Foundation Degree in Marine Engineering

Course summary:

South Tyneside College offers a Foundation Degree in Marine Engineering, validated by Northumbria University. This programme is a three year sandwich course that has been designed to enable marine cadets to achieve the academic standard necessary for the qualification of Engineer Officer of the Watch.

Course content:

Level 4

Mathematics for Marine Engineers	Marine Operations	Ship Stability and Construction
Heat Transfer and Combustion	Work Based Investigation	Engineering Mechanics
Electrical Power and Systems	Marine Management	Health and Safety and Risk Assessment
Instrumentation and Control Principles

Level 5

Marine Control Applications	Mechanical Principles	Marine Plant Operations
Business Management	Further Mathematics for Engineers	Electrical and Electronic Principles
Engineering Thermodynamics	Marine Plant Technology	Engineering Project/Design

Plus the SQA HNC Drawing unit.

Mathematics for Marine Engineers STC 151
Algebraic methods: polynomial division, partial fractions, completing the square, exponentials and logarithms, power series. Trigonometric methods: sinusoidal waveforms, applications, trigonometric identities. Calculus methods: differentiation and integration of standard functions, higher differentiation and integration, applications. Assessment: 40% Formal examination/60% classroom assessments (2)

Marine Operations STC 152
Ship Types and terminology, Safety management systems, Watch keeping duties, Marine transmission systems, Turbine power plant, Diesel engines. A requirement of this unit is that the student completes the STCW 95 pre sea short courses (Personal Sea Survival, Basic Fire-fighting, Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities, and Elementary First Aid) and a tanker familiarisation course. Assessment: 100% Coursework

Ship Stability and Construction STC 153
Trim and Stability: Stability at small angles of heel, Stability at large angles of heel, Trim Watertight sub-division, Effects of compartment flooding, Ship Construction: basic ship construction, the design features of different ship types, Fire protection by construction, Forces on ship structures: Static forces, Dynamic Forces, Stress in ship structures, Ship resistance, Powering. Propellers. Assessment: 50% Formal examination/50% classroom assessments (2)

Heat Transfer and Combustion STC 156
Determine heat transfer rates for composite systems: Interfaces: conduction, convection, radiation. Determine heat transfer coefficients: Dimensional analysis, Heat transfer mechanism, Heat transfer coefficients. Specify and describe heat transfer equipment: Recuperators, Heat transfer performance, Fluids, Applications. Analyse and specify combustion processes: Combustion chemistry, Energy of combustion, Products of combustion. Assessment: 50% Formal examination/50% Coursework

Work Based Investigation STC 155
Plan, undertake, document, prepare technical reports, prepare and deliver an oral presentation for an investigation of one’s own choosing. Assessment: 80% Coursework/20% Presentation

Engineering Mechanics STC 154
Investigate and analyse static engineering systems: Simply supported beams, Beams and columns, Torsion in circular shafts. Investigate and analyse dynamic engineering systems: Uniform acceleration, Energy transfer, Oscillating mechanical systems. Assessment: 50% Formal examination/50% Coursework

Electrical Power and Systems STC 157
Apply DC and AC theory to solve electrical and electronic engineering problems. Investigate information and energy control systems. Analyse three-phase systems. Investigate D.C. Generators and Motors. Assessment: 50% Formal Examination/50% Coursework

Marine Management STC 158
Professional codes, duty owed to the employer, colleagues, workforce, customer and general public, legal constraints and liabilities, responsibility to avoid pollution, waste of material and financial assets, danger to the environment. Health and safety: legal obligations. Management: The management of personnel, effective teambuilding, leadership and motivation for both individuals and teams, process of decision making. Legal requirements relating to Merchant Shipping Acts The functions of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), classification societies, P&I clubs and the Salvage Association. Review of relevant International Maritime Law. Assessment: 100% Coursework

Health and Safety and Risk Assessment STC 159
Select and apply safe working procedures to marine operations. Apply current health and safety legislation. Analyse systems for the assessment of risk. Apply risk management to life, property and activities. Assessment: 100% Coursework

Instrumentation and Control Principles STC 160
Instrumentation systems: System terminology, Sensors/transducers, Signal conditioners. Process control systems and controllers: Need for process control, Process controller terminology, System terminology, Controlling systems. Application: Tuning techniques, Systems. Assessment: 100% Coursework.

Marine Control Applications STC 251
Interpret fluid power diagrams (pneumatic and/or hydraulic): Symbols, Fluid power diagrams. Analyse and identify the construction and operation of pneumatic and hydraulic components, equipment and plant. Design pneumatic and hydraulic circuits. Evaluate and justify the use of marine applications of pneumatics and hydraulics. Assessment: 100% coursework.

Mechanical Principles STC 252
Analyse hydraulic components and systems: Hydrostatics, Hydrodynamics. Analyse the behaviour of loaded beams and cylinders: Loaded beams: slope and deflection for loaded beams, Stresses in thin-walled pressure vessels, Stresses in thick-walled cylinders. Investigate the characteristics of power transmission systems: Belt drives, Friction clutches, Gear trains. Investigate the characteristics of rotating system elements: Single and multi-link mechanisms, Balancing, Flywheels, Effects of coupling. Assessment: 50% Formal Examination/50% Coursework

Marine Plant Operations STC 255
Marine transmission systems, Turbine power plant, Diesel engines, Marine boilers,Marine pumps and pumping systems, Auxiliary supply systems, Shipboard hotel services equipment, Fire safety & Personal safety, Electrical generation and supply systems. Assessment: 50% Formal examination/50% coursework

Business Management STC 257
The role of effective logistics in optimising marine commercial operations, Finance, Managerial and executive roles, Information and data processing systems, decision theory, Principles of project management relating to shipping, The effective management of personnel and other resources on-board. Management structures within marine and associated shore based industries. Economics relating to marine insurance including Classification and P&I. Assessment: 100% Coursework

Further Mathematics for Engineers STC 258
Laplace transforms, Heaviside Functions linear differential equations; Statistics; quality control; Poisson distribution. Matrices, eigenvalues, eigenvectors, matrix forms of linear differential equations; Fourier series, partial differential equations. Assessment: 50% Coursework/50% Classroom assessment (1)

Electrical and Electronic Principles STC 253
Investigate circuit theory: Circuit theory, Magnetically coupled circuits. Investigate Power Electronics: Device Electronics, Electronic circuit. Investigate transients in R-L-C circuits: Laplace transforms, Transient analysis. Investigate harmonics in power systems: Sources of harmonics, Effects of harmonic, Mitigation of harmonics. Analyse methods of power distribution: Topology, Operating parameters. Assessment: 50% Formal examination/50% Coursework

Engineering Thermodynamics STC 254
Analyse thermodynamic systems: Polytropic processes, Thermodynamic systems and their properties, Relationships.
Investigate internal combustion engine performance: Second law of thermodynamics, Heat engine cycles, Performance characteristics, Improvements. Investigate reciprocating air compressors: Property diagrams, Performance characteristics, First law of thermodynamics Investigate steam and gas turbine power plant: Principles of operation, Circuit and property diagrams, Performance characteristics, Nozzle characteristics. Refrigeration: Principles of operation, Circuit and property diagrams, Performance characteristics. Assessment: 50% Formal Examination/50% Coursework

Marine Plant Technology STC 256
Marine transmission systems: Main Gearing and shafting. Turbine power plant: Construction, Performance characteristics, Auxiliary systems. Diesel engines: Mechanical and thermal stresses, Designs to limit atmospheric pollution, Construction, Engine timing and combustion, Operational data, Monitoring, Atmospheric pollutants, Marine boilers: Design features, Construction of marine boilers, Marine pumps and pumping systems: Types, Performance characteristics. Auxiliary supply systems: Operations, Maintenance. Shipboard hotel services equipment, Technical aspects of fitted equipment. Fire safety & Life Saving Appliances (LSA): Regulatory requirements, Causes of fire. Assessment: 50% Formal Examination/50% Coursework

Engineering Project/Design STC 259
Select a project and agree specifications and procedures. Implement the project within agreed procedures and to specification. Evaluate the project. Present project outcome. Assessment: 80% Project/20% Oral Presentation

Course structures

Phase 1 Foundation Degree Year 1. Semester One - SQA Workshop Skills. STCW Safety courses - 20 weeks
Phase 2 First sea phase. Practical experience and work based learning - 19 weeks
Phase 3 Foundation Degree Year 1. Progressing onto Year 2. Semester Two and Three. SQA Workshop skills - 31 weeks
Phase 4 Second sea phase. Work based learning. Development of skills and competence. (at sea) - 30 weeks
Phase 5 Foundation Degree Year 2. Semester Four.
Advanced STCW Safety courses. Completion of SQA Workshop Skills profile. MCA oral examination - 21 weeks

Entry requirements:

A minimum of 120 UCAS points. Students would have Mathematics and Science grades of C or higher at GCSE.

Qualifications achieved:

Foundation Degree in Marine Engineering
MCA Engineer Officer of the Watch certificate of competence (Marine Engineering Officer)

Progression opportunities:

On successful completion of cadetship candidate's progression to certification and to the senior ranks of Second and Chief Engineering Officer will follow further training.

B.Eng/B.Eng (Hons) Marine Engineering
Successful completion of this programme gives entry into B.Eng or B.Eng(Hons) programme if this option is required.

How to apply:

Candidates for this course should apply in the first instance to a sponsoring company. To view a list of shipping companies visit Careers at Sea website, or contact Student Services on 0191 427 3900

Further information:

We do everything we can to help you succeed. We treat all our students as individuals, so we’ll help and support you during your time with us in whatever way suits you best. Whether you need lots of help or a little, our outstanding support systems will help you to achieve your potential.