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Southampton Solent University logo

HNDMarine Engineering

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

Why study a marine engineering cadetship at Solent University

Build the foundations of a career as a marine engineer in the dynamic maritime industry - supported by a sponsoring company to become a certified Engineering Officer of the Watch.

  • 0years
    of providing maritime training to seafarers
  • £0m
    investment in our campus and industry-standard facilities
  • 0th
    in the top 20 best student cities (StudentCrowd, 2023)
  • Seafaring experience included - time at sea is built into the course, offering real-world experience.
  • Gain academic and professional qualifications while studying, and work towards your engineering MCA Certificate of Competency. 
  • Cadetships are fully sponsored by shipping or maritime companies.
  • Warsash Maritime School has a full range of industry-leading training facilities including an engineering workshop with facilities for bench/hand fitting, use of machine tools, welding, marine power plant and electrical maintenance.
  • A world-class hub of maritime excellence, our Warsash Maritime School has over 70 years' history of maritime education, and an international reputation for quality. 
  • Study in the heart of Southampton, a major hub in the UK and European maritime and shipping industry. 

Course overview

Build the foundation of a great career as an engineering officer in the dynamic maritime industry - the backbone of modern international trade. This maritime cadetship offers extensive hands-on training at sea on real working vessels, supported and fully sponsored by one of a huge range of shipping and maritime companies.

Combining specialist study in our cadet training facilities in Southampton – one of the UK’s busiest ports – with extensive practical training at sea, our marine engineering cadetship is developed to meet the specific needs of the shipping industry and the Merchant Navy Training Board.

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 Engineering Officer in the Merchant Navy.

You will acquire a strong understanding of relevant modern ship-board engineering 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’ propulsion and auxiliary machinery systems, as well as other relevant systems, in a safe and efficient manner. 

As part of your 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.

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 ideally suited for students wanting to enter the merchant navy, who have a passion for 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 engineering.  With further study and sailing experience you can take your career further, becoming a Second Engineer.

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 engineering workshop with facilities for bench/hand fitting, use of machine tools, welding, marine power plant and electrical maintenance. 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.

Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.

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