Marine Engineering

Program Overview

This three-year officer cadet training program prepares students to become certified watchkeeping engineering officers on commercial ships. Cadets alternate between academic studies, practical experience, and seagoing periods, gaining a comprehensive understanding of shipboard engineering and maintenance. The program includes coursework, presentations, exams, and project work, and cadets benefit from industry-leading training facilities and access to Adobe Creative Cloud software.

Program Outline

Outline:

• Officer cadet training schemes typically last for around three years and are split into five phases which alternate between academic studies, practical experience and safety training at Warsash Maritime School and seagoing periods to gain practical shipboard experience.
• Marine engineer officers are responsible for the maintenance and operation of the ship’s main propulsion machinery and auxiliary plant, including deck machinery, air conditioning plants and domestic and electrical services.
• During their training, engineer cadets are taught the necessary academic underpinning knowledge, as well as engineering workshop skills training, allowing them to develop a detailed understanding of the safe operation and maintenance of the engine room and auxiliary machinery of a modern merchant vessel.

Assessment:

• You may be assessed by a combination of:
• Coursework
• Individual presentations
• Group presentations
• Written exams
• Timed exercises
• Project work

Teaching:

• You will learn by:
• Directed learning
• Guided learning
• Collaborative learning

Careers:

• This programme will lead you to employment as a certified watchkeeping engineering officer on board a commercial (merchant) ship.
• Currently, the shipping industry is seeing a worldwide shortage of marine engineer officers, meaning that now is an excellent time to join the industry, with real opportunities for rapid career progression to second and chief engineer.
• As a ship’s engineer you will be a key part of this, keeping vessels of all kinds, from tankers to container ships – or even ferries, cruise liners or superyachts – running effectively, efficiently and safely.

Other:

• Cadetships are fully sponsored by shipping or maritime companies.
• Engineer officer cadets spend around 450 hours in the workshop, where they can learn and develop their practical workshop skills, such as use and care of hand tools, drilling machines, lathes and welding.
• Solent is an Adobe Creative Campus, meaning all students also have free access to Adobe Creative Cloud, which includes the full suite of Adobe professional software, including Photoshop, Illustrator, XD, Premier Pro, and more.