritime University is at the forefront of maritime education, research, and training. Located in Malmö, Sweden (although students can choose to study the same programme in China instead), the university offers two master’s degrees that cover ocean-related subjects and focus on maritime research, both of which align with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. 

The first is the MSc in Maritime Affairs. Here, you gain a thorough understanding of maritime policy and governance, as well as an introduction to the environmental, economic, and managerial aspects of the ocean. This degree is hands-on, providing you with the opportunity to experience real-world situations.  

The other is the MPhil in International Maritime Law and Ocean Policy, where you will aim to achieve secure, stable, safe, and sustainable ocean governance in today’s world. You will go on field study visits to countries such as Denmark, the UK, and the Netherlands to gain an international perspective on the programme. 

No matter which master’s degree you pursue, you will emerge ready to forge a fulfilling career. Case in point, graduates here go on to work as senior maritime officials in ministries, directors of shipping companies and ports, heads of maritime academies and naval organisations, while others represent their home countries at the International Maritime Organisation (IMO). 

Gdynia, Poland is the home port of the Gdynia Maritime University’s training ships. Source: Uniwersytet Morski w Gdyni

Gdynia Maritime University

Located in a Polish city founded on big dreams and with proximity to the sea, Gdynia Maritime University has been providing maritime education for over 100 years since its establishment in 1930. The university offers programmes that lead to a wide range of career opportunities, as evident in the success of past graduates now holding lucrative positions on merchant, passenger, and research ships for companies both at home and abroad. 

At the Faculty of Navigation, you can prepare for the fields of maritime transport and navigation. The faculty is divided into two specialisations – Marine, where you learn about maritime transport and its safety measures, Arctic shipping, as well as the offshore technologies you will be using; and Land, where you explore transport and logistics systems used by companies worldwide. 

The city of Gdynia is the perfect place for maritime studies as it is the home port of the university’s ships, Dar Młodzieży, Horyzont II, and Imor. You get to train in these ships, which gives you a crucial POV of what it’s like to work in the industry or to advance research and development in this field. 

*Some of the institutions featured in this article are commercial partners of Study International