One of the UK's leading maritime colleges — delivering MCA-approved deck and engineering officer programmes, STCW safety training, and blended-learning routes from the banks of the River Tyne.
Book direct →South Shields Marine School, part of Tyne Coast College, is one of the UK's most established maritime training institutions — with a heritage stretching back over 150 years on the River Tyne. The school offers MCA-approved programmes across the full deck and engineering officer career pathway, from the Officer of the Watch (Unlimited) Certificate of Competency through to Master (Unlimited), alongside engineering routes to the Engineering Officer of the Watch (EOOW) qualification.
Courses are delivered through a combination of traditional classroom teaching, live online tutorials, and blended or distance-learning schemes — including the 3+6 remote/blended Chief Mate programme and a Foundation Degree in Marine Operations offered in partnership with Onboard Maritime. The school's Marine Offshore Safety Training Centre supports the full suite of STCW safety modules, from Basic Safety Training to Advanced Fire Fighting refreshers.
HELM (Human Element, Leadership and Management) courses at both operational and management level round out the offering, meeting IMO Manila amendment requirements and the MNTB syllabus. All programmes are MCA-approved and delivered by specialist lecturers with deep subject expertise.
Experienced-seafarer route to the OOW Unlimited Certificate of Competency covering academic underpinning knowledge, three included short courses and the MCA signals exam, finishing with two weeks of MCA oral preparation before the oral examination.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Two-week programme covering all topics on the OOW orals syllabus (MIN 653 — Amendment 1), with each lecture taught by a subject-specific lecturer and half a day at the school's Marine Offshore Safety Training Centre. Candidates are recommended to have completed the OOW academic underpinning beforehand.
Book on South Shields Marine School →A flexible remote or blended-learning route to the OOW Unlimited Certificate of Competency. Contact South Shields Marine School directly for full details of the delivery format and entry requirements.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Foundation Degree in Marine Operations (formerly Advanced Diploma in Nautical Science) for officers working towards the Chief Mate (Unlimited) CoC, delivered in collaboration with Onboard Maritime. Six modules studied by distance learning, with around 6–8 weeks of face-to-face attendance at the school.
Book on South Shields Marine School →MCA-approved 36-week programme covering the underpinning knowledge and short courses required for the Chief Mate (Unlimited) CoC. Approximately three months of live online tutorials followed by face-to-face classroom learning in the 3+6 scheme.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Ten-week programme for students who have already completed their academic underpinning, preparing for the Chief Mate MCA/SQA examinations in Navigation and Stability & Structure with 200 hours of tuition plus weekly academic tutorials, followed by two weeks of MCA oral preparation.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Five-week, 75-hour programme covering the Masters oral syllabus (MGN 653 — Amendment 1) to prepare candidates for the MCA Masters oral examination. Candidates must meet MCA entry requirements and hold a Notice of Eligibility before attending.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Courses for marine engineers preparing for the EOOW IAMI exams — a blend of compulsory taught sessions, tutorials and Q&A, with routes for experienced seafarers, graduate engineers, HND/HNC holders and VQ Level 3 apprentices. IAMI Science A and B subjects can be studied by distance learning.
Book on South Shields Marine School →E-learning route to the Engineering Officer of the Watch qualification: the theoretical element is studied remotely at the student's own pace, with around 11 weeks at college for the practical element and the MCA assessment — instead of the traditional 24-week course.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Distance-learning Foundation Degree in Marine Operations for those aiming to achieve their Chief Mate (Unlimited) CoC. Three of the six modules require attendance at South Shields Marine School for practical training and assessment — around 6–8 weeks in total.
Book on South Shields Marine School →The MCA-required signals examination for OOW certification, conducted by MCA-approved examiners within the college. Assessment includes sending and receiving Morse code at three words per minute and the International Code of Signals — a prerequisite for the OOW Certificate of Competency.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Four-day STCW Medical First Aid course (table A-VI/4-1, a prerequisite for a first Certificate of Competency) and a five-day Medical Care Aboard Ship course (A-VI/4-2) for those designated to take charge of medical care on board, typically Chief Mate candidates; a Medical Care refresher is also available.
Book on South Shields Marine School →The four STCW basic safety modules — Personal Survival Techniques, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting, Elementary First Aid, and Personal Safety and Social Responsibility — each offered as individual courses at the school's Marine Offshore Safety Training Centre.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Advanced Fire Fighting plus the full suite of STCW updating and refresher courses: Personal Survival Techniques updating, Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting updating, Advanced Fire Fighting refresher (two routes), Survival Craft and Rescue Boat refresher (two routes) and Medical Care refresher.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Three-day MCA-accredited course in human element, leadership and management at operational level, meeting the MNTB syllabus and IMO requirements of tables A-II/1 and A-III/1 of the Manila amendments to STCW. Develops leadership and managerial skills to control the operation of the ship.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Five-day multi-activity MCA-accredited course in human element, leadership and management at management level, meeting the MNTB syllabus and IMO tables A-II/2 and A-III/2 of the Manila amendments to STCW. Aimed at HELM (O) holders who hold a Certificate of Competency or have at least two years' management-level experience.
Book on South Shields Marine School →Prices and dates are indicative — confirm directly with South Shields Marine School before booking.
A stylish 62-bedroom seafront hotel at the mouth of the River Tyne, offering executive rooms, penthouse suites, and a waterfront Boardwalk Cafe with sweeping sea views.
View options →A reliable 66-room chain hotel near Simonside Metro station with free on-site parking, 24-hour reception, and an attached Brewers Fayre bar and restaurant.
View options →A budget-friendly riverside guest house with single, double, and family rooms, free Wi-Fi, private parking, and a 10-minute stroll to South Shields town centre.
View options →Newcastle International Airport (NCL) — approximately 18 miles north-west of South Shields. Metro (Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow Line): approx. 57–60 minutes via South Gosforth interchange, cost approx. £5–£10. Taxi: approx. 25 minutes, cost approx. £40–£50. No direct bus service; bus connections require a change in Newcastle city centre and take approx. 90 minutes.
Newcastle Airport →South Shields Metro Station is the southern terminus of the Tyne and Wear Metro Yellow Line — there is no heavy rail National Rail station in South Shields itself. Interchange at Newcastle Central Station (approx. 30–35 minutes by Metro) for National Rail connections to London, Edinburgh, and beyond. Operated by Nexus (Tyne and Wear Metro).
South Shields Ferry Landing, River Tyne. Operated by Nexus (Shields Ferry). South Shields to North Shields across the River Tyne — a 7-minute crossing operating every 30 minutes, 7 days a week.
Shields Ferry info →South Shields is accessed via the A194(M) spur off the A1(M) (Junction 65). From the south, take the A1(M) north to J65, then follow the A194(M) and A194 directly into South Shields. From Newcastle city centre, the A185 or A194 provide direct access (approx. 8–10 miles, 20–30 minutes depending on traffic). The Tyne Tunnel (A19) offers an alternative crossing from north of the river. Town centre pay-and-display car parks are available; Little Haven Hotel has over 100 free spaces and Premier Inn Port of Tyne also offers free on-site parking.
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