How to Become a Marine Engineer
Last updated on July 20th, 2022 at 05:06 am
If life at sea is something you dream about, becoming a Marine Engineer can be one of the best careers for you. The field has been booming in the current years, with continuous developments and breakthroughs taking place in the industry. The growth in the field of marine engineering has ignited an interest in the minds of people, resulting in many more opting for marine engineering as their major.
The dynamic nature of the shipping industry, with its growing need of ships is a huge factor that continuously creates a need for more marine engineers. They are key to operate any ship effectively, without suffering any breakdowns in machinery.
Marine engineers join ships through the engine side. They are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the main engine, auxiliary engine, boiler and generator, along with keeping a check on the proper functioning of the valves, filters, etc.
They are the ones who make it possible for the ship to run like a well-oiled machine. It is one thing to install all this machinery onboard, but to maintain them regularly turns out to be a mammoth task, entrusted to the hands of marine engineers.
Now, let’s learn more about how to become a marine engineer-
How to Become a Marine Engineer?
There are 3 paths to become a marine engineer depending upon one’s qualifications-
- Merchant navy after 12th
- After B tech Mechanical Engineering
- After a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering
1. Merchant Navy After 12th– Btech Marine Engineering
Btech Marine Engineering Eligibility-
- The candidate should be between 18-25 years of age, on August 1 of the year of admission. SC/ST candidates get a relaxation of 5 years on the upper limit of the age criteria.
- Candidates who’ve completed a 3-year diploma in relevant subjects become eligible for lateral entry into this course.
- Minimum 50% marks are required in English in class 10th or 12th.
- The candidate should be physically fit, and should clear all requirements specified by the DG Shipping.
Following are the merchant navy entrance exams you can appear for-
- IMU CET- Indian Maritime University Common Entrance Test
- TMISAT- Tolani Maritime Institute Science Aptitude Test is the entrance exam for getting admission in TMI.
Once you’ve appeared for IMU CET conducted by IMU, you can then join a 4-year marine engineering course. The course is divided into 8 semesters. After completing this course trainees join onboard as junior engineers.
We at Merchant Navy Decoded only suggest the following 2 institutes for Btech Marine Engineering-
- IMU Kolkata (erstwhile DMET / MERI)
- Tolani Maritime Institute (TMI)
Further, read in more detail about course and college information here- Btech Marine Engineering
2. After Completing B tech Mechanical Engineering- Graduate Marine Engineering (GME):
GME Course Eligibility –
- On the day training commences you should not be older than 28 years.
- Candidates who’ve completed their Bachelors in Marine Engineering or Naval Architecture, with 55% marks in aggregate.
- Should clear the medical requirements for the Engine Side as specified by DG Shipping.
We at Merchant Navy Decoded only suggest the following 3 institutes for Graduate Marine Engineering-
- Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy (AEMA)- Khandpe, Maharashtra
- IMS Goa- Bogda, Goa
- Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies- Pune
Graduate Marine Engineering (GME) is a 1-year PG diploma course which is divided into 2 semesters. Students who’ve already cleared their Bachelors of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering, or Naval Architecture can pursue this course to develop a career as a marine engineer.
Entrance Examination: Each college conducts its separate entrance examination. The written exam includes questions on the following subjects- Mechanical Engineering, Aptitude and English, followed by a Psychometric Test. Upon clearing both the exams, candidates have to appear for a panel interview.
After clearing the entrance examination, all candidates have to get a medical fitness certificate from a DG Shipping approved doctor. Only then they can join their respective colleges.
Read in more detail about course and college information here- Graduate Marine Engineering
3. Diploma Mechanical Engineering:
After a Diploma in Mechanical Engineering, you can become a marine engineer through the following 3 paths-
- Lateral Entry Btech Marine Engineering-
Candidates can directly join into the 2nd year of 4-year marine engineering course after the completion of a 3-year diploma course in Marine Engineering.
- Diploma Marine Engineering (DME)–
DME eligibility criteria-
- The candidate should have a Diploma in either Mechanical, Electrical, Electronics or Naval Architecture. Additionaly, he/she should not be older than 28 years of age.
- Must possess a minimum of 50% in the final year.
- He/She should have scored a minimum 50% marks in English in either 10th, 12th, Diploma or Degree course.
- Unaided vision should be at least 6/12 in both eyes, or 6/9 in the good eye and 6/12 in the other eye.
Diploma in Marine Engineering is a 2-year, pre-sea training programme which prepares students to join ship as a marine engineer. A Diploma Engineer is as qualified as a Degree Engineer in the maritime field.
We at Merchant Navy Decoded, only suggest one institute for Diploma in Marine Engineering-
IMS Goa-
This is the only DG Shipping approved college that we approve of, to join for a DME course. For a candidate who has completed his/her diploma in either Electrical, Mechanical, Marine or Electronics Stream, the institute offers a pre-sea training course to become a Marine Engineer.
The institute has tied-up with various training centres in an attempt to provide its students the best all-round development. Furthermore, the institute also holds a reputation for great placement records along with maintaining good relations with companies.
Read more about DME at IMS Goa here.
- Lateral Entry Btech after Diploma-
After completing a 3-year Diploma in Marine Engineering, candidates can directly join the 2nd year of B tech Mechanical Engineering. Subsequently, after completing their B tech Mechanical Engineering Course they can finally opt for the 1-year Graduate Marine Engineering Course.
Among the 3 suggestions the most suitable plan would be to opt for B tech Mechanical Engineering and then go for the 1-year GME course. Otherwise, doing a Diploma in Marine Engineering from IMS Goa would be another excellent choice for you and is sure to help you smoothly sail into the field of marine engineering. In the current scenario GME candidates are the most in-demand when it comes to job opportunities offered. In any of the following cases always remember to do your own research about the placement scenarios of the colleges before joining.
Jobs & Career Path after Marine Engineering–
- After completion of the marine engineering degree or diploma, candidates join ship as a Trainee Marine Engineer or Fifth Engineer.
- After you complete 6-months onboard, you can then appear for your MEO Class 4 Examination.
- Upon clearing the MEO Class 4 exam, you are promoted to the rank of 4th Engineer.
- Once you have earned enough experience, you are then promoted to the rank of 3rd Engineer.
- Once the candidate completes 12 months of experience at the rank of 3rd Engineer/ 4th Engineer, they then become eligible to appear for MEO Class 2 Examination.
- After clearing the exam and gained enough experience at the rank of 3rd Engineer, you are promoted to the rank of 2nd Engineer.
- After an officer has completed 18 months of experience at the rank of 2nd Engineer, they can then appear for the MEO Class 1 Exam.
- Upon clearing MEO Class 1, and gaining enough experience at the rank of 2nd Engineer, you then get promoted to the rank of Chief Engineer (depending upon company policies).
The maritime industry depends heavily upon marine engineers to operate the huge vessels ranging from – bulk carriers, gas tankers, containers, chemical tankers, etc. There will be no ‘maritime’ without the marine engineers to get all the operations working in harmony. The career can be a goldmine for those who have a passion for engineering and want to experience the thrill of working at sea.