2025/26 entry Applications also open for 2024/25
MSc Marine and Offshore Engineering
About this course
LJMU's long history of high quality masters teaching in Marine and Offshore Engineering will ensure you are prepared for a successful career in this growing industry.
- Study at one of the UK's leading Maritime Schools
- Follow a curriculum accredited by the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE)
- Meet Chartered Engineer requirements
- Benefit from close industry links and excellent career prospects
This MSc programme provides the engineering skills and techniques you need to work as a specialist in the marine and offshore engineering field. On graduation you will be able to make an immediate contribution to a company's capability and operation, and progress into senior management positions.
The course combines substantial marine modules with mechanical engineering options to produce a bespoke skills learning set. It capitalises on the demand for highly qualified postgraduates and maintains LJMU's longstanding reputation for meeting the needs of the maritime industry.
Studying alongside students from all over the world you will learn about: safety analysis, design engineering, structural analysis, maritime law and regulation, quality systems and alternative energy systems. Two pathways offer the ability to tailor the degree depending on the preferred industry sector.
Our highly qualified and respected academic team combine specialist knowledge with relevant industrial experience. This combination of academic and professional expertise, as well as our well-established links with the industry and the worldwide maritime research sector, will help to ensure that you are well prepared to meet the opportunities and challenges of this vibrant and expanding sector.
For those with existing industry experience and relevant qualification, the programme provides the further learning requirement to obtain Chartered Engineer (CEng) registration via an appropriate Professional Engineering Institution.
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Elsa's story
Elsa Rizkiya Kencana graduated in Ocean Engineering at the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember in Indonesia before joining LJMU to study for a Masters in Marine and Offshore Engineering.
"I ...
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Tomas' story
A native of the Canary Islands, Tomas studied for his undergraduate degree in Mechanical Engineering in Germany before moving to LJMU to take his Masters in Marine and Offshore Engineering.
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Fees and funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students
Fees
The fees quoted at the top of this page cover registration, tuition, supervision, assessment and examinations as well as:
- library membership with access to printed, multimedia and digital resources
- access to programme-appropriate software
- library and student IT support
- free on-campus wifi via eduroam
Additional costs
Although not all of the following are compulsory/relevant, you should keep in mind the costs of:
- accommodation and living expenditure
- books (should you wish to have your own copies)
- printing, photocopying and stationery
- PC/laptop (should you prefer to purchase your own for independent study and online learning activities)
- mobile phone/tablet (to access online services)
- field trips (travel and activity costs)
- placements (travel expenses and living costs)
- student visas (international students only)
- study abroad opportunities (travel costs, accommodation, visas and immunisations)
- academic conferences (travel costs)
- professional-body membership
- graduation (gown hire etc)
Funding
There are many ways to fund postgraduate study for home and international students. From loans to International Scholarships and subject-specific funding, you’ll find all of the information you need on our specialist postgraduate funding pages.
Please be aware that the UK’s departure from the EU may affect your tuition fees. Learn more about your fee status and which tuition fees are relevant to you.
Employability
Further your career prospects
LJMU has an excellent employability record with 96% (HESA 2018) of our postgraduates in work or further study six months after graduation. Our applied learning techniques and strong industry connections ensure our students are fully prepared for the workplace on graduation and understand how to apply their knowledge in a real world context.
With an increasing demand for qualified experts in the field, you will be highly sought after by employers and you will have the skills to enter senior positions with major UK and international companies. Marine and Offshore Engineering graduates are employed in a varied range of areas such as Class and Flag Surveyors, Technical Superintendents, Project Engineers, Offshore Field engineers, the options are endless,. The programme will equip you with the knowledge and skills to be adaptable and a problem solver..
The Programme is accredited as meeting the Further education requirements for registration as Chartered Engineer.
The student experience
Discover life as a postgraduate student at LJMU.
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Course modules
Discover the building blocks of your programme
Your programme is made up of a number of core modules which are part of the course framework. Some programmes also have optional modules that can be selected to enhance your learning in certain areas and many feature a dissertation, extended report or research project to demonstrate your advanced learning.
This course is currently undergoing its scheduled programme review, which may impact the advertised modules. Programme review is a standard part of the university 's approach to quality assurance and enhancement, enabling us to ensure that our courses remain up to date and maintain their high standard and relevancy.
Once the review is completed, this course website page will be updated to reflect any approved changes to the advertised course. These approved changes will also be communicated to those who apply for the course to ensure they wish to proceed with their application.
Some of the new module content that is being considered, and is subject to approval, may include Renewable energy and alternative fuels, Finite Element Analysis, Professional Leadership, and Maritime Legal principles.
Core modules
Research Methods
10 credits
The aims of this module are to develop the students’ ability to formulate a coherent and well- designed research project and associated proposal. The module also aims to develop the skills required to critically analyse and evaluate research findings and the effective presentation of the results.
Marine Design Engineering
10 credits
The aim of the module is to provide you with the appropriate level of marine engineering knowledge and expertise required of an effective member of a marine engineering design team.
Maritime and Offshore Safety Analysis
20 credits
This module aims to enable you to understand and implement the requirements of formal safety design, assessment and review in marine, offshore and port areas.
MSc Marine & Offshore Engineering Project
60 credits
The main aims of the project module are to allow a student to demonstrate an ability to drive their own deep/thorough investigation, undertake high quality academic research and demonstrate critical evaluation of their results.
This module aims to develop the student's ability to independently undertake, investigate and critically evaluate high quality academic research. It:
- enables development of a high level of subject knowledge and associated skills
- helps to demonstrate an ability to drive, thorough investigation, a demonstration of critical skills
Marine Maintenance and Asset Management
20 credits
The aim of this module is to provide knowledge about how the maintenance and repair of an offshore installation, vessel or a fleet of vessels is managed. In particular, it is intended to consider the lifecycle of a vessel and how maintenance is planned, scheduled and executed.
Project Management
10 credits
The central theme of this module is the management of projects using known standards and methodologies. You are given the opportunity to develop your skills in industry-standard project software and demonstrate your ability through a time-constrained exercise. It aims to develop a sound understanding of the fundamental concepts of managing projects.
Offshore Engineering
10 credits
This module provides an advanced understanding of offshore installation types and knowledge of offshore installations from an operational and safety aspect.
Marine Technology Management
20 credits
Optional Modules
Conventional Fuels and Alternative Energy Sources
20 credits
This module recognises that the ways in which the maritime industry fuels vessels and the wider maritime sector is changing. In the light of rapidly shifting regulation and stringent goals for decarbonisation, the module will consider what the prospects are for new alternative fuels and how the maritime industry will adapt.
Advanced Finite Element Analysis
10 credits
The module extends your existing knowledge of the finite element method to an advanced level. Whilst the theoretical aspects of the method will be covered in lectures, the module is intended to be practical in nature to give you the opportunity to practice via a range of tutorials and assignments using industry standard software.
Professional and Leadership Skills
10 credits
This module will help you to develop an awareness of the legal and ethical framework surrounding the activities of a professional engineer. You will also gain an awareness of the Emotional Competence Framework for a professional engineer. This will help you to develop a specific set of personal and social competency skills appropriate for a professional engineer, such as adaptability, creativity diversification, leveraging diversity, political awareness, leadership and team capabilities.
Renewable Electric Power Systems
10 credits
This module builds upon the knowledge you have already gained at levels 5 and 6 with regard to renewable energy systems, electric machines and power electronics. It aims to develop your knowledge of wind energy converters and photovoltaic energy conversion technologies and their connection to the power grid.
Marine Legal Practice
10 credits
This module introduces students to contemporary issues of admiralty law that serve to demonstrate how civil and criminal liabilities can arise from the shipping and offshore business and the respective available remedies. The module focuses on the practical application of English law, covering the areas of Collision, Salvage, Towage and Wreck. Current industry commentary and cases provide exploration of the workings of the Admiralty Court and UK Supreme Court.
Teaching
An insight into teaching on your course
Study hours
Teaching takes place throughout the week. Exact timetabled hours depend on the option modules selected.
Teaching methods
On this course you will be taught by academics active in industrially-oriented research and scholarship, via lectures and directed student-centred learning, such as case studies.
Applied learning
Industrial visits are an important part of the course enabling you to understand developments in the market. They typically include: ports, ship visits, insurance underwriters (usually in London).
Assessment
How learning is monitored on your programme
To cater for the wide-ranging content of our courses and the varied learning preferences of our students, we offer a range of assessment methods on each programme.
On this programme you will be assessed through open-ended reports, project work, case study reports, assignment submissions, short class tests and unseen examinations.
Course tutors
Our staff are committed to the highest standards of teaching and learning
Philip Davies
Programme Leader
Philip Davies joined LJMU in September 2000 after a long established career at sea and in ship management. On joining LJMU, he was employed at the Lairdside Maritime Centre in the roles of Short Course Manager and Acting Director. In these roles he was instrumental in developing a suite of professional maritime short courses which were approved by the MCA, Department for Transport and other accrediting bodies. He obtained funding for the development of the UK’s first 360⁰ Tug and Escort Towage simulator resulting in specialised training and research. During his time at the centre, he provided training and consultancy services to the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) and European Commission as well as numerous corporate clients. As a member of the Technical Committee and as Educational Representative of the Approvals Committee of the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB), he has developed National and International standards for maritime education. Associated with this role, he was on the drafting committee of the ERC. Harmonised Examination Syllabi for GOC and ROC. In recognition of this work, he was awarded the Merchant Navy medal in 2014 for “services to the Merchant Navy Training Board and to Lairdside Maritime Centre”. He is an approved AMERC Examiner, and was Executive Member, Director, and Vice Chairman of the Association. Since 2017 he has been deployed in the School of Engineering delivering a range of maritime related subjects and took over as Programme Leader Marine and Offshore Engineering in 2021. He is committed to high quality education. Phil is a member of the MCA Human Element Advisory Group and UK Maritime Spectrum Strategy Group (MSSG) His specialisms cover the areas of Marine Electronic Engineering and communications. Radar engineering. , Maritime Law and Maritime Security. He is a member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) , the Royal institute of Navigation (RIN) and European Maritime Law Organisation (EMLO)
Our MSc students typically come from a wide range of backgrounds. A unique aspect of the the Programme is that it attracts experienced marine engineers as well as recent undergraduates. This mix of experience provides an excellent basis for active learning. It is very fulfilling to observe each students development as they progress through the programme. The knowledge and experience gained is in high demand and it is gratifying to see our alumni quickly gain employment on graduation and move into senior marine and offshore engineering roles.
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School facilities
What you can expect from your School
The Department of Maritime and Mechanical Engineering is located in the Byrom Street site of LJMU 's City Campus. In addition to specialist engineering facilities, Byrom Street has high quality lecture theatres, meeting and seminar rooms plus a large café and social spaces. The Avril Robarts Library is just minutes away on Tithebarn Street.
Entry requirements
You will need:
Qualification requirements
Undergraduate degree
- A lower second class (2:2) or higher honours degree in an engineering discipline.
or
- A lower second class (2:2) or higher honours degree in mathematics or a physical science, together with experience in a field relevant to engineering.
Alternative qualifications considered
- A Chief Engineers or 2nd Engineers certificate of competency.
- Graduate or corporate membership of a suitable engineering professional body. For example the IMarEST, The Institute of Mechanical Engineers, The Institution Engineering and Technology or the Institute of Measurement and Control,
- Other qualifications or experience deemed to be equivalent. In particular, mature students must provide evidence of adequate educational and/or industrial experience to assure a reasonable chance of success on the award programme.
International requirements
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IELTS
All applicants must provide evidence of competence in English. The level of English language required should be equivalent to 6.0 for IELTS within the previous 24 months. Equivalents to this score are:
- UK GCSE English grade C or above
- Cambridge Examination Board: Advanced Certificate of English, grade C or above.
Applicants who have studied and successfully achieved a UK Degree programme within the previous 24 months are exempt from the requirements to produce evidence of competence in English.
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Other international requirements
Please note that this programme requires offer holders to apply for ATAS. For more information please visit https://www.ljmu.ac.uk/international/holding-offer-of-study/atas-guidance
Further information
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Extra Requirements
- References will normally be required for all candidates.
Application and selection
Securing your place at LJMU
To apply for this programme, you are required to complete an LJMU online application form. You will need to provide details of previous qualifications and a personal statement outlining why you wish to study this programme.
The University reserves the right to withdraw or make alterations to a course and facilities if necessary; this may be because such changes are deemed to be beneficial to students, are minor in nature and unlikely to impact negatively upon students or become necessary due to circumstances beyond the control of the University. Where this does happen, the University operates a policy of consultation, advice and support to all enrolled students affected by the proposed change to their course or module.