Marine Transport : Bachelor of Applied Science

Program Mission

The mission of the degree program is to give education and training to cadets to enable them to pursue a career as a navigating officer at sea. The degree includes the required academic component for the certificates of competency up to Master’s level. These certificates will be issued by the Federal Transport Authority once the cadets have sufficient seagoing experience.

Program Description

Accredited by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA) UAE. This program provides students with the necessary education and training to become a navigating(deck) officer onboard ships. It covers the academic components required by the Standards of Training, Certification and Watch Keeping for Seafarers (STCW) international convention of the International Maritime Organization (IMO) up to Master’s level. The program also includes practical seagoing service with guided study, and provided sufficient sea service is obtained by the end of the third year Students can apply to the Federal Transport Authority for the Certificate of Competency as Officer of the Watch. In order to obtain higher level Certificates of Competency, students will be required to complete the degree program in full and, undertake further seagoing service and apply to the Federal Transport Authority.

Program Goals

The aim of the program is to produce merchant navy officers of character and vision. The internationally recognized curriculum is designed to ensure that each graduate enters the UAE merchant navy profession as deck officer with the unique combination of education and professional skills required by a deck officer leading up to ship’s master.

In addition to the generic graduate outcomes related to graduates of the Higher Colleges of Technology, cadets, upon completion of the program, will be able to:

  • Demonstrate a knowledge base in marine transport, navigation and technology, suitable for a career as a deck officer.
  • Employ the necessary seamanship, communication and navigation skills to safely operate merchant vessels.
  • Show appropriate officer-like qualities of discipline, leadership, management and teamwork.
  • Manage and reflect on their own work, lifelong-learning and professional development.

Program Learning Outcomes

Upon graduation, a HCT graduate in Bachelor of Applied Science in Marine Transport should have the ability to:

  1. Demonstrate the competency to undertake the tasks, duties and responsibilities of a ship’s master
  2. Demonstrate a knowledge base in relevant marine related topics suitable for a career as a marine professional
  3. Effectively lead, work and communicate in a team
  4. Expand knowledge and capabilities through continuing education or other lifelong learning experiences

Completion Requirements

Bachelor of Applied Science in Marine Transport    

Students must successfully complete a minimum of 163 credits, including:

Marine Transport Core Courses100
Seagoing Service Core Courses30
General Studies Courses33
Total Credit Hours163
Marine Transport Core Courses
Required Credits: 100
MTR 1003Maritime English Communication3
MTR 1013Fundamentals of Marine Navigation3
MTR 1023Maritime Industry Overview3
MTR 1033Nautical Knowledge3
MTR 2012Shipboard Operational Leadership2
MTR 2102Ship Regulation and Survey2
MTR 2103Ship Operational Safety3
MTR 2203Near-Coastal Navigation3
MTR 2303Ship Characteristics and Maintenance3
MTR 2314Marine Navigational Watchkeeping4
MTR 2324Marine Electronic Navigation4
MTR 2332Ship Manoeuvring and Control2
MTR 3013Marine Weather Watchkeeping3
MTR 3023Marine Transport Operations3
MTR 3033Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS)3
MTR 3103Ship Stability and Stress3
MTR 3113Ocean Navigation3
MTR 4024Leadership in Shipboard Management4
MTR 4114Marine Environmental Dynamics4
MTR 4124Advanced Techniques in Marine Navigation4
MTR 4133Ship Design and Seaworthiness3
MTR 5003Ship Operations Project3
MTR 5004Shipboard Commercial Operations4
MTR 5014Maritime Law and Ship Protection4
MTR 5023Ship Administration3
MTR 5024Marine Transport Management4
MTR 5105Ship Stability and Dynamics5
MTR 5124Shipboard Command Operations4
MTR 5125Marine Navigation Management5
PHY 1203Physics II3
Seagoing Service Core Courses
Required Credits: 30
MTR 1206Shipboard Support-Level Experience6
MTR 3012Shipboard Operational-Level Experience12
MTR 4012Shipboard Management-Level Experience12
General Studies
Required Credits: 33
English, Arabic or other Languages
Required Credits: 12
LSC 1103, AES 1013, AES 1033 and LSC 2223
Humanities or Art
Required Credits: 3
AES 1003
Information Technology and Mathematics
Required Credits: 6
ICT 2013 and LSM 1103
The Natural Sciences
Required Credits: 3
PHY 1103
The Social or Behavioral Sciences
Required Credits: 9
LSS 1003, LSS 1123 and BUS 2403
Description Data
Total Required Credits 163
Maximum Duration of Study 7 years
Minimum Duration of Study 5 years
Cost Recovery Program No
Program Code BMARTS
Major Code MTR

Recommended Sequence of Study

Plan of Study Grid
Year 1
Semester 1Credit Hours
LSM 1103 Technical Mathematics 3
LSS 1003 Life and Future Skills 3
MTR 1003 Maritime English Communication 3
MTR 1013 Fundamentals of Marine Navigation 3
MTR 1023 Maritime Industry Overview 3
MTR 1033 Nautical Knowledge 3
 Credit Hours18
Semester 2
LSC 1103 Professional Communication and Reporting 3
LSS 1123 Basic Research Methods 3
MTR 2102 Ship Regulation and Survey 2
MTR 2103 Ship Operational Safety 3
MTR 2203 Near-Coastal Navigation 3
PHY 1103 Physics I 3
 Credit Hours17
Summer
MTR 1206 Shipboard Support-Level Experience * 6
 Credit Hours6
Year 2
Semester 3
MTR 2012 Shipboard Operational Leadership 2
MTR 2303 Ship Characteristics and Maintenance 3
MTR 2314 Marine Navigational Watchkeeping 4
MTR 2324 Marine Electronic Navigation 4
MTR 2332 Ship Manoeuvring and Control 2
PHY 1203 Physics II 3
 Credit Hours18
Semester 4
AES 1033 Islamic Culture 3
MTR 3013 Marine Weather Watchkeeping 3
MTR 3023 Marine Transport Operations 3
MTR 3033 Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) 3
MTR 3103 Ship Stability and Stress 3
MTR 3113 Ocean Navigation 3
 Credit Hours18
Summer
ICT 2013 Computational Thinking and Coding 3
BUS 2403 Innovation and Entrepreneurship 3
 Credit Hours6
Year 3
Semester 5
MTR 3012 Shipboard Operational-Level Experience 12
 Credit Hours12
Semester 6
MTR 4012 Shipboard Management-Level Experience ** 12
 Credit Hours12
Summer
AES 1003 Emirati Studies 3
AES 1013 Arabic Communications 3
 Credit Hours6
Year 4
Semester 7
MTR 4024 Leadership in Shipboard Management 4
MTR 4114 Marine Environmental Dynamics 4
MTR 4124 Advanced Techniques in Marine Navigation 4
MTR 4133 Ship Design and Seaworthiness 3
 Credit Hours15
Semester 8
MTR 5003 Ship Operations Project 3
MTR 5004 Shipboard Commercial Operations 4
MTR 5014 Maritime Law and Ship Protection 4
MTR 5023 Ship Administration 3
MTR 5024 Marine Transport Management 4
 Credit Hours18
Summer
LSC 2223 Future Skills Capstone 3
 Credit Hours3
Year 5
Semester 9
MTR 5105 Ship Stability and Dynamics 5
MTR 5124 Shipboard Command Operations 4
MTR 5125 Marine Navigation Management 5
 Credit Hours14
 Total Credit Hours163

* Students need to take the following STCW Basic Training courses before MTR 1206:

  • Elementary First Aid
  • Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting
  • Personal Safety & Social Responsibilities
  • Personal Survival Techniques
  • Security Awareness Training

**Students need to take the following STCW Basic Safety Training courses after MTR 4012:

  • Advanced Fire Fighting
  • Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS)
  • Medical First Aid
  • Proficiency in Survival Craft & Rescue Boats

Abu Dhabi Men's

Farhan saeed, Master Mariner; PhD (Maritime Operations), Liverpool John Moores University, United Kingdom.

Isikeli Waqa, Chief Engineer; B.Eng. (Ocean Engineering), Australian Maritime College, Australia; MSc (Maritime Education and Training), World Maritime University, Sweden.

Kaushik Samanta, Master Mariner; B.Sc (Nautical Science); MBA in Logistics and Supply Chain Management, Bharathiar University, India.

Mohab Abouelkawam, Master Mariner; MSc. (Maritime safety and environmental protection), WMU Sweden; PhD. (Maritime Law) Cardiff University, UK. 

Saud Zanbarkji, Masters High Sea’s, Arab Academy for Science and Technology and Maritime Transport, Egypt.

Syed Ahmed, Master Mariner; PGC in TQFE (Engineering), University of Stirling; B.Sc. (Maritime Studies), Karachi University, Pakistan.