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FdScNautical Science

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Why study a deck cadetship at Solent University's Warsash Maritime School

If you have a sense of adventure and are looking for a career that’s more than the usual 9 to 5, you could train as a navigating officer in the UK’s merchant navy and travel the world while you work.

  • 0years
    of providing maritime training to seafarers
  • Top0%
    for teaching quality, out of 131 institutions (Times Good University Guide, 2025)
  • £0m
    investment in our campus and industry-standard facilities
  • Seafaring experience included - time at sea is built into the course, offering real-world experience.
  • Cadetships, for eligible UK students, are fully sponsored by shipping or maritime companies.
  • Gain academic and professional qualifications while studying and working towards your MCA Certificate of Competency. 
  • International maritime alumni network: graduates from our Warsash Maritime School can be found throughout the maritime industry worldwide, in every role from shore-side management to senior positions at sea.
  • Our maritime training facilities are among the world's best: with one of the UK's largest simulation centres, a dedicated fire training school, and the UK's only manned model ship handling centre.
  • A world-class hub of maritime excellence: our Warsash Maritime School has over 80 years' history of maritime education, and an international reputation for quality.
  • Study in the heart of Southampton: a major hub in the UK and European maritime and shipping industry.
  • Every student at Solent University will also have the option to study an additional Certificate in Practical Artificial Intelligence qualification alongside their course. Free of charge, the course ensures you'll be prepared for a fantastic and varied career after graduation.

Course overview

Studying at the world-renowned Warsash Maritime School on a fully-sponsored three-year officer cadet training programme, you’ll combine the necessary skills and knowledge with work-based learning on board ship to leave you well-prepared to begin your career as a qualified ship’s officer in the Merchant Navy.

Officer cadet training schemes are split into five phases which alternate between academic studies, practical and safety training at Warsash Maritime School and seagoing periods to gain practical shipboard experience.

To enrol on an officer cadet training scheme, candidates apply directly to shipping companies, not through UCAS. This is because officer cadet training is fully sponsored by the shipping company, covering course fees and also providing the means for gaining the mandatory work-based learning on board ship. Cadets will often also receive a small salary or living allowance while they are training.

During training at Warsash, deck cadets are taught the necessary academic underpinning knowledge, allowing them to develop a detailed understanding of the safe operation of a modern merchant vessel, as well as the activities of the maritime industry, both at sea and ashore.

This programme is aligned to the new UK-wide maritime officer cadetship syllabus developed by the Cadet Training and Modernisation (CT&M) Programme, led by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Effective from September 2025, the new syllabus reflects the current practices and technology used aboard modern vessels and supports the development of 'human element' skills - essential learning for today’s aspiring officers.

This course is part of the South Coast Institute of Technology (IoT), a partnership of colleges, universities and industry-leading employers to create new career opportunities in the technology sector. IoT courses like this one are precisely tailored to the needs of employers in the maritime, engineering and digital industries – industries which are hungry for talented new engineers, technologists, technicians and creatives like you.

Award-winning cadets

Two cadets on the FdSc Nautical Science programme have recently won prestigious maritime awards in recognition of their achievements during their cadetship. Daisy Jarvis won the MCA Officer Trainee of the Year 2022 Award and Molvipa Takhiansok won the UK Maritime 2023 Bevis Minter Award. Read Daisy's and Molvipa's stories to find out about their cadetship journey and what winning the awards meant to them.

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Course features

  • Professional accreditation

    This course has been accredited by a professional body

  • Additional qualifications

    This course offers additional professional qualifications which you will obtain in addition to your academic qualification

  • Specialist facilities

    This course has access to specialist facilities

  • April and September starts available

    This course has an option to start in April and September

  • Further studies

    After successfully completing your programme, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent

Who is this course for?

This fully-sponsored training programme is a must for those who wish to become a deck officer in the Merchant Navy. The course is suited to those who are looking for an interesting and varied career, and is ideal for those with strong mathematics and physical science skills.

What does this course lead to?

This exciting course will allow you to gain your first qualification as an Officer of the Watch, opening up a wide range of opportunities within maritime command. With additional study and sailing experience you can take your career further, rising through the ranks to Captain.

Graduate stories

Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.

Read more stories

Meet the team

Teaching is delivered by experienced academic staff with a strong maritime background, most of whom have previously served at sea or are current seafarers. The extensive professional experience of academic staff ensures that the course draws on real-world case studies and equips you with practical, readily applicable knowledge and skills.

The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.

Facilities

Warsash Maritime School has a full range of industry-leading training facilities including bridge simulators and ECDIS suites where deck cadets can learn and develop their passage planning skills and navigate ships in an environment that closely resembles the equipment and layouts found on a modern ship’s bridge.

Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.

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How to apply

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