Last updated on May 9th, 2023 at 10:04 am

Merchant Navy courses are designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to work in the shipping industry. The Merchant Navy Course is responsible for transporting goods and people across the world’s oceans, and it is a critical component of the global economy. Here are some popular Merchant Navy courses that you can pursue:

Pre-Sea Training for Graduates (GME Course)

This is a 1-year Merchant Navy course for engineering graduates who want to work in the Merchant Navy. The course covers subjects such as marine engineering, marine electrical systems, and naval architecture. Graduates of this course can work as marine engineers or as officers on board ships.

Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS)

This is a 1-year Merchant Navy course for students who want to work as deck officers in the Merchant Navy. The course covers subjects such as navigation, seamanship, and cargo handling. Graduates of this course can work as deck officers on board ships.

Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Marine Engineering

This is a 4-year undergraduate Merchant Navy course that covers the principles of marine engineering, ship design, and marine operations. Graduates of this course can work as marine engineers on board ships.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) in Nautical Science

This is a 3-year undergraduate Merchant Navy course that covers the principles of navigation, seamanship, and ship operations. Graduates of this course can work as deck officers on board ships.

Postgraduate Diploma in Shipping and Logistics Management

This is a 1-year Merchant Navy course that covers the principles of shipping and logistics management, including cargo operations, supply chain management, and port management. Graduates of this course can work in the shipping and logistics industry in various roles, such as cargo operations manager, logistics manager, or port manager.

Certificate of Competency (COC) Courses

These are specialized Merchant Navy courses that provide certification for officers working on board ships. There are different types of COC courses, depending on the rank and responsibility of the officer. These courses cover subjects such as navigation, cargo handling, and ship stability.

In this blog, you will find everything about Merchant Navy Course, its salary, fees, eligibility criteria, and career scope. I assure you, once you finish reading this blog, you will definitely clear all your doubts regarding Merchant Navy.

Merchant Navy is the commercial field that deals with the transportation of cargo and passengers through sea routes. This profession offers you great opportunities like getting financially independent at an early age, traveling across the globe, and many more. This career option has its own charm and that’s why many students are opting for it lately. 

Merchant navy has been classified into three categories-

1. Deck Department

2. Engine Department

3. Catering Department

People can join these three departments according to their interests and qualifications. 

Merchant Navy Eligibility Criteria

Merchant Navy Eligibility for Officers

• Candidates should have Maths, Physics, and Chemistry in class 12^th.
• Candidates should have to score at least 50% in English and 60% aggregate in PCM.

Merchant Navy Eligibility for GP Rating

Education Qualification	Candidates should have at least 40% in English, Maths, and Science for class 10th pass or 40% aggregate in any stream for class 12th pass.
Marital Status	The candidate should be an unmarried Indian citizen.
Age	The candidate’s minimum age must be 17 years, and the maximum age must be 25 years. There is an age relaxation of 5 years for reserved candidates.
Medical Fitness	Candidates who want to seek admission in any of the marine courses must provide a medical fitness certificate from any of the doctors approved by the Director-General of Shipping to satisfy the eligibility criteria.
Eyesight	For the Deck Department vision should be 6/6 in the better eye and 6/9 in the other eye and for the Engine and Electrical Department: Vision should be 6/12 in each eye or 6/9 in the better eye and 6/18 in the other eye. [NOTE: Candidates should not have color blindness].

Exams in Merchant Navy

Candidates opting for Diploma in Nautical Science, BSc in Nautical Science, and B-Tech in Marine Engineering should have cleared the IMU-CET examination, only then they will be allowed to do take admitted to the Maritime Training Institute. 

Merchant Navy Course Fee

The fee structure of the course totally depends upon the type, of course, a candidate is doing, and the Maritime Training Institute.

• The course fees of a Diploma in Nautical Science (DNS) can be from 2,20,000/- INR in Government-owned Maritime Colleges to 7,60,000/- INR in private Maritime Training Institute.
• The fees for BSc Nautical Science can differ from 6,85,000 – 16,80,000 INR.
• The course fees of BE/B. Tech Marine Engineering can be from 9,00,000 – 21,50,000 INR.
• Course fees of GP Rating can vary from 1,20,000- 5,00,000 INR.

Merchant Navy Salary

The merchant navy salary depends on the company that you’re working with and the type of vessel you’re sailing in. It also depends on your rank. If you’re from GP Rating then the maximum salary that you can expect is around 2000$ per month. On the other hand, if you’re an officer in the engine or deck side, then the maximum salary can be as much as 15000$ or more at the ranks of Captain or Chief Engineer. 

GP Rating Salary

Deck Department in Merchant Navy

GP Rating Rank	Average Salary Per Month
Bosun	1200 – 2000$
Pumpman	1200 – 2000$
Deck Fitter	1200 – 2000$
Able-Bodied Seaman (AB)	1200 – 1500$
Ordinary Seaman (OS)	750 – 900$
Trainee OS	350 – 500$

GP Rating Salary

Engine Department in Merchant Navy

GP Rating Rank	Average Salary Per Month
Fitter	1200 – 2000$
Motorman	1200 – 1500$
Wiper	750 – 900$
Trainee Fitter/Wiper	350 – 500$

Salary of Ratings in Salon Rating

Rank	Average Salary Per Month
Steward	750 – 1000$
Chief Cook	1200 – 2000$

Merchant Navy Officer Salary

Rank	Job Description	Dry ship (Bulk/RO-RO/Container etc.)	Tanker Ship(Oil/Chemical/Gas etc.)
Captain	A Captain or a Master is responsible for the overall functioning of a vessel and holds the ultimate command over it.	8000–10000$	9000-14000$
Chief Officer	A Chief Officer is responsible for the cargo operations, he/she is also in charge of the management of deck crew, safety & firefighting operations, environmental protection, and serving as the vessel security officer. In addition to all this, he is also a bridge watchkeeper.	6500–8500$	7500–9500$
2nd Officer	A 2nd Officer is the ship’s navigator and on occasion the medical officer, he is also a bridge watchkeeper and the designated communication officer.	4000–4800$	4000–5000$
3rd Officer	3rd Officer is in charge of the firefighting apparatus and lifesaving appliances and is sometimes also referred to as the Ship’s safety officer, he is also a bridge watchkeeper.	2400–3600$	2600–4200$
Deck Cadet	A Deck Cadet works directly under the chief officer and assists him in all his duties and jobs such as cargo operations, mooring operations, ballasting/deballasting, navigation watch, etc.	350–750$	350–750$

Marine Engineer Salary 

Rank	Job Description of Marine Engineers	Dry ship: Bulk/RO-RO/Container etc.)	Tanker Ship(Oil/Chemical/Gas etc.)
Chief Marine Engineer	The Chief Marine Engineer’s major responsibility is to guarantee the safe and effective functioning of the engine department.	8000–10000$	9000-14000$
2nd Marine Engineer	The major responsibility of a 2nd Marine Engineer is to oversee the daily operation and maintenance of all machinery on board, including the ballast system and firefighting equipment.	6500–8500$	7500-9500$
3rd Marine Engineer	The 3rd Marine Engineer serves as the 2nd Engineer’s understudy, maintains the sea and port watchkeeping, maintains the boiler and performs the cooler water tests, maintains the engine logbook, and other engineering records.	4000–4800$	4000–5000$
4th Marine Engineer	4th Marine Engineer is in charge of the purifier, compressor, and machinery other than the primary engine, auxiliary engine, and boilers.	2400–3600$	2600–4200$
5th Marine Engineer	The 5th Marine Engineer is a trainee under the 2nd Marine Engineer, he/she assists the senior engineers in their respective duties and assists the 2nd Marine Engineer in his night rounds.	350–750$	350–750$
Electro-Technical Officer	Responsible for the electrical and technical aspects onboard.	2500$-4500$	3500$-5000$

Merchant Navy Career

Well, we all have experienced the worse scenario in the Covid times. Many people have lost their jobs, and many companies, startup, and small businesses got bankrupt. It had a very negative effect on the world’s economy. But one such field that remain unaffected and was growing at its own pace was Merchant Navy. It kept the world’s economy in place as almost over 85% of the world’s trade is being done by Merchant Navy. So, you got the idea that a career in Merchant Navy is very safe.

Why Merchant Navy is better?

Look yes, the market is tough in Merchant Navy but it’s still far better than other fields :

• Which job offers you sure placement even before spending a single penny on the course, it’s merchant navy, not even IITs.
• Which job offers you growth from say 30000 per month to 6 lakhs per month in 8 to 10 years, if compared with a corporate job starting at 30000 per month and with a growth of 10% every year (trust me this is good growth), you will reach 1 lakh per month only. It’s exceptional growth over here.
• Well earning 6 lakhs per month as a Captain or Chief Engineer is one thing but then earning that NRI status(which means sailing for 6 months and thus earning a minimum of 36 lakhs) and having all that as white money means at land one needs to have a package of at least 50 lakhs per year to achieve such an amount in white money after paying taxes and this clearly means you need to be at the top of your association. Like a CEO or a top boss or a top manager. There are not many CEOs or top bosses in a company, very very few but you have thousands of ships and so thousands of Captains and Chief engineers. The success ratio is far more here than in any other field but sadly we do not realize that.
• A disciplined and tough life keeps us mentally and physically fit.

Conclusion

Honestly yes the market is tough because most of the companies have opened their own colleges so supply is more than demand. Hence flooding in the market is there, therefore increased waiting period and a bit less salaries can be your concern.

But these are all the challenges + part and parcel this does not mean that this profession is bad it’s simple you need to plan more meticulously( join the right company or college initially) and have good appraisals when sailing on ships. Do a good job and you will always be in demand.

Whether it’s 2022 or 2029, the merchant navy will always be a great option for those who don’t like to study for hours, and who find 9 to 5 desk jobs boring.

When you join Merchant Navy as a Deck or Engine Cadet, you have to complete your onboard training. After that, you have to clear various exams to be eligible for an officer or an engineer. When we talk about the time period to get to the top position on board a ship, then it would take you a minimum of 10-12 years to be a Captain or Chief Engineer in Merchant Navy.

Merchant Navy also offers you a great opportunity to get a good shore job with a decent salary, in case you don’t want to continue sailing. This is the career that will provide you with an adventurous life and a great sense of responsibility. So, if you want to experience an adventurous as well as fun life then, join Merchant Navy.

If you want to know about IMUCET and how to join the Merchant Navy, you can contact us.

JMDi Academy

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