Maritime Human Factors

This free and flexible online course provides you with the tools to understand collaboration, safety and well-being in maritime organisations. Learn how human factors such as trust, diversity and psychological safety contribute to better working conditions and safer operations. Designed for maximum flexibility, you can engage with the content at your own pace – anytime, anywhere.

Free Online Course

Credits: 0 or 2,5
Scope: Part-time.
Tuition fee: Free and open to all.
Deadline: Access to the course will end June 30, 2026.

Why Study Maritime Human Factors?

This course provides an overview of collaboration and the work environment in maritime organisations. Join us to explore and reflect on key aspects such as psychological safety, bullying and harassment, trust, diversity, and the importance of creating environments that support human operators

The online learning material is delivered in a flexible format, giving you the opportunity to explore, reflect, and learn at your own pace.

Learning goals:

Reflect on the important role of humans working in the maritime industry.
Understand human behaviour, collaboration, and strategies for improving the work environment.
Understand how humans contribute to safety – and how they can be supported.

How to Register

You can choose between two options: attend the course and receive a course certificate from HVL, or take the exam and earn academic credits.

Non-credit course

For learners who do not need academic credit.

Enroll Norwegian Participants

The registration deadline for Norwegian participants is 23 June 2026.

Apply International Participants

International participants must upload a copy of their passport or valid picture ID to the application portal.

The application period for international participants will be: 16 February – 28 February 2026, and 1 April – 15 April, 2026. Please select “Non-credit courses” when submitting your application. You can complete at your own pace after application has been approved.

The workload is estimated to 15 hours for the non-credit course.

Certificate of completion

If you would like to receive a course certificate upon completion, simply send us an email at ftms-studie@hvl.no with the course name in the subject line. We look forward to celebrating your achievement with you!

For Norwegian/Nordic students seeking 2.5 academic credits. Academic credit is available to Norwegian/Nordic students only.

Admission requirements:

Higher Education Entrance Qualification (generell studiekompetanse) or experience-based qualifications (realkompetanse).

No documentation of Norwegian language proficiency is required, but documentation of English language profiency is required.

Application deadline:

15 March 2026.

How to apply:

Log in to the application portal SøknadsWeb.
Select «Engineering, maritime and climate».
Select «Further Education Spring 2026».
Choose 6801 EVN1022 Maritime Human Factors.
Upload documentation that you fullfill the application requirements.

Apply

About the course:

To earn academic credit, you must complete an online exam.
The exam will be available on 26 May 2026 at 9.00 am.
The submission deadline is 28 May 2026 at 2.00 pm.

Read the course description.

Practical Information

Designed for flexibility, this course include videos, written materials and interactive activities—so you can learn at your own pace, wherever you are. No formal admission requirements.

Assessment for non-credit course

There is no formal assessment, but a number of quiz questions integrated into the course which unlock more modules as you progress through the content.

Assessment for credit-bearing course (2.5 credits)

You must successfully complete a take-home exam.

The course consists of 4 modules:

Psychosocial Work Environment
This module focuses on the psychosocial work environment. Key theoretical concepts will be introduced and explained before we turn to the specific challenges found in today’s maritime context. Finally, we will explore strategies for improving and developing the psychosocial work environment in maritime organizations
Culture, Diversity and Safety
Human communication is inherently complex, and this module addresses several aspects of that complexity. It examines various balancing acts, such as how communication involves both listening and expressing simultaneously. It also highlights paradoxes—for example, the idea that we may need to rely on certain stereotypes in order to overcome prejudices that hinder effective and safe collaboration. The module further explores the concept of culture and how individuals can draw on cultural resources to bridge differences and collaborate effectively and safely.
Trust and Safety
Trust is a fundamental and complex part of all human relationships—whether between people or between people and objects. In any interaction, we constantly assess whether we trust the other person or the object involved. When trust is high, relationships tend to feel stronger, collaboration becomes more efficient, and safety improves. At the same time, we inevitably interact with people we do not fully trust. How does that affect our behavior? How should we manage low-trust relationships? And how does safety relate to the many nuances of trust within these interactions? To answer these questions, we need to understand what trust is, how we evaluate trustworthiness, and—importantly—how trust is built, maintained, or lost.
Is Everything Onboard Designed for Humans?
This module introduces the concept of human-centered design and explores the importance of considering human needs when developing new technologies and other aspects of the work environment.