Marine Engineers design and develop machinery for ships and marine structures. They also oversee the installation and repair of marine power plants, propulsion systems, heating and ventilating systems, and other mechanical and electrical equipment in ships, docks, and marine facilities.  

Marine architects, also known as naval architects, design frames, hulls, superstructures, and draft interiors of ships and other marine craft. They also oversee the construction and repair of ships, barges, tugs, dredges, submarines, floats, and buoys.  

JOB DUTIES  

Marine Engineers may:  

Prepare drawings and specifications  

Make complex calculations to determine the power, functional, and spatial needs of marine machinery and equipment  

Evaluate the operation of equipment during acceptance testing and shakedown cruises  

Supervise the installation, testing, and repair of marine equipment  

Estimate the extent of repairs required on marine equipment and, sometimes, the cost of the repairs  

Teach and conduct research  

Design equipment for ships, docks, and marine structures  

Design offshore platforms for oil and gas exploration  

Marine Architects may:  

Study design proposals and specifications  

Oversee the construction and testing of prototype marine craft  

Design the complete hull and superstructure according to specifications and test data to meet standards of safety, efficiency, and economy  

Confer with Marine Engineers to establish the arrangement of equipment in the interior of the vessel  

Evaluate the performance of the vessel during dock and sea trials  

Tools and equipment used may include:  

OCCUPATIONAL SPECIALTIES  

Marine Engineers and Architects may specialize in these areas:  

014.061-014 MARINE ENGINEERS design and develop machinery for ships and marine structures. They also oversee the installation and repair of marine power plants, propulsion systems, heating and ventilating systems, and other mechanical and electrical equipment in ships, docks, and marine facilities. They may also design offshore platforms for oil and gas exploration.  

001.061-014 MARINE ARCHITECTS, also known as naval architects, design the hulls of ships and other marine craft. They also oversee the construction and repair of ships, barges, tugs, dredges, submarines, floats, and buoys. They may specialize in basic ship design or in a certain type of marine craft, such as submarines.  

014.061-010 MARINE EQUIPMENT DESIGN ENGINEERS design marine machinery and equipment. They may specialize in the design of certain types of marine equipment, such as boilers, heat exchangers, electric power systems, nuclear power plants, fire control systems, and communication systems.  

014.061-018 MARINE EQUIPMENT RESEARCH ENGINEERS plan and conduct, or direct other personnel in experiments on machinery and equipment. They evaluate findings to develop concepts, products, equipment, or processes.  

014.061-022 MARINE EQUIPMENT TEST ENGINEERS conduct operational, functional, or performance tests on machinery and equipment. They coordinate the development, procurement, installation, and calibration of the required instruments, equipment and control devices. They also analyze and interpret data and prepare related technical reports.  

014.167-010 MARINE SURVEYORS examine and inspect marine vessels and watercraft to determine the repairs required for them to meet safety and insurance requirements. They also observe operating tests on machinery and equipment for compliance with testing standards; prepare reports on the types of surveys conducted, actions recommended, and repairs or conditions remedied; and issue or endorse certificates for tested equipment.  

014.167-014 PORT ENGINEERS coordinate the repair and maintenance of operating fleets to minimize repair costs and loss of income. They prepare recommendations for needed work, obtain necessary equipment and materials, draw up job specifications, and obtain bids from contractors or shipyards to make repairs. They also advise ships' officers on safe, efficient methods of operating machinery and equipment.  

In addition to learning about these specialties, you may also find it helpful to explore the following MOIScripts:  

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WORKING CONDITIONS AND REQUIREMENTS  

Marine Engineers and Architects work with other engineers, naval officers, ship owners, and government officials while completing an assigned project. They may also oversee the work of contractors who do the building and repairing of marine craft and facilities.  

Marine Engineers and Architects usually work indoors in well ventilated and lighted offices that have conference space and room for drafting equipment. They may also work aboard a marine craft when checking on work or when testing the operation of vessels or equipment at sea.  

Marine Engineers and Architects generally work a 5-day, 40-hour week. Their working hours may be irregular, with evening and lunch hour meetings. They might have to work overtime in order to meet contract deadlines.  

The Marine Engineer or Architect may be away from the work station often for several days at a time for shakedown cruises or out-of-town meetings.  

Many Marine Engineers and Architects join professional organizations such as the American Society of Naval Engineers or the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers. Members usually pay membership fees or dues.  

You Should Prefer:  

• Activities of a scientific and technical nature  

• Activities of an indefinite nature which require creative imagination  

You Should Be Able To:  

• Work within precise limits or standards of accuracy  

• Perform a variety of duties which may change often  

• Know the meanings of words/ideas, and present information effectively  

• Perform mathematical operations quickly and accurately  

• Visualize how flat drawings or pictures would look as solid objects  

• Direct, control, and plan an entire activity or activities of others  

• Rate information using standards that can be measured or checked  

Math Problem You Should Be Able To Solve:  

A boat is traveling in calm water at 40 kilometers per hour and then slows down to 10 kilometers per hour in 5 seconds. What is the average deceleration rate?  

Reading Example You Should Be Able to Read and Comprehend:  

Of course, velocities are not always in the same or opposite directions. However, knowing how to use rectangular components to add or subtract vectors, we can solve problems involving relative velocities in two dimensions.  

Writing Example You Should Be Able to Produce:  

Document the results of the efficiency test on a watercraft's motors in open water.  

Thinking Skill You Should Be Able to Demonstrate:  

A company might desire a new design for the hull of the watercraft. You will have to picture different options in your mind.    

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EDUCATION AND PREPARATION OPPORTUNITIES  

NOTE: A Bachelor's Degree (four years of study beyond high school) or a Master's Degree (five to six years of study beyond high school) or a Professional Degree or Doctorate (seven to ten years of study beyond high school) may qualify a person for this occupation.  

The following education and preparation opportunities are helpful in preparing for occupations in the MOIScript:  

***SCHOOL SUBJECTS***  

0700 CAREERS , 0900 COMMUNICATIONS , 1000 COMPUTERS , 2200 MATH , 2900 SCIENCE , 3200 TECHNICAL DRAWING , 3300 TECHNOLOGY  

***VOCATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS***  

There are no Vocational Education Programs related to this MOIScript  

***POSTSECONDARY PROGRAMS***  

058 ENGINEERING (PRE-PROFESSIONAL)  

Pre-Engineering Programs provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills required for admission to professional engineering colleges.  

Many Michigan  colleges and universities offer programs which may satisfy the prerequisites for admission to engineering schools. Students should contact the engineering schools of their choice for admission requirements and consult their school's pre-professional adviser to ensure that admission prerequisites will be met.  

Courses vary from school to school but may include:  

The most common requirements for entering a community college are a high school diploma, or GED, or being at least 18 years old and completing application forms. In addition, entering a college or university may require graduation from high school in a college preparatory program, a grade point average acceptable to the school to which you apply, and passing entrance examinations.  

184 MARINE ENGINEERING & ARCHITECTURE  

Programs in Marine Engineering and Architecture provide opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills needed to design ship hulls and ship power plants.  

Courses vary from school to school but may include:  

                Search for a College and/or Instructional Program  

***APPRENTICESHIP OPPORTUNITIES***  

There are no Apprenticeships related to this MOIScript  

***MILITARY TRAINING PROGRAMS***  

Please check the Military website at  http://www.myfuture.com  

MARINE ENGINEER  

Ships and submarines must be designed for speed, strength, stability, and safety. Improvements in ship equipment, hull design, and deck layout can improve operations. Marine engineers design ships submarines, and other watercraft for military use. They also oversee the construction and repair of ships and marine equipment.  

What They Do  

Marine engineers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:  

• Study new ways of designing and building ship hulls  

• Develop and test shipboard combat and salvage equipment  

• Oversee the construction, maintenance, and repair of ship hulls and equipment  

• Mange research programs to solve naval engineering problems  

• Oversee the installation, operation, and repair of marine equipment and systems  

• Evaluate marine research data and prepare technical reports  

Special Requirements  

A 4-year college degree in marine engineering is required to enter his occupation.  

Civilian Counterparts  

Civilian marine engineers work in the shipbuilding industry. They also work for government agencies and ship machinery manufacturers. Civilian marine engineers perform duties similar to those performed in the military. They may also be called marine equipment research engineers, marine architects, marine equipment design engineers, marine surveyors, and port engineers.  

Work Environment  

Marine engineers do much of their work outdoors at shipyards while overseeing shipbuilding and repair activities. They work in offices while directing vessel design and development activities.  

Opportunities  

The services have about 300 marine engineers. On average, they need 10 new marine engineers each year. Newly commissioned marine engineers may be assigned to engineering or marine research and development laboratories. They may also be assigned to work in shipyards with vessel maintenance and repair units. With experience, marine engineers may advance to senior engineering management and command positions.  

E-Learning Courses and Programs   

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OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCE AND METHODS OF ENTRY  

There is little opportunity to gain direct experience in this field. Postsecondary education programs in marine engineering and architecture may offer a co-op portion which includes practical experience. In addition, part-time work as a marine engineering assistant may be available for students with 1 or 2 years of college. Related training and work experience may also be obtained in military service.  

                School-to-Work opportunities include:  

informal apprenticeships  

mentorships  

job shadowing experiences  

touring a local Marine Engineer & Architect employer  

internships  

volunteer work with a Marine Engineer & Architect employer  

community service work with an agency  

Most people enter this occupation by applying directly to employers. Assistance in locating a job may be available from your college placement office, a local office of Michigan Works!, and professional associations. Marine Engineers and Architects wishing to work in U.S.  government agencies must pass a civil service examination. Graduates of the U.S. Naval or Coast Guard Academies become commissioned officers of these services. In addition, you should access and search the Internet's on-line employment services sites such as:  

The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (  http://www.sname.org/ )  

Michigan Talent Bank   

America's Job Bank    

Classifieds Employment    

Yahoo! Careers   

MONSTER.COM  

MONSTERTRAK.COM  

JobOptions  

Contact Employment Weekly Online (  http://www.ceweekly.com )  

Engineering Job Source (  http://engineerjobs.com/home.html )  

                You should also enter an electronic resume on these on-line services.   

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EARNINGS AND ADVANCEMENT  

Salaries of Marine Engineers and Architects vary by individual experience, capability, job responsibility and education, plus the type, size, and geographic location of the employer.  

Nationally, Marine Engineers and Architects earned average annual salaries ranging from $26,000 to over $62,400 per year in 1999. The median annual salary was $44,772. Highly experienced Marine Engineers and Architects with advanced degrees may earn up to $100,000 or more yearly (2000).  

Naval (Marine) Architects with Bachelor's degrees working for the federal government started at $27,778 or $34,408 per year (2000), depending on their education and experience. Engineers with master's degrees started at $34,408 or $42,091 while those with doctorates started at a minimum of $44,402. The salaries of these federal government workers may be higher in some urban areas.  

Graduates of a Michigan  bachelor's degree and master's degree program in naval and marine engineering were offered annual starting salaries similar to those offered to mechanical engineering graduates.  

Marine Engineers and Architects may receive paid vacations and holidays; time off for technical meetings; life, accident, disability, and hospitalization insurance; retirement plans; and sick pay. These benefits are usually paid for, at least in part, by the employer. Some companies have a savings and stock investment plan for salaried employees. The plan allows employees to invest up to 10% of their salaries in the company's common stock or specified investments. The company may contribute up to $1 for each $1 invested by the employee or allow the purchase of its stock at 85% of the market price.  

Marine Engineers and Architects in industry advance with experience, demonstrated ability to handle more responsibility, and additional training. Continuing education is important to career advancement. In government, they must often pass civil service tests to become eligible for higher level positions. Marine Engineers and Architects may advance to supervisory positions and to project or chief engineer positions. Those who enter teaching positions in colleges and universities are usually required to have advanced degrees.  

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EMPLOYMENT AND OUTLOOK  

Nationally, in 2000, The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers had approximately 8,700 members, most of whom worked in the field. Employment of Marine Engineers and Architects is expected to increase.  

Limited employment growth is likely for a number of reasons. Ship modernization is increasing because it is cheaper to overhaul a ship than to build a new one. The need to replace old and obsolete World War II vessels has maintained an active U.S. Navy shipbuilding program. Construction of naval cruisers, aircraft carriers, and submarines, in addition to the usual naval support vessels, is also anticipated through the year 2008. Other Marine Engineers and Architects are designing tugboats and barges, commercial fishing boats, and pleasure craft and yachts.  

Employment growth will not be due to merchant ship construction, however, as Japanese and Korean shipbuilding firms dominate sales worldwide.  

Only two U.S.  shipyards have orders for the construction of oceangoing commercial vessels: Ingalls Shipbuilding has work through early 2004 completing the construction of two passenger cruise ships, and the Avondale Industries, Inc., Shipyards Division has work through the year 2002 for the construction of three tankers for ARCO Marine. The U.S. Navy will continue to be the principal customer for the U.S. shipbuilding and repair industry in the foreseeable future for both conversion and repair work, although the level of activity is expected to be lower than the previous decade. Demand for ferries and double-hulled vessels should increase as a result of highway congestion and Oil Pollution Act 1990 requirements, respectively. Oil rig demand should remain steady because of the age of the existing fleet.  

There are fewer than 50 Marine Engineers and Architects in Michigan  . The Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers had approximately 470 members in the Great Lakes  region in 2000. Most jobs are located in other parts of the country, such as the east and west coasts and the Gulf of Mexico. Many Marine Engineers and Architects work for private firms that service, dock, and repair ships, independent naval architecture and marine engineering firms, engineering departments of companies that supply the marine industry, aerospace firms that do oceanography research, petroleum companies, and at colleges where they teach or do research. A few worked for major automobile and chemical manufacturing corporations that have shipping operations.  

Employment of Marine Engineers and Architects in Michigan  is expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through the year 2005.  

The number of undergraduates and graduates with degrees granted in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering is about 300 annually. Fewer than 25 per year are Michigan  graduates. Since the demand is greater than the supply, Marine Engineers and Architects should have many job offers to consider. However, employment outlook is based to some degree on the oil and gas market. Depressed oil prices result in the need for fewer Marine Engineers and Naval Architects to work in the design, development, installation and repair of offshore petroleum rigs and platforms. Also, because of increasing complexity of mechanical and electronic equipment used in military ships, employers in industry and in government have found it desirable to hire civil, electronic and mechanical engineers and train them on the job for this occupation while they take graduate training in the field.  

MICHIGAN  'S EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK TO 2006  

SOURCES OF ADDITIONAL INFORMATION  

Printed Occupational information is available upon written request from the sources below.  

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    MOISCRIPTS are Copyright 2003, Michigan Department of Career Development