Bachelor of Maritime Transport (BMT) | Sharjah Maritime Academy

Overview

The Bachelor of Maritime Transport program equips students with skills and knowledge to excel in the global maritime sector. This program focuses on advanced navigation techniques, ship operations, maritime safety, and leadership, preparing graduates for high-demand roles across the industry.

Graduates meet entry requirements for the 2nd Officer Watchkeeper Certificate, gaining the skills and passion to positively impact the maritime industry.

Program Highlights

Accreditation

Recognised by the Commission for Academic Accreditation (CAA)

Duration

Four years of comprehensive study

Credits

142 credit hours

Why Choose This Course?

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This program is your gateway to a career at sea, offering hands-on training in navigation, ship handling, and maritime safety. With a curriculum aligned to STCW and IMO standards, graduates are eligible for the 2nd Officer Watchkeeper Certificate. The program blends classroom learning with simulations, sea training, and applied projects to ensure real-world readiness. You'll gain critical thinking, leadership, and decision-making skills essential for roles in maritime transport, offshore operations, and port management.

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Industry-Relevant Curriculum

1. Provide a strong foundation in basic and updated knowledge related to the shipping and maritime industry.

2. Qualify students to track their professional career and managerial studies by gaining the skills and competence that enhance their ability to communicate effectively using transferable and soft skills.

3. Support the shipping and maritime industry with successful marine officers implementing all shipping duties at sea and operating using modern technological tools.

4. Upscale and improve students analytical and critical thinking skills to be able to prepare and implement useful projects related to the shipping and maritime industry

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Program Learning Outcomes

(K1) Identify principles of mathematics, science, maritime language, and information technology to support marine and navigational modern techniques.

(K2) Explain the key terminology, fundamental concepts, principles, and theories used to support marine and navigational modern techniques.

(S1) Apply appropriate techniques, resources and theories in ship operations and navigational methods in different and emergency situations.

(S2) Conduct written, oral, practical simulation, effective presentations, technical reports, and research projects.

(S3) Demonstrate a proper level of responsibility and professionalism involved in shipping and port business and offshore operations to support marine and navigational modern techniques.

(C1) Work effectively individually and as part of a team according to the significant logistics roles of port management to assess the regional and international maritime economic needs.

(C2) Interpret risk assessment to various shipping and port business and offshore operations, with awareness leading to a safe working environment.

Program Structure

Ship Knowledge & Marine Communications

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with various aspect regarding seamanship principles to provide the background knowledge to support ship operation and means of marine communications between ship.

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Fundamentals of Navigation

Credit Hours: 3

The course provides information regarding the fundamentals of terrestrial navigation including terminologies positioning and projection in addition to basic chartwork.

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Information Technology

Credit Hours: 3

Introduction to research methodology

Credit Hours: 3

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Fundamentals of Physics

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides students with the essential background in general physics and mechanics including the motion of material objects, heat, temperature, expansion of solids, liquids, transmission of heat, change of states and their environmental effect on the ship. This course also Perform experiments in laboratory to verify laws.

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Industrial Chemistry

Credit Hours: 2

This course provides students with knowledge about the effects of the environment on the material, whatever its form. In addition, acquaint students with concepts of chemistry to control and protect the used material to overcome industrial problems. Also Perform experiments in laboratory

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Physical Education

Bridge Watchkeeping

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with various aspect regarding watchkeeping to provide the background knowledge to support: The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs), Summarize IALA buoyage system in different regions and OOW duties in addition to Bridge Resource Management (BRM).

Chart Work

Credit Hours: 3

The course describes the various effects that influence the ship’s voyage from one position to another including distinguishing between courses and tracks in addition to position finding techniques.

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General Maritime English 1

Credit Hours: 3

Advanced Physics

Credit Hours: 2

This course provides students with the essential background of waves, electromagnetic radiation, sound waves, light waves as well as magnetism and electrical principles.

Advanced Mathematics

Credit Hours: 3

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Project Year 1

Credit Hours: 2

This course is designed to introduce students to planning and executing a marine engineering project. The course will cover project management tools and skills, including scoping, scheduling, budgeting and techno-economic assessment, and risk assessment and management.

Physical Education 2

Credit Hours:

Ship Construction

Credit Hours: 2

This course provides the principles of Ship Construction through the well understanding of (various ship types and terminology related to it - Stresses acting on the ship and how to resist through framing systems - hull materials - types of rudders and propellers - classification societies - etc…).

General Maritime English 2

Credit Hours: 3

Ship Emergency Procedures

Credit Hours: 2

The course describes various emergency situations that take place at sea and the procedure and response to each situation.

Ship Stability

Credit Hours: 3

This course provides the students with information and awareness in maintaining the seaworthiness of the vessel and provides them with the skills to keep his vessel under favourable stability conditions, calculation of the forces contributing to the stability of a ship; effect of loading, shifting, or discharging weights and also enable students to cover aspects of law of flotation, basic transverse stability, free surface effect of liquids and its danger to a listed vessel, causes and correction of a negative stability and as well as an introduction to longitudinal stability.

Marine Radar & Automatic Plotting Aids

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with the fundamentals principles of marine radar operation including setting, interpretation, factors affecting radar performance, position fixing and manual plotting. In addition, automatic radar plotting aid is an essential part with regards to assessing navigational situations.

International Maritime Law

Credit Hours: 3

This course discusses the main core topics of law such as the contract (including intellectual property), tort, employment, and business organizations (including formation), and dissolution. In addition, the course includes a range of features to aid understanding, applying, and analyzing legal concepts related to UAE society.

Physical Education 3

Credit Hours:

Cargo Handling & Stowage

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with various aspect regarding cargo handling and stowage to provide the background knowledge to support: The Basic knowledge of the regulations and recommendations affecting cargo handling and stowage.

Voyage Planning & Ocean Passage

Credit Hours: 4

The course describes the types of voyage planning on paper charts and by using ECDIS including weather routing and chart corrections, different types of sailing, gathering information relevant to the passage, tide calculations.

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Celestial Navigation

Credit Hours: 3

This course covers the theoretical part of principles of celestial navigation and the practical part of applying celestial observations of solving celestial sight patterns to obtain a position line, in addition to compare vessel’s compasses by using heavenly bodies (sun and stars) obtaining the compass error for a safe and efficient offshore navigation.

Digital Navigation Systems

Credit Hours: 3

This topic will provide students with the theoretical understanding and knowledge of electromagnetic waves and their propagation, Satellite position fixing, and Marine Electronic Navigation equipment to enable the equipment to be used to the best advantage with the full understanding of the capabilities and limitations.

Project Year 2

Credit Hours: 2

This course is designed This course is designed to provide students with opportunity to apply basics and utilize software tools and practical implementation (if applicable) in design of a project in marine engineering field.

Physical Education 4

Credit Hours:

Practical Sea Training 1

Credit Hours: 6

An approved seagoing service of not less than 12 months split in 2 semesters as a part of an approved training program which includes onboard training that meets the requirements of section A-III/1 of the International Conference on Training and Certification of Seafarers (STCW) and is documented in an SMA Cadetship Training Record Book.

Practical Sea Training 2

Final Project I

Credit Hours:

Innovation & Entrepreneurship

Credit Hours: 3

Integrated Navigation System

Credit Hours: 3

The course applies the integrated navigation system techniques through performing numerous tasks involving radar, AIS and ECDIS separately and in an integration way.

Offshore Operations Management

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with various aspect regarding Offshore Operations to provide the background knowledge to support: The various types of anchor handling and towing operations plane, Categorize the safety precautions during the various operations in addition to the Operational Risk Management.

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Elective

Credit Hours:

Final Project 2

Credit Hours:

Personal Development

Credit Hours: 3

The course covers several topics related to communication. It addresses elements and principles of interpersonal skills and introduces learners to different barriers to communication. The course also focuses on large group communication, addressing group meetings, and job interviews. The course also works on enhancing personal development of students by equipping them with the knowledge and skills needed to work at sea, such as leadership skills, decision making skills, and other skills that enable them to competently carry out all duties on board vessel.

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Offshore Units & Handling

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with various aspect regarding Offshore Units & Handling to provide the types of offshore units, the characteristics of offshore vessels, the capabilities of the supply vessels on maneuvers and the functions of each type of supply vessels and offshore installations in addition to the ability of offshore vessels on maneuvers in different weather conditions.

Offshore Engineering

Credit Hours: 3

The course deals with various aspect regarding Offshore Engineering to provide the design concepts of offshore installations, the types of material used for
drilling, the types of rigs used, the tools and materials used in each stage of the drilling in addition to the description of produced oil and natural gas.

Seamanship & Watchkeeping

Credit Hours: 4

The course deals with various aspect regarding watchkeeping to provide the background knowledge to support: The Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs), Summarize IALA buoyage system in different regions and ship handling including forces affecting ships and various maneuverings in addition to P.O.B cases.

Ship Construction & Stability

Credit Hours: 4

This course provides the students with information and awareness in maintaining the seaworthiness of the vessel and provides them with the ability and
skills to keep his vessel under favorable stability conditions, calculation of the forces contributing to the stability of a ship; and also provides the principles
of Ship Construction, ship yard practices affecting ship's stresses acting on hull structure.

Advanced Cargo Handling & Stowage

Credit Hours: 4

The course deals with various aspect regarding cargo handling and stowage to provide the background knowledge to support: The Basic knowledge of the regulations and recommendations affecting cargo handling and stowage.

Terrestrial Navigation

Credit Hours: 4

The course covers various aspects regarding to advanced positioning and passage planning in addition to different calculations and procedures affecting vessel’s safety in different areas.

Electronic Navigation

Credit Hours: 3

This topic will provide preparation for the Certificate of Competency (COC) license exam at the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure, federal maritime
authority, as students with the theoretical understanding and knowledge of electromagnetic waves and their propagation, Satellite position fixing, and
Marine Electronic Navigation equipment to enable the equipment to be used to the best advantage with the full understanding of the capabilities and
limitations.

Entry Requirements

Completion Requirement

Students are required to complete 142 credit hours distributed as follows:

1. 21 credit hours as university requirements.

2. 75 credit hours as college requirements.

3. 46 credit hours as program requirements.

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University Requirement (General Education)

21 credit hours as university requirements
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Mandatory Courses

GED 100 Introduction to research methodology Credit Hours: 3
GED 102 General Mathematics Credit Hours: 3
GED 103 General Maritime English I Credit Hours: 3
GED 104 Advance Mathematics Credit Hours: 3
GED 105 General Maritime English II Credit Hours: 3
GED 106 Innovation and Entrepreneurship Credit Hours: 3
GED 107 Personal Development Credit Hours: 3

College Requirement

75 credit hours as college requirements.
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Mandatory Courses

PE 101 Physical Education I Credit Hours: 0
PE 102 Physical Education II Credit Hours: 0
PE 203 Physical Education III Credit Hours: 0
PE 204 Physical Education IV Credit Hours: 0
MT 111 Ship Knowledge and Marine Communications Credit Hours: 3
MT 112 Bridge Watchkeeping Credit Hours: 3
MT 121 Fundamentals of Physics Credit Hours: 3
MT 122 Advance Physics Credit Hours: 2
MT 131 Fundamentals of Navigation Credit Hours: 3
MT 132 Chart Work Credit Hours: 3
MT 141 Information Technology Credit Hours: 2
MT 151 Meteorology Credit Hours: 3
MT 161 Industrial Chemistry Credit Hours: 2
MT 213 Ship Emergency Procedures Credit Hours: 2
MT 214 Ship Handling Credit Hours: 2
MT 222 Ship Stability Credit Hours: 3
MT 231 Ship Construction Credit Hours: 2
MT 232 Marine Engineering Credit Hours: 2
MT 235 Voyage Planning & Ocean Passage Credit Hours: 4
MT 236 Ship Compasses Credit Hours: 3
MT 239 Celestial Navigation Credit Hours: 3
MT 251 Cargo Handling & Stowage Credit Hours: 3
MT 262 Marine Radar and Automatic Plotting Aids Credit Hours: 3
MT 263 Digital Navigation Systems Credit Hours: 3
MT 292 International Maritime Law Credit Hours: 3
MT 501 Seamanship & Watchkeeping Credit Hours: 4
MT 502 Ship Construction & Stability Credit Hours: 4
MT 503 Advanced Cargo Handling & Stowage Credit Hours: 4
MT 504 Terrestrial Navigation Credit Hours: 4
MT 505 Electronic Navigation Credit Hours: 2

Program Requirement (Specialization Courses)

46 credit hours as program requirements

Offshore Operations Concentration Courses
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Mandatory Courses
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MT 101 Project year I Credit Hours: 2
MT 202 Project year II Credit Hours: 2
MT 403 Final Project I Credit Hours: 3
MT 404 Final Project II Credit Hours: 3
MT 436 Integrated Navigation System Credit Hours: 3
MST 305 Practical Sea Training I Credit Hours: 6
MST 306 Practical Sea Training II Credit Hours: 6
MOS 410 Offshore Operations Management Credit Hours: 3
MOS 412 Offshore Units & Handling Credit Hours: 3
MOS 413 Offshore Engineering Credit Hours: 3
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Electives Courses
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MOS 411 Maritime Safety Quality Systems Credit Hours: 3
MOS 414 Advanced Operations Management Credit Hours: 3
MOS 416 Liquid Cargo Credit Hours: 3
MOS 417 Offshore Cargo Handling Credit Hours: 3
MOS 418 Rig & Platform Safety Credit Hours: 3
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Mandatory Courses
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MT 101 Project year 1 Credit Hours: 2
MT 202 Project year 2 Credit Hours: 2
MT 403 Final Project 1 Credit Hours: 3
MT 404 Final Project 2 Credit Hours: 3
MT 436 Integrated Navigation System Credit Hours: 3
MST 305 Practical Sea Training I Credit Hours: 6
MST 306 Practical Sea Training II Credit Hours: 6
MPS 445 Port Operations Management Credit Hours: 3
MPS 446 Commercial Maritime Law Credit Hours: 3
MPS 447 Maritime Logistics Credit Hours: 3
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Electives Courses

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MPS 438 Smart Ports Operation Credit Hours: 3
MPS 439 Energy Management Credit Hours: 3
MPS 440 Ship Business Credit Hours: 3
MPS 441 Maritime Marketing Credit Hours: 3
MPS 442 Maritime Economics Credit Hours: 3
MPS 443 Maritime Port Economics Credit Hours: 3
MPS 448 Maritime Crewing Management Credit Hours: 3
MPS 451 Maritime Safety Quality Systems Credit Hours: 3

Bachelor of Maritime Transport (MT)

Overview

Why Choose This Course?

Industry-Relevant Curriculum

Program Learning Outcomes

Program Structure

Come to an Open Day

Entry Requirements