The integrated academic and seagoing cadetship that leads simultaneously to an SQA HND in Nautical Science and an MCA Certificate of Competency at Officer of the Watch level — the standard entry route into the UK Merchant Navy deck officer rank.
The HND Nautical Science (officer cadet programme) is the standard academic and professional entry route into the UK Merchant Navy deck officer rank structure. It is delivered by approved nautical colleges — including City of Glasgow College's Faculty of Nautical Studies — and is awarded at SCQF Level 8 by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). The programme is not a standalone short course: it is a multi-year integrated cadetship alternating between college academic phases and seagoing phases, sponsored by a shipping company throughout. Cadets apply via a sponsoring shipping company, not directly to the college.
On completion, cadets receive two concurrent outcomes: the HND in Nautical Science (an SQA academic qualification at SCQF Level 8, recognised for entry to the second or third year of a maritime degree) and an MCA Certificate of Competency (CoC) at Officer of the Watch (OOW) level, aligned with STCW Convention Regulation II/1. This CoC is the professional licence required to serve as a deck watchkeeping officer on commercial vessels on international voyages. All mandatory STCW short courses are embedded in the programme, including PST, BFF, EFA, PSSR, PSA, PDSD, EDH, MFA, AFF, PSC&RB, GMDSS, HELM(O), and NAEST(O).
Subject coverage spans chartwork and tides, navigational mathematics and science, marine meteorology, bridge watchkeeping, celestial navigation, cargo operations, ship stability, naval architecture, marine emergency response, marine law and management, passage planning, vessel operations management, and marine engineering systems. New cadet intakes from September 2025 follow the MCA's Cadet Training and Modernisation (CT&M) modernised officer qualifications syllabus, which additionally covers digital charts, alternative fuels and propulsion, and cyber security and data skills.
Completing this cadetship qualifies you to serve as an Officer of the Watch on Merchant Navy vessels on international voyages — covering cargo ships, tankers, container vessels, passenger ships, and specialist offshore support vessels. The OOW CoC is the foundation for the full Merchant Navy deck officer career ladder: Officer of the Watch (STCW II/1) → Chief Mate (STCW II/2) → Master Mariner (STCW II/2, unlimited). The academic HND also provides entry to the second or third year of a maritime degree programme, or satisfies MSc entry requirements at a number of UK universities.
| Phase | Description | Approx. Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Phase 1 | Pre-sea entry course and initial STCW safety training | ~14 weeks |
| Phase 2 | First seagoing period (with sponsoring company) | ~39 weeks |
| Phase 3 | Second college academic block | ~23 weeks |
| Phase 4 | Second seagoing period (with sponsoring company) | ~31 weeks |
| Phase 5 | Final college block — HND completion, MCA written examinations, remaining STCW short courses | ~45 weeks |
The HND academic qualification does not expire. The MCA Certificate of Competency (OOW, STCW Regulation II/1) must be revalidated every five years, demonstrating ongoing seagoing service or completion of approved refresher and updating training. Full revalidation requirements are set out in MCA Merchant Shipping Notice MSN 1856 (M+F). Individual STCW short courses embedded in the programme — such as PDSD and GMDSS — carry their own validity periods and must be renewed separately, typically every five years.
This programme is delivered at a number of UK nautical colleges including Warsash Maritime (Solent University) and other MNTB-approved cadet training establishments. The college is typically determined by the sponsoring shipping company — cadets do not apply to the college independently. Contact the Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB) for a full list of approved training providers and sponsoring companies.