Master Degree
The Master degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, succeeds the 5-year Engineering Degree (Licenciatura), which existed before the Bologna Agreement and which was accredited by the Portuguese Association of Engineers (Ordem dos Engenheiros). This degree aims to supply the necessary education and training for Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers to perform their profession. The professional activity of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers is intimately related to the sea, and consists basically in the design, construction, management and operation of the systems aimed to the use of the sea, in its ability to provide routes for maritime transportation, or as a source of living resources (fishing vessels and offshore aquaculture) or as a source of minerals (offshore platforms, subsea equipment) as well as place for sport and leisure.

The education and training of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering assembles a vast knowledge in Engineering, needed to satisfy the technical requirements of design, with the creativity and sensitivity essential for the planning and development of new concepts of marine vehicles or structures.

To adequately adapt the contents of the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering degree course to the constant advances in this field, a restructure of the plan of studies was introduced in the academic year 1999/2000 according to which three areas of specialization or profiles were created:
• Design and Shipbuilding
• Machinery and Marine Systems
• Maritime Transportation and Ports

Although the profile of Machinery and Marine Systems was created, it never functioned, due to the limited number of students.

Before the course was restructured, the degree course was organized in a five-year curriculum, which besides the basic disciplines common to all areas of Engineering, included specialised subjects such as Naval Architecture, Ship Statics and Dynamics, Vibrations, Resistance and Propulsion, Manoeuvrability and Control, Marine Structures, Ship Design, Shipyard Technology, Fishing Vessels, Port Organization, Marine Transportation and Ports, amongst others.

The introduction of the Bologna Agreement provoked a reorganization of the existing curriculum and resulted in a “Licenciatura” (undergraduate degree) in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, with the duration of three years, and in a complementary Master degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, which is the second cycle of studies with the duration of two years. The first cycle included the courses that provided the general education in engineering and most of the specialised courses mentioned in the previous paragraph were included in the Master course.

In 2017 a new profile has been created addressing Ocean Systems, which led to the change of the designation of the study programme from Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering to Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering.

The curricular programme of the Master degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering consists of a common profile (60 ECTS), which is scheduled to be concluded in the first year. In the second year, with 60 ECTS including a dissertation, three alternative profiles of specialization can be developed:
• Ship Design and Shipbuilding
• Maritime Transportation and Ports
• Ocean Systems

The Master degree in Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering is the pre-required qualification established by the Portuguese Association of Engineers to practice professionally as a Naval Architect and Ocean Engineer.

At the Master degree level, a set of specific aspects are covered in detail namely ship design, maritime transportation, shipyard technology and organization and project management.

The design of several types of ships involves not only specific aspects of naval architecture but also aspects of marine systems and machinery, electricity, which are part of the education provided. In addition to the aspects related to ship design, which are fundamental to the education and training of an engineer, the MSc course additionally pays special attention to technological aspects related to the material transformation for shipbuilding and to the technology and organization of shipyards. The topics of project management also provide the engineer an easier adaptation to the most diverse tasks of management in other sectors.

The study of maritime transportation is an important concern of this course, focusing on the economic aspects and their influence on the management of ship operations and fleets, and on the specification of the requirements for the design of commercial ships. As far as maritime transportation is concerned, there is an increasing concern to study the port interface, which relates maritime transport with the other means of transport.

The study of the ocean systems, which are important, involves the aspects associated with the use of the resources of the sea. The design of offshore platforms and of floating and subsea production systems is essential to the exploration of the oil, gas and other mineral resources. The design of marine renewable energy devices and offshore aquaculture installations are also important to promote the so-called “Blue Economy”, which allows the sustainable use of the sea resources. The diversified curriculum of various subjects provides a better knowledge of the oceans, namely of oceanography, coastal area management, and methodologies of forecast and prevention of marine pollution.