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BEng (Hons)Marine Electrical and Electronic Engineering

How to apply
Starting in: 2025
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Campus: St Mary'sView on Google Maps

Why study a marine electrical and electronic engineering cadetship at Solent University

Voyage the world in the Merchant Navy as a valuable member of crew, working towards qualification as an electro-technical officer, and studying with world-renowned Warsash Maritime School.

  • ÂŁ0m
    investment in our campus and industry-standard facilities
  • 0years
    of providing maritime training to seafarers
  • Top0%
    for teaching quality, out of 131 institutions (Times Good University Guide, 2025)
  • Seafaring experience included, with time at sea built into the course, offering real-world experience.
  • Cadetships are fully sponsored, by a huge range of shipping and maritime companies, and offer extensive hands-on training at sea on real working vessels, with the recognised career-enhancing potential of a full academic honours degree. 
  • A world-class hub of maritime excellence with over 70 years' history of maritime education, and an international reputation for quality.
  • Gain academic and professional qualifications. While studying for your degree, you will also be working towards your electro-technical officer MCA Certificate of Competency.
  • Warsash Maritime School has a full range of industry-leading training facilities, including an ETO lab for electronic navigational systems operations and maintenance of items such as radars, navigational aids and control systems. Our electrical workshop facilities also enable you to practice electrical maintenance, operational and fault-finding procedures.
  • Study in the heart of Southampton – a major hub in the UK and European maritime and shipping industry.
  • Solent University is a pioneer in maritime and engineering research – you will learn direct from leading experts in their field.

Course overview

Fully sponsored by one of a huge range of shipping and maritime companies, and developed to meet the specific needs of the shipping industry and the Merchant Navy Training Board, your degree cadetship combines rigorous academic study at our dedicated cadet training centre in Southampton – one of the UK’s busiest ports – with extensive practical training at sea. Shipping out as an engineering officer cadet on a range of vessels owned or operated by your sponsoring company, you will develop the essential skills, knowledge and behaviours needed to become a Marine Electro-Technical Officer in the Merchant Navy.

You will acquire a strong understanding of modern ship-board electronic and electrical systems, their operating principles and safe practices. And you will develop a range of practical engineering skills appropriate to operating and problem-solving for ships’ electronic systems, as well as other relevant systems, in a safe and efficient manner.

As part of your degree cadetship, you will gain your first qualification as an Engineering Officer of the Watch – and be equipped with all the knowledge and understanding to you need to undertake tasks as detailed in the industry-based onboard training – and with academic exemptions for further professional qualifications under the internationally recognised Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) and UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) regulations.

And with a full academic honours degree, you will also be well placed for a range of senior, shoreside and management roles later in your career – making this the perfect course for a long and lasting career in maritime electrical and electronic engineering. 

This course is part of the South Coast Institute of Technology (IoT), a partnership of colleges, universities and industry-leading employers to create new career opportunities in the technology sector. IoT courses like this one are precisely tailored to the needs of employers in the maritime, engineering and digital industries – industries which are hungry for talented new engineers, technologists, technicians and creatives like you.

Any questions?

Contact UK admissions

Email: admissions@solent.ac.ukCall: 023 8201 5066

Contact international admissions

Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCall: +44 (0)23 8201 5066

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Course features

  • Specialist facilities

    This course has access to specialist facilities

  • Additional qualification

    This course offers additional qualifications for you to obtain with your degree

Who is this course for?

This course is for students who want to achieve a higher level academic qualification whilst training for a professional qualification in electrical and electronic engineering.

What does this course lead to?

This exciting course will allow you to gain your first qualification as an Engineering Officer of the Watch, opening up a wide range of opportunities within maritime electrical and electronic engineering. With further study and sailing experience you will be able to become a second Engineer.

And should you wish to move back onshore at some point in your career, this course will give you the skills and knowledge for a range of land-based careers such as engineering management, port operations, marine surveying, marine superintendent, accident investigation, marine insurance, law, chartering and more.

Meet the team

The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

Facilities

Warsash Maritime School has a full range of industry-leading training facilities, including an ETO lab for electronic navigational systems operations and maintenance of items such as radars, navigational aids and control systems. Our electrical workshop facilities also enable you to practice electrical maintenance, operational and fault-finding procedures.

Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our ÂŁ28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.

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