New Zealand Diploma in Marine Engineering (Level 6)

Program Overview

This 2.5-year program equips students with the skills and knowledge to become Marine Engineer Class 4 (MEC4) or MEC 3 professionals. Through hands-on experience, workshops, and sea time, they learn to operate and maintain engine room and auxiliary equipment, preparing them for roles on coastal and foreign-going vessels, while meeting the standards of the IMO STCW code.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The New Zealand Diploma in Marine Engineering (Level 6), also known as Marine Engineer Class 3 (MEC 3), is a 2.5-year (30 months) full-time program. It is designed for marine engineers seeking to advance to more senior roles or move to larger vessels. The program equips students with the necessary skills and knowledge to operate and maintain engine room and auxiliary equipment to Marine Engineer Class 4 (MEC4) or Marine Engineer Class 3 (MEC 3) standards under the Maritime New Zealand Seafarer Certification and Operational Limits Framework. It includes hands-on experience with practical workshops and sea time onboard a ship.

Objectives:

• Gain the skills and knowledge to operate and maintain engine room and auxiliary equipment to Marine Engineer Class 4 (MEC4) or Marine Engineer Class 3 (MEC 3) standards under the Maritime New Zealand Seafarer Certification and Operational Limits Framework.
• Develop practical skills through hands-on experience with workshops and sea time onboard a ship.
• Prepare students for a Marine Engineer Class 4 (MEC 4) or Marine Engineer Class 3 (MEC 3) certificate of competency from Maritime New Zealand.

Outline:

The program structure includes 41 compulsory courses (300 credits) across three years:

Year One:

• Level 2
• 942.212 STCW Basic Safety Training - Basic Sea Survival (5 credits)
• 942.213 STCW Basic Safety Training - Basic First Aid (5 credits)
• 942.214 STCW Basic Safety Training - Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities (3 credits)
• 942.215 Proficiency in Security Awareness (2 credits)
• Level 4
• 942.459 STCW Basic Safety Training - Basic Fire Fighting (5 credits)
• 942.474 Engineering Watchkeeping 1 – Practicum (15 credits)
• 942.475 Electrical and Electronic Control Systems Operation – Practicum (5 credits)
• Level 5
• 942.593 Marine Engineering Maths (10 credits)
• 942.594 Mechanical Technology 1 (15 credits)
• 942.595 Thermodynamics (10 credits)

Year Two:

• Level 4
• 942.473 Engineering Watchkeeping 1 (10 credits)
• Level 5
• 942.586 Engineering Watchkeeping 1 – Practicum (5 credits)
• 942.587 Electrical and Electronic Control Systems Operation (15 credits)
• 942.588 Electrical and Electronic Control Systems Operation – Practicum (10 credits)
• 942.589 Electrical and Electronic Control Systems Maintenance and Repair 1 (15 credits)
• 942.590 Technical Design Communications (10 credits)
• 942.591 Electrical and Electronic Maintenance – Practicum (5 credits)
• 942.592 Main and Auxiliary Machinery 1 (15 credits)
• 942.596 Main and Auxiliary Machinery 1 – Practicum (3 credits)
• 942.597 Fuel, Lubrication, Ballast and other Pumping Systems – Practicum (10 credits)
• 942.598 Fuel, Lubrication, Ballast and other Pumping Systems (3 credits)
• 942.599 Ship Construction (5 credits)
• 943.547 Stability and Structure – Practicum (2 credits)
• 943.548 Maintenance and Repair of Shipboard Machinery and Equipment – Part A (8 credits)
• 943.549 Maintenance and Repair of Shipboard Machinery and Equipment – Part B (7 credits)
• 943.550 Maintenance and Repair of Shipboard Machinery and Equipment – Practicum (2 credits)
• Level 6
• 942.657 Ship Stability and Stress for Marine Engineers (10 credits)

Year Three:

• Level 4
• 942.464 Proficiency in Survival Craft (PISC) (5 credits)
• 942.477 Marine Dangerous Goods (5 credits)
• Level 5
• 941.517 Fuel, Lubrication, Ballast and other Pumping Systems – Practicum (3 credits)
• 942.585 Medical First Aid (5 credits)
• Level 6
• 942.649 Advanced Fire Fighting (5 credits)
• 942.650 Human Elements Leadership and Management (H.E.L.M.)
(5 credits)
• 942.651 Main and Auxiliary Machinery 2 (25 credits)
• 942.652 Electrical and Electronic Control Systems Operation – Practicum (10 credits)
• 942.653 Electrical and Electronic Control Systems Maintenance and Repair 2 (5 credits)
• 942.654 Electrical and Electronic Maintenance – Practicum (5 credits)
• 942.655 Main and Auxiliary Machinery 2 – Practicum (4 credits)
• 942.658 Stability and Structure – Practicum (3 credits)
• 942.659 Maintenance and Repair of Shipboard Machinery and Equipment - Practicum (5 credits)
• 942.660 Pollution Prevention and Maritime Legislation (5 credits)
• 942.661 Orals Preparation (5 credits)

Optional Courses:

• 942.476 Basic Oil and Chemicals (5 credits)
• 942.731 Crisis Management and Human Behaviour (5 credits)

Careers:

• MEC 4: Marine chief engineering officer on coastal vessels.
• MEC 3: Marine engineering officer on foreign-going ships.

Other:

• The qualification leads to a Maritime New Zealand (MNZ) certificate.
• Students must complete the qualification, including sea time, before applying to MNZ for a Marine Engineer Class 4 (MEC 4) or Marine Engineer Class 3 (MEC 3) certificate of competency.
• Option 1: 12 months sea time and an MNZ approved Training Record Book (TRB).
• Option 2: At least 36 months of experience working as an Engine Watch Rating (EWR).
• The MEC 3 certificate of competency is internationally recognized, meeting the standards of the IMO (International Maritime Organisation) STCW code.
• Graduates of this program can progress to courses leading to the MNZ Marine Engineer Class 2 (MEC 2) or Marine Engineer Class 1 (MEC 1) certificates of competency.
• The Diploma in Foreign-going Master or Chief (Level 7) (Chief Engineering Foreign-going) is a potential pathway for graduates.
• Students may be able to study individual courses as a Certificate of Proficiency (COP) without enrolling in the full program.