FdEng Marine Electrical and Electronic Engineering (ETO Cadet Programme)
About this course
The Foundation Degree (FdEng) in Marine Electrical and Electronic Engineering provides a specialist, industry‑aligned pathway for aspiring Electro‑Technical Officers (ETOs) to develop the advanced technical competence, professional judgement, and operational readiness required on today’s technology‑rich vessels.
Rooted in the standards of STCW and aligned with contemporary marine electro‑technical practice, the programme blends theoretical understanding with intensive hands‑on skills development across electrical power systems, automation, control technologies, navigation electronics, and safety‑critical engineering operations.
Cadets will build a strong foundation in electrical and electronic engineering, power generation and distribution, high‑voltage systems, instrumentation, diagnostics, and programmable logic control (PLC) technologies. Alongside this, they will gain essential workshop experience to ensure safe and effective performance at sea.
This is an intensive and professionally demanding programme: you will progress through modules at pace during university phases, with full working days on campus and independent study expected outside scheduled teaching.
The FdEng ETO Cadetship Programme has four main components:
- A FdEng Marine Electrical and Electronic Engineering, providing the underpinning academic knowledge requirement for the operational level Certificate of Competence (CoC).
- A minimum of eight months sea time with your sponsoring company to complete a training record book, to evidence your professional competency at the operational level.
- A MCA approved workshop skills programme
- A range of MCA approved STCW short courses to provide critical knowledge in safety and operations.
Designed for a diverse cohort, the cadetship programme emphasises problem‑solving, professionalism, and operational resilience, qualities central to modern maritime careers. By the end of the programme, learners will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence to contribute to safe vessel operations and the wider maritime engineering workforce as well as having the underpinning requirements to achieve their Electro-Technical Officer (ETO III/6) Certificate of Competence issued by the UK Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), as defined in MSN 1860 Amendment 1.
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.
What you'll study
Phase 1
- 29 weeks (this is approximate and subject to change)
- Maritime Electrical Machines
- Maritime Mathematics for Engineers
- Maritime Thermodynamics and Mechanics
- Operational Electrical and Electronic Control Systems
- Operational Marine Engineering Knowledge
- Operational Maritime Law and Project Management
- Operational Naval Architecture and Stability (Engineering)
- MCA Marine Electro-Technology Workshop Skills (Part 1)
- Maritime safety training courses:
- STCW Basic Safety Training Week
- Proficiency in Designated Security Duties
- Cadet Cyber Awareness (CCA)
- Human Element Leadership and Management - Operational
- Entry into Enclosed Spaces
- High Voltage - Operational
Phase 2
- 38 weeks at sea (sea phase lengths are approximate and are subject to change)
- MNTB Training Record Book
Phase 3
What you'll study
Where you'll study
The classroom teaching and workshop instruction for this course is delivered from Solent University's East Park Terrace campus, located in Southampton city centre. All mandatory STCW maritime safety training courses are delivered from the Warsash campus.
Facilities
Marine engineering workshops
Purpose-built and fully-equipped for teaching the use of machine tools, welding and electrical maintenance for marine engineers.
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Fire school
Our purpose built fire school provides a realistic but safe environment in which seafarers can learn the vital techniques of fighting fires at sea.
Find out more
How to apply
Entry requirements
54 UCAS tariff points
- A minimum of two A-levels at grade CD to include a numerate subject, e.g. Maths, Physics, Engineering Science, etc.
- Four GCSEs at grade 4 to 9, including:
- Maths
- English
- Physical Science (e.g. Physics, Engineering Science, etc)
- One other subject (e.g. Geography, Computing Science, etc)
- Or, successful completion of a Level 3 Pre-Cadetship
All cadetship programmes welcome applications from UK and International applicants as long as they meet the academic and PSRB requirements. Warsash Maritime School welcomes a diverse range of students and the school is committed to delivering a uniform experience to all students.
Medical requirements
Officer cadets must be in good health and capable of passing the Merchant Navy Medical Examination (ENG1).
Anyone contemplating a career as a ship’s officer would be well advised to take a medical examination and sight test as soon as possible to find out if there are any physical bars to their career aspirations.
The MCA holds a list of approved doctors throughout the UK who are able to provide ENG1 seafarer medical examinations. This list can be found here.
Nationality
British shipping companies will normally only recruit UK or European Union nationals. However, the MCA certificates of competency may be awarded to people of any nationality and the training programmes are open to all.
A potential international candidate from outside the UK and EU should secure sponsorship from a suitable shipping company that will be able to provide appropriate sea service as part of the cadetship programme.
International students should also hold a formal International English Language Testing System (IELTS) certificate of at least 5.5 overall and a minimum of 5.0 in each component, as a good knowledge of written and spoken technical English is required to commence the programme.
