Maritime Studies (Learning at Work)

Program Overview

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Maritime Studies (Learning at Work) BSc (Hons)

Overview

Enhance your nautical knowledge and experience, and develop key technical and managerial skills without leaving your job. If you're a junior officer in the Royal Navy, this degree course could help you advance into a senior role or transition to the private sector.

Key Information

Typical Offer:

A typical applicant would usually have post-school higher education such as an HNC.

Study Mode and Duration

• Flexible

Start Date

• September 2025
• January 2026

Course Information

Overview

At Portsmouth, we welcome students from more than 150 countries across the globe. However, please note that this learning at work course is not eligible for a student visa.

Do you want to boost your career prospects by studying for a maritime-based degree alongside your current job?

On this BSc (Hons) Maritime Studies Learning at Work degree course, you'll enhance your nautical knowledge and experience, and develop the key technical and managerial skills you need to succeed in today's maritime industry.

If you're a junior officer in the Royal Navy, the course can help you branch into a senior role or make a transition into the private sector. Successful completion of this course can also count in part or in full towards professional registration with the Institute of Marine Engineering Science and Technology (IMarEST).

Because the course is work-based, you need to already be in a full-time, part-time or voluntary role. The way you learn is flexible, so you can study wherever is most convenient for you and schedule your studies around your existing commitments.

You can tailor the course to match your professional and personal aspirations and your employer's objectives. You can specialise in areas such as marine surveying, marine engineering, naval architecture, maritime history, port design, port control and maritime safety and security.

You'll get to put the skills you learn to work instantly in your job, contributing to the success of your company. When you complete the course, you'll improve your career prospects and have the skills and knowledge to perform more effectively in your job.

On this Course You'll:

• Design your programme of study to match your personal and professional goals, as well as your employer's objectives
• Develop your ability to analyse problems, research and propose solutions, and make important decisions
• Take part in work-based learning (WBL) projects that ensure the knowledge you develop is relevant to your employer's business
• Get an optional 1-day induction in Portsmouth at the start of the course and have the opportunity to study on campus, if it suits you
• Develop your learning plan with the University and your employer, so you can make an effective contribution to your workplace as you learn
• Have full access to our student support services and community including study support, sports and recreation facilities, and the Students' Union
• Tap in to our Library's electronic resources, which you can access from anywhere with a Web connection
• Choose a Workplace Mentor to support your learning – someone at work who can offer advice, guidance, and moral support
• Have support from an academic tutor specialising in your area of study and a University learning manager who oversees your programme
• Use online tutorials and lectures to help you with study skills, including your analytical and writing skills

Entry Requirements

BSc (Hons) Maritime Studies (Learning at Work) Requirements

• A typical applicant would usually have post-school higher education such as an HNC, or equivalent, or part of a degree course, together with appropriate work experience.

You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs – see full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

Applicants may be asked to attend an online interview.

English Language Requirements

• English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't 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.

How You'll Study

On this Maritime Studies degree, you’ll work with our Learning at Work team and your employer to arrange a programme of study that reflects your existing experience, your personal and professional goals, and your current employment situation. This makes up your Learning Contract.

Through a sequence of work-based learning projects, you’ll develop your ability to analyse a problem and deliver a professional solution, with support from a workplace mentor, academic tutors, online lectures and a suite of virtual learning tools hosted by the university. You don’t need to attend the campus if you don’t want to, but you will have an invitation to an induction day and to make use of student facilities here in Portsmouth.

Your Learning Contract

Your study will include up to four elements:

• Learning Management: You'll set out a plan to shape your learning, and prepare for the research reports you'll produce.
• Recognition of Prior Learning: You can bring up to 240 credits of the 360 credits you need from your existing learning, such as Foundation degrees, HNDs, on-the-job training, or relevant experience in your career.
• Work-based learning (WBL) projects. Most of your new learning will be done through WBL projects, where you’ll practise new skills and develop your knowledge alongside your current role.
• Learning modules. You can also study in a more formally-structured manner by joining in with the university’s academic modules.

Course Duration

The course duration is based on the number of credits you study, and so can vary per student. Most students study between 1 and 3 years. Although our courses have some flexibility, we still work to a typical academic year with some set deadlines for your work.

You can complete the course more quickly if you have relevant work experience or qualifications that you can put towards your degree, such as a Foundation degree, HNC, HND or relevant on-the-job training. This is known as Recognised Prior Learning (RPL). You can use RPL for up to 240 of the 360 credits you need to accumulate to get your degree.

We recommend you study modules worth 60 credits a year. Typically, a student who enters with the maximum RPL of 240 credits and has only 120 credits to study would take 18–24 months to complete the course.

Term Times

Each academic year is divided into 2 teaching blocks:

• September/October to December/January – teaching block 1
• January/February to May – teaching block 2

Teaching

How you're taught will depend on which modules you take and the work-based learning projects you do.

Most of the course is delivered via our interactive virtual learning environment. With access to all the study material you’ll need, discussion forums and the chance to connect with peers and lecturers via chat sessions, you’ll have plenty of academic support and heaps of resources.

Depending on the modules you study and your location, you may also be able to study on campus, experiencing face-to-face teaching methods.

How You're Assessed

The way you're assessed will depend on which modules you take and the work-based learning projects you do.

Extra Support

To help you juggle this course alongside your work and home life, you'll get extra support from:

• a Workplace Mentor chosen by you – someone at work who can offer advice, guidance, and moral support
• an Academic Tutor specialising in your area of study
• a Learning Manager who oversees your programme

Course Costs and Funding

Tuition Fees

Your tuition fee depends on if you have been awarded any Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) and how many credits you need to study. To achieve an undergraduate Bachelor's degree you need to accumulate a total of 360 credits. Tuition fees may be subject to annual increase.

Tuition Fees

• 120–160 credits (must be split over 2 years) – September 2025/January 2026 start
  • 120 credits – £6,360
  • 140 credits – £7,420
  • 160 credits – £8,470
• 180–240 credits (must be split over 3 years) – September 2025/January 2026 start
  • 180 credits – £9,530
  • 200 credits – £10,590
  • 220 credits – £11,650
  • 240 credits – £12,710

We'll apply an even yearly split to your course fee as listed in the schedule above. If you want us to consider an alternative schedule of payments, please contact us before the course start date.

Until RPL has been confirmed, you'll need to pay the full course fee.

If you're an armed forces student in receipt of funding, e.g. ELCAS, any documentation must show the correct start date and tuition fee. If not, we can't accept it and you'll have to pay the course fee yourself.

Additional Course Costs

These course-related costs aren’t included in the tuition fees. So you’ll need to budget for them when you plan your spending.

• Recommended reading: While studying the online modules you may have to read several recommended books or textbooks for each module. Most texts are available online through the library.
• Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) portfolio: There's a fee before you start the course if we need to assess a Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) portfolio. If you're starting in September 2025 or January 2026, the fee is £1,200.