Planning to Join the Merchant Navy as a Deck Officer? Read About These 4 Courses First!
The role of a deck officer onboard on a ship is indispensable. Right from navigating and maneuvering the ship to handling the cargo and communications, a deck officer is responsible for executing a variety of tasks on the ship. All these tasks are carried out by the ship crew on the deck side which includes the trainee cadets, 2nd officers, 3rd officers, and the Chief officer of a vessel.
If you, too, are fascinated by the merchant navy and would like to join merchant navy work on a ship as a deck officer, here are a few deck officer training courses that you must choose from.
1. BS Nautical Technology:
This course is offered by some selected institutes in India such as BITS, Pilani, TMI, Pune and RLINS, Mumbai. It is a four-year course comprising of 3 years of classroom study followed by an internship for 12 months. During the first three years, there are a total of 48 subjects that you would need to clear. You can find that information on the website/brochure of the institutes offering this course.T he internship is necessary for getting practical exposure and the degree is provided only after the successful completion of internship onboard.
2. B. Sc. Nautical Science
It is a three-year course in India similar to a four-year-long course in the UK. Even though the methodology differs, but even this is done for having a career in the deck department. In India, the entire three year period is dedicated to studying. After completing the course, one seeks jobs and works on a ship. While in Uthe K, it is an amalgamation of studying and practically learning simultaneously. AMET, Chennai and LJMU, Liverpool are one of the best institutes in this domain.
3. HND Nautical Science
Higher National Diploma(HND) is a two-year course conducted between Indian and UK Institute in liaison with each other. Divided into two parts, the first 40 weeks are spent studying in India followed by the next 40 weeks learning in the UK. After this, a candidate must take a 15-month sailing experience for deck officer cadetship. The cadet can be awarded a 2nd mate UK license upon clearing the exams conducted by MCA to become a deck cadet officer. International Maritime Institute, Noida with Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, Scotland can be a good choice.
4. Diploma in Nautical Science
It is a one year course in which students are taught followed by minimum 18 months of sailing. Indian Maritime University in India is one such institute offering this program. Many maritime colleges of US offer this course too.
Choosing the right deck officer training course will help you kickstart your career in the merchant navy in the right direction. So, make sure you do thorough research about the courses mentioned above before you enroll for one of them. Talk to people from the merchant navy to understand how these courses are different from each other in terms of the course modules, job placement, and other important aspects.
