BSc Nautical Science: Eligibility, Syllabus and Scope (2024)

BSc Nautical Science is an undergraduate program of three years based on a multi-disciplinary field of study. It is a professional bachelor’s degree that deals with the study of the basic academic and practical devices required to safely navigate and operate marine vehicles, such as a ship. The major subjects comprise Mathematics, Science, and Physical Training. It is an essential merchant navy qualification for knowledge and techniques in the navigation field.

The course is approved by the Directorate General of Shipping, which falls under the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. BSc Nautical Science Syllabus includes subjects such as navigation and seamanship, which is the basic application of shipboard equipment and tools.

The minimum eligibility to pursue the BSc Nautical Science course is that the candidate must have passed 10+2 in the science stream with Physics, Chemistry, and Math as the main subjects and a minimum score of 60%. The admissions are usually based on the entrance exams.

Popular entrance exams for B.Sc Nautical Science programs in India include IMU CET, TMISAT, AIMNET, MANET CET, and CMC Entrance Exam. The Details of which are given further in our blog.

BSc Nautical Science Highlights

BSc Nautical Science is a popular graduation course amongst students who want to become merchant navy officers. The course covers the technicalities of navigation and knowledge regarding operating a ship. The main points regarding the BSc Nautical Science are provided below: –

Industry	Marine
Course Level	Bachelors
Duration	Three years
Eligibility	Completed 10+2 with a minimum 60% score from a science background.
Job scope	Merchant navy officers like deck cadets, captains, marine engineers, radio officers, and nautical surveyors.
Recruiting Companies	SAIL, ONGC, GSI, etc.

Why Choose BSc Nautical Science?

• BSc Nautical Science programs provide specialized education focused on maritime operations, navigation techniques, ship handling, and maritime law and is one of the best degrees to pursue.
• BSc Nautical Science opens up diverse career opportunities after graduation in both private and public sectors.
• Students passionate about travelling and adventure can choose to take up this course as it allows them to explore different regions of the world and experience diverse cultures while pursuing their career goals.
• The graduates earn a starting salary of around 4 lakhs per annum which will increase based on experience and skills.

BSc Nautical Science: Subjects and Syllabus

The students must qualify for their 10+2 examination with a science background in Physics, Mathematics, and Chemistry to pursue this merchant navy qualification. The syllabus of the BSc nautical science semester-wise is provided below:

Semester 1

Cargo work & Mar.Com	Seamanship lab 1
English 1	Navigation 1
Physics 1	Mathematics 1
Marine Engineering & Control System 1

Semester 2

Engineering workshop 1	Environmental Science 1
Physics 2	Marine Engg. & Control Sys 1
Ship Construction	Technology for Ship Operation 1
Voyage Plan & Collision	Mathematics 2

Semester 3

Marine Engineering & Control System 2	Environmental Science 2
Seamanship lab 2	Physics 3
Navigation 2	Mathematics 3
Maritime Law 1

Semester 4

Ship Operation Technology 2	Marine Management & Maritime Commerce
Electricals	Computers
Voyage planning & collision prevention 2	Engineering Chemistry
Engineering workshop 2

Semester 5

IMO Conven Naval Arch- Ship Stability 1.	Ship visits and boat work
PT, Games, Swimming	Voyage plan
Navigation 3 (Bridge Equipment)	Ship Operation Technology 3 (All Cargos)
Collision prevention 3

Semester 6

Navigation 4	Ship and industry visits
Project	Maritime law 2
Marine Engineering and Control System 3

During the entire BSc Nautical Science graduation course, the students will also be able to attend different seminars and workshops to get practical knowledge regarding naval fields. They are provided with practical assignments which improve their logical thinking skills. After completing this graduation course, the students must go to one year-long service, after which they are said to take the viva-based examinations.

Eligibility Criteria for BSc Nautical Science

In order to pursue a BSc Nautical Science program, the individual must meet the following qualifying criteria:

• The students must have completed (10+2) Secondary and Higher Secondary from a registered board with a minimum of 60% in Physics, Chemistry, and Math as obligatory courses.
• Along with the needed educational qualifications, students must maintain certain medical standards, which are critical components of the candidates’ assessment process at the time of admission. Candidates must have 6/6 eyesight and be free of visual problems such as night blindness or color blindness. In addition, individuals must be physically fit to apply for the course.
• The eligibility criteria for the course may differ by college, and the candidate must meet them to be admitted to his or her preferred college.

Entrance Exams for BSc Nautical Science

The popular entrance exams conducted for the students to get admitted for BSc Nautical Science are listed below:

• IMU CET: The Indian Maritime University (IMU) conducts an entrance examination to provide admissions to eligible candidates in their PG and UG courses. IMU CET is a common examination for all students of different fields, and the ones who qualify for the exam get admitted to the university. IMU CET is one of the best entrance exam opportunities for eligible students, as Indian Maritime University is a reputed and trusted university. 
• CUSAT CAT: This examination is conducted to provide admissions to eligible candidates in different UG and PG courses at Cochin University of Sciences and Technology (CUSAT). BSc nautical science is one of their UG courses for which candidates must pass the entrance test and meet the basic eligibility criteria. 
• BHU UET: The NTA conducts BHU UET to provide admissions to eligible students in different programs Banaras Hindu University (BHU) offers. BSc nautical science is one of the courses offered by BHU, for which the students need to qualify for the entrance test called BHU UET. 
• JET: Jain University also conducts an entrance exam for the candidates opting for different UG courses. The candidates must go through a process of three stages to qualify for the examination. The students should qualify for the Objective type exam, Group Discussion, and Personal Interviews to get admission to the BSc Nautical Science program.
• CUET: The National Testing Agency (NTA) conducts a Common University Entrance Test (CUET) annually to admit students in different UG and PG courses in different universities. The CUET marks are valid in several universities, and students can easily get admission if they qualify for the minimum cut-off of the examination.

Top Colleges for BSc Nautical Science

Numerous colleges in India provide BSc Nautical Science courses for students. However, a few colleges are considered better than others because of their education pattern, job scope, and fee structure. The list of top colleges is provided below: –

College Name	City	Course Fees (Annually)
Hindustan Institute of Maritime Training.	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	INR 3.25 Lakhs.
Vels University.	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	INR 3.08 Lakhs.
Park Maritime Academy.	Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu	INR 1.77 Lakhs.
AMET University.	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	INR 3.20 Lakhs.
Mumbai University.	Mumbai, Maharashtra	INR 6.00 Lakhs.
Indian Maritime University.	Chennai, Tamil Nadu	INR 2.25 Lakhs.
Mangalore Marine College and Technology.	Mangalore, Karnataka	INR 2.2 Lakhs.
Maritime Engineering and Research Institute.	Mumbai, Maharashtra	INR 2.25 Lakhs.

Related read: Marine Engineering Colleges in India

Exciting BSc Courses: Full Form, Salary, Career Options 2024

Skills Required for BSc Nautical Science

Certain skills are required to pursue BSc Nautical Science upon graduation. A few important skills will be extremely helpful for the students pursuing this course:

• Listening actively: The students pursuing nautical science in their graduation need to understand the importance of this skill. Active listening is one of the most important skills required while opting for this three-year course.
• Critical thinking: Students with critical thinking will benefit from this course. BSc Nautical Science requires logical and spontaneous thinking during its lessons and teachings. 
• Management skills: Great management skills are beneficial in this course. If the student lacks management skills, they can build it during their graduation to have the perfect skills for the job. 
• Presence of mind: The course consists of heavy technical terms and other knowledgeable topics that are essential to understand. To understand these better and use them during the job, students need to focus and have a great presence of mind while studying. 
• Great grasping power: This course consists of various important topics that are a little complicated. Students with great grasping power will be able to learn these topics in no time. This will help them get their desired jobs in the merchant navy.
• Physically Fit: You must be in excellent mental and physical health and free of any deficit that would interfere with the effective execution of tasks on the sea to be a fit for selection.

Other important skills required for the students to pursue BSc Nautical Science are: –

• Oral expressions
• Time management
• Oral comprehension
• Speech clarity
• Selective attention
• Operation monitoring
• Far vision

Future Scope in BSc Nautical Science

After completing a BSc Nautical Science program, one has numerous prospects and employment alternatives in the specific subject.

• Those who have finished their graduate studies can pursue further studies, such as an M.Sc. in nautical science. Aside from that, people can take postgraduate diplomas and shipping classes online.
• They can pursue a postgraduate diploma in subjects such as marine engineering, nautical science, and maritime law.
• Graduates may also take a certification course in the most recent technologies, emerging tools, and languages to keep current on skills and knowledge. Some of them may include certificate courses in shipbuilding and repair, general purpose rating, and so on.
• The training provides some of the best employment and internships in the top-tier public and commercial sectors, including GSI (Geological Survey of India), ONGC, SAIL, Coal India, GMDC (Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation), and government-operated quarries.

Jobs After BSc Nautical Science in India

After completing three years of graduate courses in BSc Nautical Science, there are huge job opportunities in the merchant navy. The salary of the merchant navy depends upon the rank of that particular candidate. Below is the list of specialisations of the candidates in the merchant navy and related merchant navy salary per month: –

Job profile	Job description	Average salary in INR
Deck officer	The role of a deck officer is vital while navigation, and they are also responsible for handling cargo deliveries, communication between the shore and the ship, etc.	6.95 LPA
Nautical Surveyor	The role of a nautical surveyor is to survey the equipment on the ship. They are responsible for the inspection of the existing vessels along with the new ones.	3.6 LPA
Marine Engineer	A marine engineer is a job usually for private organisations. They work in the designs and development of the latest marine vessels.	11.7 LPA
Marine Superintendent	The responsibility of a Marine Superintendent is to ensure the safe working of all the vessels. They have the main job of planning and executing the shipyard repair work.	34.5 LPA
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