Learning outcomes

The COASTHazar is a 2-year Erasmus Mundus joint master’s is structured around seven key focal areas.

At University of Cantabria, the curriculum places a strong emphasis on cultivating core competences in focal areas (1) and (2), while also delving into aspects of areas (3) and (4),
Courses at IHE Delft comprehensively cover focal areas (3), (4), and partially extend into selected components of (5) and (7),
The University of Algarve's courses are intricately linked to focal areas (5), (6), and (7), providing students with the flexibility to opt for elective courses tailored to their preferences

Focal Area
7

Global and climate change impacts and adaptation

Joint Master's Programme

Fieldwork and data analysis

Coastal Hazards, Risks, Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation

Joint Master's Programme

Fieldwork and data analysis

Focal Area
1

Ocean and atmospheric sciences

Focal Area
6

Fieldwork and data analysis

Focal Area
5

Coastal adaptation and risk reduction

Focal Area
4

Risk assessment in coastal areas

Focal Area
2

Coastal dynamics and hazards

Focal Area
3

Coastal modelling

Focal area 1 – Ocean and atmospheric sciences

Provide an in-depth explanation of climatic variability across various time scales, across different environmental variable, emphasizing the approach to understand future changes through climate change projections.
Associate and characterize diverse climatic processes inherent in both the atmosphere and the ocean
Describe the meteo-oceanographic variables, illustrating the effective combination of deterministic and probabilistic variables and apply this knowledge to address coastal and port engineering issues, incorporating the characterization of coastal hazards and conducting risk assessments.
Apply and manage available meteo-oceanographic and climate information derived from both observations and models, incorporating key concepts such as wave generation, propagation, and breaking (in deep and shallow waters), acknowledging the significance of radiation stress in forcing currents and shallow water level gradients along the coast.
Explain the characteristics of waves, sea-level, and winds, over short and long-term periods at any coastal location, including insights into unusual extreme events, offering a comprehensive understanding of the dynamics at play.

Focal area 2 – Coastal dynamics and hazards

Systematically categorize the natural processes responsible for coastal hazards and risks, considering their temporal and spatial scales.
Identify existing alert systems tailored to each coastal hazard and explore key measures for risk reduction while organizing indicators, and evaluating the effectiveness of current monitoring and warning systems.
Investigate the best ways to apply and monitor and manage coastal hazards warning systems.
Apply the two-way interactions between hazards and society, acknowledging human exposure, as significant promoters of risk evolution over time.
Elaborate on the impact of long-term climate trends on coastal morphodynamics, and design comprehensive coastal measures, utilizing a combination of traditional and innovative solutions, with a focus on nature-based solutions.
Articulate a clear understanding of the governing processes in coastal and estuarine hydrodynamics and morphology, providing insights into the underlying principles.

Focal area 3 – Coastal modelling

Proficiently utilize different existing numerical models for tasks such as wave propagation, port agitation, wave-breaking-induced currents, wave-structure interaction, sediment transport, and coastal morphodynamic evolution, essential for characterizing and studying coastal dynamics, as well as for designing coastal protections.
Categorize the diverse families of models within the current state of the art in coastal and port applications, and identify and skilfully apply each model based on the specific needs, objectives, hypotheses, and limitations inherent in each study.
Demonstrate the ability to interpret model outputs effectively, emphasizing the proper assessment of the model's performance by comparing it with observational data sets.
Apply the acquired knowledge to address problems and real projects related to coastal studies, showcasing a practical understanding of how to implement the learned models in real-world scenarios

Focal area 4 – Risk assessment in coastal areas

Gain a comprehensive understanding and adeptly assess various components of risks, demonstrating the ability to articulate the specific risks associated with different coastal hazards.
Acquire proficiency in applying primary methodologies and tools for the assessment of coastal flood and erosion risks, showcasing a keen awareness of the techniques employed in these evaluations.
Demonstrate the skills to determine resultant risks from marine and coastal phenomena, employing calculations and/or indicators, and additionally, develop insightful risk maps specific to coastal areas.
Effectively describe and propose mitigation and adaptive measures aimed at reducing the threat of tsunamis in coastal zones, showcasing a proactive approach to addressing potential risks.

Focal area 5 – Coastal adaptation and risk reduction

Articulate the differences among different types of coastal protection infrastructures, elucidating the governing factors crucial for their selection.
Design breakwaters, from conceptual to detailed, and prepare the layouts and detailed cross-sections, and carry out a basic design of dykes and revetments.
Design beach nourishment solutions, showcasing a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies involved.
Understand basic ecological principles and nature-based solutions (development of green skills), relevant to the building with nature approach, and assess the potential of building with nature and eco-engineering solutions;
Demonstrate understanding of basic ecological principles and nature-based solutions, fostering the development of green skills, relevant to the building with nature approach, and assess the potential of employing eco-engineering solutions.
Define the best possible and most effective and sustainable adaptation measures for climate change, encompassing a spectrum from hard protection strategies to hybrid interventions and purely nature-based solutions.
Formulate coastal adaptation and risk reduction strategies, in response to extreme natural events and the impacts of climate change.

Focal area 6 – Fieldwork and data analysis

Gain a comprehensive understanding of employing various discrete and continuous random variables for parameter estimation calculations, using fundamental programming tools for mathematical, numerical, and statistical analyses.
Demonstrate proficiency in comprehending and applying diverse time scales of analysis, encompassing seasonality, interannual variability, secular trends, etc., for various environmental variables, and be able to apply data analysis and graphical manipulation, including interpolation, adjustment, and regression.
Understand the best-known discrete and continuous distributions, discerning the distinction between distribution parameters and their corresponding estimators, along with their associated confidence intervals.
Develop the capability to plan and execute experimental campaigns for data acquisition in coastal areas, and utilise instrumentation and technologies suitable for studying and observing coastal systems effectively.
Demonstrate competence in compiling, processing, and presenting various types of observational data from coastal areas, showcasing the ability to work with diverse datasets in a meaningful way.

Focal area 7 – Global and climate change impacts and adaptation

Recall and explain the global changes, specifically climate change, and articulate the resulting impacts on coastal hazards, risks to property, and coastal communities.
Interpret the various coastal dynamics processes and their impacts on coastal settlements, infrastructures, and ecosystems, and analyse how climate change may alter or disrupt these dynamics.
Apply diverse modelling tools for engineering and climate-related studies to simulate coastal systems and dynamics, and demonstrate the ability to calibrate and validate models with observational data, further utilizing them for scenario analysis.
Identify and differentiate the consequences of projected impacts of climate variability and climate change on coastal settlements, infrastructures, and ecosystems, under different levels of uncertainty associated with various greenhouse gas concentration scenarios.
Integrate climate change conditions at various time and spatial scales into effective risk management for coastal hazards.
Comprehensively understand both theoretical and practical aspects of climate adaptation solutions for coastal climate change problems, incorporating a range of hard and nature-based solutions, emphasizing the development of green skills.
Apply acquired knowledge in a practical context by supervising an adaptation solution project, and demonstrate effective problem-solving both independently and within a team setting.
Critically evaluate and synthesize advanced research on a specific scientific topic related to coastal hazards and climate change, and demonstrate proficiency in writing a comprehensive thesis and an academic manuscript suitable for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

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Learning outcomes

The COASTHazar is a 2-year Erasmus Mundus joint master’s is structured around seven key focal areas.

Joint Master's Programme

Focal area 1 – Ocean and atmospheric sciences

Focal area 2 – Coastal dynamics and hazards

Focal area 3 – Coastal modelling

Focal area 4 – Risk assessment in coastal areas

Focal area 5 – Coastal adaptation and risk reduction

Focal area 6 – Fieldwork and data analysis

Focal area 7 – Global and climate change impacts and adaptation

» Why apply
» Programme overview
» Learning outcomes

» Fees and scholarships
» Application
» FAQs

» Living costs
» Universities
» What can you do next

Learning outcomes

The COASTHazar is a 2-year Erasmus Mundus joint master’s is structured around seven key focal areas.

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Joint Master's Programme

Focal area 1 – Ocean and atmospheric sciences

» Why apply » Programme overview » Learning outcomes

» Fees and scholarships » Application » FAQs

» Living costs » Universities » What can you do next

» Why apply
» Programme overview
» Learning outcomes

» Fees and scholarships
» Application
» FAQs

» Living costs
» Universities
» What can you do next