Historical Note
The Naval Engineering graduate course began at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST) in 1980/81 as a natural evolution of the specialization courses offered between 1976 and 1980, under the control of the Rectorate of the Technical University of Lisbon, and at that time designated as Shipbuilding Engineering.

The start of these specialization courses coincided with the early days of Setenave’s operation, at a time when there was a need for naval engineers. This was crucial in securing the support of several national shipyards for the launch of the courses. The Navy also made a significant contribution to this initiative, with some of its Naval Architects teaching specialized subjects.

In 1980/81, IST launched the Five-Year Degree (Licenciatura) in Shipbuilding Engineering, which replaced the previously suspended specialization courses.

In 1988/89, steps were taken to better individualize the degree with a curriculum revision, which broadened the scope of the degree and changed its name to Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

In 1991, the Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Autonomous Section (SAEN) was created at IST, an academic unit responsible for the Bachelor’s Degree in Naval Engineering and Marine Architecture in Portugal.

In 1999/2000, a new curriculum was implemented for better market alignment, creating three fields of specialization: Ship Design and Shipbuilding, Machinery and Maritime Systems, and Maritime Transportation and Ports. However, due to faculty and student limitations, the Marine Machinery and Systems profile was not offered. In the meantime, the Ship Design and Shipbuilding profile was updated, with increased focus on modeling of the marine environment, automation and control, and project management.

In 2006, following the Bologna Agreement, two study cycles were implemented: a Bachelor’s in Engineering Sciences – Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (3 years) and a Master’s in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (2 years).

In 2017, responding to market needs, particularly for marine energy resources exploitation, a new profile focused on Ocean Systems was introduced, and the degree was renamed Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering across all three cycles.

The Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer
Fields of Activity of the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineer
Naval engineering is essentially teamwork performed by professionals specialized in multiple areas and disciplines.

However, it is the Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer who hold technical responsibility and coordinate the entire project, ensuring implementation according to applicable national and international safety requirements and pollution prevention from ships and their cargo.

The practice of the Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer profession is authorized by the Order of Engineers only upon completion of the second cycle of studies: the Master’s Degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering.

Competencies Acquired During Training
• Knowledge of various types of ships to meet maritime transport requirements, as well as the important development of fixed, floating, and semi-submersible platforms for ocean and coastal resource exploitation.
• The ability to design, build, maintain, and repair a wide range of maritime vehicles and systems, including platforms for exploiting marine energy resources.
• Ability to work with computer systems to address the needs of industrial automation and the management of maritime and port operations.
• Additionally, important advances in planning concepts and methods, as well as developments in communications and IT, increasingly enable Naval Architectures and Ocean Engineers to engage in fleet operations and the port interface connecting sea transportation with other modes of transport.

Career Opportunities
Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers have a wide range of career opportunities, both in Portugal and abroad, in the following areas:
Project Design
In this area, Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers must be creative. They must have a general understanding of ship or ocean platform design, including the vessel’s intended function, its configuration, and its safety—of supreme importance in the maritime environment.
Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers must be able to use complex models, both physical and mathematical, to satisfy technical requirements for design development, and have extensive knowledge of safety rules, Classification Societies, the IMO (International Maritime Organisation), and government organizations to adapt these to design activity.
A ship or marine structure must be sufficiently stable and robust under harsh weather conditions. From a hydrodynamic performance perspective, efficient and reliable propulsion is essential, as is comfortable motion in all sea states.
Employers include companies developing maritime structures such as ships, platforms, and fishing or recreational vessels.
Consultancy
As consultants, Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers provide clients with engineering solutions, technical and commercial support for new structure projects, as well as for construction, repairs, and conversions.
Construction and Repair
The task of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers in construction and repair is to convert project drawings and specific details into real structures.
Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers are responsible for specifying and installing materials and components according to the systems required for the proper functioning of the ship, including propulsion systems, and for conducting inspections and tests in line with Classification Societies and intergovernmental regulations to meet national and international standards.
A Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer specializing in shipbuilding typically holds management positions, overseeing and coordinating all shipyard sectors involved in building a ship: planning, design, production, quality control, procurement, and workforce management.
Repair work is similar to construction, requiring effective management of techniques, materials, and repair time. Another segment is underwater repair, which is needed in emergencies when a ship cannot enter a dry dock or platform.
Employers may be large shipyards or smaller facilities, both of which are involved in construction and repair.
Management and Sale of Maritime Systems and Equipment
The number and diversity of systems aboard ships means that Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers are familiar with sizing, using, and maintaining a wide range of equipment types, making them a valuable asset for companies engaged in their commercialization, whether in the shipbuilding industry or others.
Operations Management
Many maritime operations companies have a technical department where Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers handle technical and commercial problems with economic impact on operations.
Classification, Inspection, and Regulation of Ships
Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers are responsible for assessing the safety of ships and all marine structures according to Classification Society rules, the IMO, and Government Organizations.
Before construction, it is the responsibility of the Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers to assess technical documents necessary for ship construction regarding strength, stability, safety, and reliability. During construction, Classification Society inspectors perform inspections to ensure work quality and that materials are up to construction rules and regulations. After construction, inspections continue to ensure that any defects arising during a ship’s life are fixed to maintain reliability, safety, stability, and strength of all marine structures.
Teaching and Research
As with other engineering fields, teaching is also a possible career path, either at universities or polytechnic institutes. Research can be pursued at universities or government or private institutions.