Marine & Maritime
Naval Architect
Designs the hull form, structure, and stability of ships and other marine vessels.
TechnicalCreativeStem
Marine & Maritime
Ship Design Engineer
Works on the detailed engineering design of ship systems — structure, piping, layout — turning naval architecture concepts into buildable drawings.
Compare with another careerWhat you do
Produces detailed structural, piping, and general-arrangement drawings for vessels using CAD and 3D modeling tools, working from naval architecture specifications. Coordinates with production teams at the shipyard to resolve design and build issues during construction.
Typical work environment
Primarily office-based drafting and design work, with periodic shipyard visits to check the design against construction progress.
Typical entry point
Graduate design engineer at a shipyard, ship design consultancy, or marine engineering firm
Relevant subjects
Core
PhysicsMathematics
Also relevant
Design / Art
Relevant interests
Core
Ships / Marine
Also relevant
DesignMachinesConstruction
Useful skills
CAD· AdvancedAutoCAD· IntermediateMechanical design· AdvancedProblem solving· Intermediate
These are useful, relevant skills to build over time — not a checklist you need to already have.
Common education routes
Bachelor's degree—Naval Architecture & Ocean EngineeringPrimary route
Bachelor's degree—Marine EngineeringCommon route
Diploma—Marine EngineeringAlternative route
These are common routes in, not the only path — and not a university or course recommendation.
Career characteristics
Deep technical specialisation
General tendencies for this career, not a guarantee — actual roles vary by employer and location.
Industries
MarineShippingManufacturing
Tags
STEMTechnicalCreativeOffice-based
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