Overview
The course Engine Watchkeeping Officer/8000 kW Chief Engineer course is designed to prepare students for the position of Engine Officer on board commercial vessels.
It takes place over three years, spread over six semesters, and is based at the Saint-Malo campus.
It trains merchant navy seagoing officers who will carry out the following duties on the engine:
- management of propulsion installations,
- management of electrical production,
- operating all of a ship’s technical installations,
- preventive action and even pollution response.
Saint Malo campus has special educational facilities, including various machine and cargo-handling simulators, as well as rooms for hands-on work in hydraulics, electrical engineering, automation, programming, machining, welding and ship engine dismantling.
At the end of this training, the diplomas obtained are:
- Officer in charge of an engineering watch, Chief Engineer 8000kW, and ETO (Electronic Technical Officer)
- Recognition at the bachelor’s degree level
Classes are made up of lectures, tutorials, hands-on work and a school-in-ship period where students are put into practice on board a partner company’s ship.
Compulsory maritime training courses are included in the curriculum: medical courses, survival at sea, fire-fighting, management, gas and oil certifications, for example.
A certificate of medical fitness for navigation will be required (see “Additional information” at the bottom of the page).
Enrolment
International candidates not subject to Parcoursup procedure can ask for information at: candidats.internationaux@supmaritime.fr
Career prospects
Occupational opportunities:
Merchant marine officers are aimed to work onboard commercial ships, some with international crews, across all oceans and seas of the world, to carry goods and/or passengers, or carry out specific tasks such as laying cables or supporting offshore installations.
This training prepares for the profession of engineering officer and then chief engineer onboard commercial ships.
The sectors of activity are numerous on different kinds of ships:
- Cargo ships such as container ships, oil tankers, gas carriers, roll-on/roll-off ships, bulk carriers…
- Passenger ships such as ferries, cruise ships, private yachts…
- Service and maritime works ships such as cable-layers, tugs, supply ships for platforms…
- Oceanographic research vessels.
- Deep-sea fishing
Further education:
“Chief Engineer 8000 kW” graduates can, after a minimum period of seagoing time (navigation), join the unlimited chief engineer course allowing them to navigate without power restriction.
Obtaining a bachelor’s degree allows for further studies in higher education or to sit administrative competitions.
Graduates can also apply for the Maritime Engineering training located at Nantes campus
Application
- On parcoursup.fr for high school students and graduates without another diploma.
- On supmaritime.fr for candidates with qualifications higher than two years post-high academy or in professional retraining, as well as for foreign candidates.
Documentation / Contact
Additional Information
Medical Requirements
ENSM students must be fit to work as seafarers. A medical fitness certificate for navigation, issued by a seafarers’ doctor, is required to enrol for training in September.
OUR ADVICE
To find out if you meet the criteria to seafaring, contact your GP now for an initial medical opinion.
Only the opinion of the seafarers health service can issue the medical fitness certificate required to start the training programmes.
Beware of appointment times; do not hesitate to approach approveed centers located along the entire coastline (mainland France and overseas territories).
If you have a disability, the Academy is available to answer your questions: referent.handicap@supmaritime.fr
ENSM Scholarship
ENSM awards its own scholarships; its students are not eligible for CROUS scholarships.
Information related to ENSM 2024-2025 Scholarships Campaign, the social-based criteria scholarship file, and the merit-based grant are to be downloaded.
Additional Costs
Travel and accommodation expenses may be anticipated for certifying internships requiring travel within France… ENSM may contribute to covering part of these costs through its Foundation.