Ocean Engineering vs. Naval Architecture
Both Ocean engineering and Naval architecture are two highly sought after qualifications in the maritime industry. They share a lot of commonalities but still vary a lot when it comes to course content, jobs, and practical applications.
Before we understand Ocean Engineering vs. Naval Architecture, let us first get to know these two engineering courses.
Naval architecture is a vital part of engineering discipline and has more do with the construction and designing part of ships and ship systems in both civil and military fields including merchant ships. A naval architect mostly specializes in the overall design of the vessels and can provide suggestions to the naval engineers relating to the updating of design structures and innovations.
A Naval architect usually designs and oversees the construction, survey, and repair of marine vessels and various floating structures. These may include all sorts of military marine vessels, passenger ships, tankers, cruise ships, yachts, and cargo ships, catamarans, tug boats, ferries, and even oil rigs.
What Is Ocean Engineering?
On the other hand, ocean engineering primarily deals with the engineering activities that are mostly conducted underwater and has more to do with offshore platforms, underwater submersibles, coastal structures, and other ocean systems rather than ship systems.
Ocean engineers are being consulted for the development of underwater submersibles, either for research purposes or for defense operations. They work in a plethora of different industries, like environment protection agencies, oil industries, and military branches.
As an ocean engineer, you are also supposed to familiarize yourself with the ocean policies and the various navigational limitations that are currently faced by the navigators.
- Naval architects should be familiar with the design and structure of ships and understand the theory of repulsion and strength of ship whereas ocean engineers mostly look after the machinery and proper maintenance of ships along with knowledge of engineering thermodynamics.
- Naval architects also handle the delivery of the ship plans, whereas ocean engineering has nothing to do with the deliverance of ship plans.
- Ocean engineering has been recently introduced with developments taking place in the marine industry, naval architecture has been since the ancient ages of the maritime sector.
- Naval architecture usually doesn’t require aspirants to work in open sea areas, on the other hand, ocean engineering work has to mostly be carried out in deep-sea areas.
Best universities for Ocean Engineering
- Stevens Institute of Technology
- Texas A & M University
- University of Florida
- University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
- Webb institute – Glen Cove, NY
- Stevens Institute of Technology- Hoboken
Though both fields have their own pros and cons, ultimately it comes down to your decision, where your heart lies, because you are going to spend ample time in seas rather than lands. So before checking up the scope and salary you must make up your mind.
Naval architects with about 10 years of experience can receive salary pay of approximately $106,000- $147,710. The salary of a naval architect with 0-3 years of experience can expect $65,400 per annum.
The average salary for an Ocean Engineer is a bit lesser than that of naval architecture, i.e. $71,082. An entry-level Ocean Engineer gets a salary of $65,000
The salary package varies from country to country and increases with experience.
