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Marine Technology

Study level:
Undergraduate
Awarded by:
Engineering Council, The Institution of Mechanical Engineers

Course summary

Are you captivated by the technical side of the marine environment? Our marine technologists are engineers focused on engineering for life at sea. As problem solvers, engineers design, create and use tools in every industry from nanotech to agritech. You will develop skills in the fundamentals of engineering as well as in marine engineering and naval architecture. Our students use laboratory sessions to reinforce learning and are taught by enthusiastic staff with strong industry links.

Our accredited BEng Marine Technology is designed to start your journey to becoming a qualified professional marine engineer. Our engineering courses rely strongly on practical work and you will develop your design skills throughout the course. We offer the opportunity to undertake a paid placement year to help consolidate and develop your engineering knowledge and many students receive job offers as a result of their time in industry.

  • Optional 'with composites' pathway available - in year 4, you have the option to choose a specialist 'with composites' pathway, which allows you to study the design and manufacture of specialist materials. Should you wish to choose this route, ‘with composites’ will appear as a named specialism on your degree certificate to acknowledge your specialism in this area.

  • Make use of cutting-edge facilities Students in engineering, science and the arts have access to a range of specialist equipment and innovative laboratories in our new engineering and design facility.

  • Join the upper ranks - in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU), also known as the Shanghai Ranking, we are eighth out of 50, and the highest ranked UK university, for Marine/Ocean Engineering.

  • Open the door to a successful future - with starting salaries from £23,000, our graduates have gone on to work for Hoare Lea, Babcock Marine, Becton Dickinson, e2v, Edwards, the Shaw Group and the Ministry of Defence.

  • Define yourself with a professionally aligned degree –The course has been designed to fully satisfy the educational base for an Incorporated Engineer (IEng) and partially satisfy the educational base for a Chartered Engineer (CEng).

  • Be flexible – our combined first year allows you to switch to mechanical engineering or civil engineering in line with your career ambitions.

  • Be unique – our courses are the only ones in the country to have a named with composites pathway; choosing this will allow you to stand out in the job market.

  • Learn hands-on with the latest industry-standard software, laboratory sessions and practical classes.

  • Aim higher – you may progress onto the MEng course at the end of your second year if you are doing well.

  • Put learning into practice by taking a paid year in industry - many of our students receive job offers or sponsorship as a result of their placements.

  • Go on to thrive in sectors as diverse as vessel design, naval architecture, ship safety, propeller design and manufacturing or engine energy efficiency.

Modules

In the first year of your marine technology course, you will study alongside other engineering students to learn about the fundamental principles underpinning the subjects studied throughout the course. You will develop your mathematical skills and study engineering materials, structural mechanics and fluid mechanics. You will learn about generic design processes and computer-aided design, and work in a team to undertake a real-world design challenge. Laboratory sessions will form an important part of your learning.

The second year introduces you to naval architecture and control systems engineering while further developing your thermodynamics, fluid mechanics, mathematics and design skills. These subjects are explored in lectures, in laboratory sessions and workshops. At this point, it you can opt in to the 'with composites' pathway. The placements module will develop your professional and transferable skills for the workplace and support you in finding an appropriate placement.

By taking the opportunity to spend an optional year in paid employment whilst still a student engineer, you will obtain recordable professional experience, build a network of industry contacts and often obtain offers of summer work, sponsorship or employment on graduation. Our placements team will support you in finding a placement, and we have an extensive network of employers across all sectors.

In your final year, you will deepen your understanding of naval architecture and marine engineering. You will also focus your specialism choosing to further your understanding of computer aided engineering tools and systems design or choosing to study the theoretical and practical aspects of composites engineering on the 'with composites' pathway. Your dissertation project enables you to research the topics that interest you and will allow you to bring together all you have learnt so far.

The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website

Assessment method

For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly

Professional bodies

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

  • Naval Architects, Royal Institution of
  • Engineering Council
  • Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, Institute of

Qualified teacher status (QTS)

To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:

  • Course does not award QTS

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How to apply

This course is not accepting applications at this time. Please contact the provider to find out more.

Apply by
29 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
J610
Institution code:
P60
Campus name:
Main Site
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1
  • Year 2
  • Year 3

This course may be available at alternative locations, please check if other course options are available.

Course options

International applicants

The University of Plymouth has a dedicated International Student Advice (ISA) service who will support you from the day you accept an offer at the University, right through to graduation. They will offer help and advice so you can get the most out of your studies, and your time in the UK, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/international-students/international-student-advice for more information. Once you have applied through UCAS, your conditional offer letters will also be sent to you by email, so be sure to enter your current email address on your application and to check this email regularly. You'll need your unconditional letter, and the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that we'll send you, when applying for your student visa to the UK. A tuition fee deposit will be required before we'll send you the CAS. We're a licenced Sponsor under the Points Based System. To comply with our duties as a Sponsor, we're required to check other aspects of your application in addition to your academic achievements, for example any previous studies, financial status and your immigration history in the UK. For course entry requirements (inc. English requirements) please refer to the specific page for the course you are interested in (www.plymouth.ac.uk/study). A recognised English language qualification (e.g. IELTS) would be required or successful completion of one of the University's pre-sessional English Language courses. Check our country pages to find out more about application from your specific home country www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/study/international-students-country-guides. International fees, please visit our fees and funding pages www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees. If you have any questions please contact admissions@plymouth.ac.uk

Open days

Entry requirements

Qualification requirements

UCAS Tariff - 112 - 128 points

Including A Level Grade C at Mathematics and Grade C at a second relevant subject: Applied ICT / Applied Science / Applied Business / Biology / Business Studies / Chemistry / Computing / Computer Science / DT (Product Design Resistant Materials) / DT (Systems & Control Technology) / Product Design / Economics / Economics & Business / Electronics / Engineering / Environmental Science / Further Maths / Use of Maths/ Pure Maths / ICT / Physics / Statistics.

A level

112 to 128 UCAS points, including A Level Grade C at Mathematics and Grade C at a second relevant subject: Applied ICT / Applied Science / Applied Business / Biology / Business Studies / Chemistry / Computing / Computer Science / DT (Product Design Resistant Materials) / DT (Systems & Control Technology) / Product Design / Economics / Economics & Business / Electronics / Engineering / Environmental Science / Further Maths / Use of Maths/ Pure Maths / ICT / Physics / Statistics.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DDD

From Mechanical Engineering or related subject, to include Distinction in at least one Mathematics unit.

Access to HE Diploma

Pass an Access to HE Diploma with at least 33 credits at Merit or Distinction to include 12 Level 3 credits in Mathematics with Distinction and 12 Level 3 credits in a second relevant subject with Merit.

Scottish Higher

Considered in combination with Advanced Highers. Maths and English accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - DD

From Mechanical Engineering or related subject, to include Distinction in at least one Mathematics unit, alongside A Level Mathematics or A Level Physics.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

Considered in combination.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

Considered in combination.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Certificate (first teaching from September 2016)

Considered in combination.

Scottish Advanced Higher

112 to 128 UCAS points, including Grade C at Mathematics and Grade C at a second relevant subject. Maths and English accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 28 - 32 points

To include Grade 5 at Higher Level Mathematics and Grade 5 at Higher Level in a second relevant subject. English and Maths accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

Welsh Baccalaureate - Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate (last awarded Summer 2024)

Considered in combination.

Extended Project

Considered in combination.

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017) - H2, H2, H2, H3, H3

112-128 UCAS points, to include Mathematics and a second relevant subject. Maths and English accepted within as GCSE equivalent.

AQA Certificate in Mathematical Studies (Core Maths)

Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics and second relevant subject.

City & Guilds Certificate in Using and Applying Mathematics (Core Maths)

Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics and second relevant subject.

OCR Certificate in Quantitative Problem Solving (MEI) (Core Maths)

Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics and second relevant subject.

OCR Certificate in Quantitative Reasoning (MEI) (Core Maths)

Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics and second relevant subject.

Pearson Edexcel Certificate in Mathematics in Context (Core Maths)

Considered in combination alongside A Level Mathematics and second relevant subject.

T Level

As a University we will continue to review T Level qualifications as more information becomes available in the next couple of months. Please refer to individual course pages on our website for specific entry criteria

Must have GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4 or above.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

At the University of Plymouth, we believe in building a welcoming and inclusive community that supports every student to achieve their full potential.

With our contextual offer scheme we may extend offers below our standard entry criteria to those applicants whose circumstances and experiences could have impacted their education and academic performance. You can check your eligibility for a contextual offer using our online postcode checker.

Learn more on the University of Plymouth website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades students were previously accepted with - learn more. It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place. Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Data from:
This course and 14 other engineering and technology courses
Date range:
2022-2024

Grades held by accepted students

BCC Most common
  1. AAB
  2. Highest grades
  3. CDD
  4. Lowest grades

Offer rate for UK school & college leavers

98% Students aged 17/18 who applied to this course were offered a place.

How do you compare?

See how students with your grades have been accepted onto this course in the past.

Student Outcomes

Operated by the Office for Students

85 Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)

95 Go onto work and study

The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

For all information about tuition fees, please visit our fees and funding pages at www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees

  • Fees are correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change.
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