Marine

About Marine

Ever been fascinated by the vastness of the ocean and its biology or have had dreams of sailing on a gigantic ship for weeks and months together? Then Marine education is your jam! Maritime studies is as titanic as the ocean itself as it offers a variety of different disciplines to choose from, be it Marine Engineering, Oceanography and Nautical studies, or Ship Building.

Traditionally, the two major streams have most notably been Nautical Science and Marine Engineering. Nautical Science imparts the knowledge required for navigation, seamanship, ship maintenance and other necessary operations that go into managing a ship or vessel. Marine Engineering focuses on the understanding, and maintenance of the machinery of a ship or vessel.

Marine Engineering itself has different areas of specializations such as offshore engineering, oceanographic engineering, naval architecture, weapon systems, navigation systems, underwater vehicle research and so on.

While getting into Merchant Navy is a physically and mentally demanding line of work, the rewards are well worth it and it will no doubt keep you satisfied if you have the desire.

Pursuing maritime studies can be very time-consuming and usually, a puzzling task when it comes to the admission process and career progression. We've tried to simplify it for you as much as we can.

But before we get to that, if you're muddled by the thought of what exactly to do in the world of marine studies, here is a catalog of courses that would make the decision-making a little easier:

Diploma in Shipbuilding Engineering
Diploma in Marine Engineering
Diploma in Nautical Science (1 year) leading to B.Sc. in Applied Nautical Science

Eligibility and Cutoff

Cut off Marks for Diploma

Average Fees

2-4 Lakhs per year

Average Fees for Diploma

Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Marine Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Naval Architecture and Offshore Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Marine Electrical and Electronics Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Engineering (B.E.) in Applied Marine Information Tech. and Communication (4 years)
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Marine Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Naval Architecture and Ship Building (4 years)
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Coastal and Ocean Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.) in Biochemical Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in Shipping (3 years)
Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) in Maritime Logistics, Retailing and E-Commerce (3 years)
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Marine Science (3 years)
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Marine Biology (3 years)
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Marine Engineering (4 years)
Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) in Nautical Science (3 years)
Bachelor of Maritime Operations (3 years)

Eligibility and cut-off marks

Cut off Marks for Graduation

Average Fees

2-16 lakhs depending on the course and institute. Private institutions would charge a lot higher than Government colleges.

Average Fees for Graduation

Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Marine Engineering (2 years)
Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Oceanography and Marine Biology (2 years)
Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Ocean Engineering and Naval Architecture (2 years)
Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Dredging and Harbour Engineering (2 years)
Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Ocean Technology (2 years)
Master of Technology (M.Tech.) in Marine Engineering Management (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Marine Biology (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Oceanography (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Nautical Science (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Marine Geology (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Commercial Shipping and Logistics (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Marine Geophysics (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Marine Microbiology (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Marine Science (2 years)
Master of Science (M.Sc.) in Aquaculture (2 years)
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Marine Biology (2 years)
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Chemical Oceanography (2 years)
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Marine Sciences (2 years)
Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) in Microbiology (2 years)
Post Graduation in Marine Engineering (PGDME) (1 year)
Post Graduation in Ship Building (6 months)
Graduate Marine Engineering (GME) (1 year)
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Port and Shipping Management (2 years)
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Shipping and Logistics Management (2 years)
Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in International Transportation and Logistics Management (2 years)

Eligibility and Cutoff

For Post graduation programmes, a candidate must have a relevant B.Tech., B.Sc. or B.E. degree in the field that the masters of PG course being pursued. He or she must have scored a minimum of 60% marks in their graduation exams.

Cut off Marks for Post-Graduation

Average Fees

1-4 lakhs per year. The fee varies according to the course and institution.

Average Fees for Post-Graduation

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Oceanography
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Marine Science/Biology

The Indian Maritime University offers PhD programs in the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering department, wherein the candidate is required to do a research paper on a specific topic of their choice.

Eligibility and Cutoff

Top institutes would need you to take an entrance exam, namely Graduate Aptitude Tests in Engineering (GATE) and other exams conducted by the colleges itself.
For PhD, a Masters or any PG qualification is a must along with either GATE or National Eligibility Test (NET) scores.

Cut off Marks for PhD

Average Fees

1.2 - 2.5 lakhs a year. The fee may differ depending on the institute.

Average Fees for PhD

Certificate in Human Rights (2 years)
Certificate in Cyber Law (6 months)
Certificate in Consumer Protection (6 months)
Certificate in Patent Practice (6 months)
Certificate in Cyber Laws (6 months)
Certificate in Mergers and Acquisition (6 months)
Certificate in Intellectual Property Law and Practice (3 months)
Certificate in Forensic and Medical Jurisprudence (1 year)
Certificate in Anti-human Trafficking (6 months)
Certificate in Insurance Law (6 months)
Certificate in Corporate Law (6 months)
Certificate in Criminal Law, Litigation, and Trivial Advocacy (4 months)
Certificate in Cyber Law Practice, Information Technology and Social Media Law (4 month)
Certificate on Companies Act, 2013 (4 months)
Certificate in Real Estate Laws (3 months)
Certificate in Industrial and Labour Laws (3 months)
Certificate in International Taxation and Transfer Pricing (3 months)
Certificate in Sports Law and International Sports Law (4 months)
Certificate in Limitation Laws
Certificate in Fundamentals on Medical Laws in India
Certificate in Surrogacy Laws in India

Eligibility and Cutoff

Cut off Marks for Graduation

Average Fees

1,800 - 54,000 for the entire course. The fee may vary from course to course and also depending on the institute.

Demand in the last few years

The Maritime sector has always been a niche choice of profession when compared to the rest and it will continue to be so for various reasons. A virtually non-existent social life, long spans of being away from family and the physical and psychological demands make it a career not many want to delve into.

On the flipside, though, a Sea Farer gets an astonishing salary and a swanky uniform along with the tag of being an officer. The attractive perks are why there is still a considerable demand for maritime studies even though the masses can't truly see it on the surface level. The demand is easily overshadowed by the majority of the youth opting for mainstream courses in areas such as management, commerce, engineering and medicine.

Figures clearly show why India is right up there when it comes to contributing to the Merchant Navy industry globally. From India itself, around 14% Ratings and 12.8% Officers are pumped into the World Seafaring Community on a regular basis, which statistically ranks amongst the highest.

One of the drawbacks of the shipping industry is its fluctuating nature. The overall import and export industry, economic conditions, global oil prices, supply and demand chain directly affect the Merchant Navy business, so much so that there has been a slump in the last 5 years. Many Sea Farers are either getting laid off from their jobs or are not getting jobs at all due inconsistencies in the market.

However, the Government's earnest initiatives towards attracting foreign investments and mergers have improved the scene and the future looks absolutely bright for Merchant Navy.

Other streams of maritime studies that include Oceanography, Aqualogy, Naval Architecture and Ship Building are gaining steam too with many opting for research-heavy and technical courses. Many Government and private research organizations and institutions are looking out for young and gifted candidates and it is only bound to get better as years go by.

Future Scope

As you may have realized it by now which has been backed up by countless experts in this field, Merchant Navy goes by the oft-repeated mantra- no pain, no gain.
It's a career that calls for unmatched dedication and patience and if done so, the benefits are endless.
An entry-level Deck Cadet or Junior Engineer can earn a minimum of 50,000 per month, which can vary as per the company standards. Chief Engineer's and Captains get paid a minimum of 2-3 lakhs a month which is also subject to rise depending on the experience and work output.
The opportunity to travel around the world is inarguably what sets Merchant Navy apart from other professions. Getting back duty-free products is just an added bonus. While there can be stagnation that comes from ups and downs in the industry, the scope will always remain promising as business done through oceanic channels can never be done without as it is the cheapest and most efficient. Oil rigs, cargos and cruise ships run by shipping and trading companies are always on the lookout for aspiring Sea Farers and it is projected to only improve as time goes on.
In order to assure yourself of a job, it is very important that you do your pre-sea training and course from an approved institute with a good placement track record. Merchant Navy is scam-ridden area with many bogus agents charging an exorbitant fee in exchange for high-paying jobs on ships. The number of candidates who end up getting cheated is quite high and it leads to long spells of inactivity which is a bad sign in this particular line work.
Another advice given by veterans of Sea Farers is that you need to get you priorities in order. If you're in it just for the money, it may come back to haunt you while you're on the sea for months together with no sight of human establishments and nothing but water all around you.
It can lead to depression, reduced productivity, loss of interest in the field itself and eventually, the dreaded unemployment. Thus, having the passion for the sea would help in addition to the financial goals that you've set for yourself.
Oceanography is also a very-well paid field as a fresher could start off with a 40,000 salary which can go up to a couple of lakhs a month as valuable experience is gained. Interesting job profiles such as Scuba Divers get paid a handsome 8 lakhs per annum.
Whether you want go on a voyage around the world working on a vessel or just want to sit back and study the ocean in all its glory, the prospect to grow both financially and professionally is exceptional. As it's frequently said, Sky is the limit. Yes indeed.