University of Tasmania
Minimum 4 years, up to a maximum of 9 years
This AMSA-approved nautical science degree prepares aspiring maritime professionals for careers as deck officers, chief mates, and masters on commercial vessels. Combining classroom theory with hands-on training at Australia's premier maritime college and mandatory sea service, graduates earn both a bachelor's degree and professional maritime certification.
Entry requirements vary by pathway. Standard entry typically requires completion of Year 12 or equivalent qualifications. Alternative pathways are available for students with existing maritime experience, professional qualifications, or specific maritime certifications. Students must be able to meet AMSA requirements for sea service employment. No specific prior maritime knowledge is required for the standard Year 1 pathway, though basic numeracy and literacy skills are essential. Students must be prepared to seek employment as a cadet with a shipping company to complete required sea service training.
The curriculum is structured across three years with multiple entry pathways. Year 1 (Pre-Sea Deck) covers fundamentals of marine navigation, shipboard operations, marine communications, and mandatory safety training including elementary first aid, fire prevention and fighting, personal safety, survival techniques, security awareness, confined space entry, damage control, and radio operations. Year 2 (Watchkeeper Deck) includes marine electronic navigation, navigational watchkeeping, marine transportation, ship stability and seaworthiness, shipboard operations, nautical mathematics, marine navigation, weather watchkeeping, and bridge equipment. Advanced training covers advanced fire fighting, survival craft proficiency, maritime environmental awareness, teamworking and leadership, medical first aid at sea, GMDSS, and ECDIS. Year 3 (Chief Mate Master) focuses on advanced marine transportation, ship design, advanced ship stability, command operations, navigation management, advanced marine navigation, shipping business and law, and managerial and leadership skills. Throughout the program, students complete 18 months of qualifying sea time as part of work-integrated learning, gaining practical experience as trainee deck officers.
The University of Tasmania's Australian Maritime College (AMC) is Australia's national centre for maritime education, training, and research, offering unmatched specialist facilities including advanced ship simulation technology. The AMC's long-standing industry partnerships ensure curriculum relevance and alignment with professional standards. The program is AMSA-approved and meets rigorous international STCW Convention standards. Students benefit from hands-on learning in world-class facilities used by researchers, defence organisations, and international industry partners, combined with mandatory sea service that connects classroom learning directly to real-world maritime operations.
Graduates pursue diverse maritime careers including positions as deck officers, chief mates, and masters on commercial vessels operating in Australian and international waters, as well as offshore vessels in oil and gas industries. Career pathways extend beyond seafaring to shore-based roles such as governmental and intergovernmental regulatory positions (AMSA, EMSA, IMO), senior shipyard positions, fleet management in shipping companies, crew management and shipping agency roles, marine superintendents and safety managers, maritime equipment suppliers in product, R&D, sales and service roles, surveyors in classification societies and port state control authorities, marine insurance positions, maritime mediation and arbitration, and maritime education and training roles.
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