Should Deck officers with FD top up to full degree?

[jacloc]

I wanted to know your opinions on topping up your FD in Marine Operations to the full BSc degree. Have any of you done this and of what use is it? I mean this in the nicest way!

Does it help in job hunting either at sea or on land, does it give you an advantage, did your company support you through the study months at college? Or would your company be suspicious that you were just using them to 'get a degree'.

I ask as my cadet is thinking of 'topping' up while they are still in study mode, but is it actually worth it?

Your thoughts please.

[size4riggerboots]

I see no point, I got the important piece of paper already!

[condeh]

It might help with finding a job ashore in the future, but to be honest my gut instinct is that a Masters Ticket would help more, rarely do job advertisements mention anything other than professional qualifications. Unless your cadet would like to go ashore into a different industry all together, in which case a degree might be more beneficial.

[ETwhat?]

personally if it can be done easily, and pay for it yourself then yes, it will help set you apart and may be useful to show you have 'a degree' theres a lot of jobs where that is helpful regardless of what it is in (unless its a really pointless subject) but I don't think it will actually help with a maritime career so its just an extra string and piece of paper in the CV.

However I wouldn't look too hard at getting the company to support you with funds, time off etc for doing it I would aim to keep that sort of assistance solely for the next ticket

[alistairuk]

A lot of emphasise is placed on "degrees" these days and should your son / daughter decide that a life at sea is not for them it may (or may not) assist with moving shoreside. All I will say is, as I'm sure you know, generally the more life/work experience you have, the less important 3 letters after your name become.

Prior to doing the cadet ship I had already studied software engineering at university and had a BSc from that - from a well established "traditional" university, I therefore wasnt particularly fussed about doing the top up, if I hadn't already had a degree I would probably have considered it.

I would suggest that if he has the opportunity to complete the full BSc and it's only a few extra months and they want to do it, go for it, it won't cause any harm.

I don't believe many companies pay for it, it's been years since I left so I can't really comment on it, certainly when I did it - the first year warsash did it - only a handful of people completed the top up, and only 3 or 4 of them the company paid for.

If they choose not to do the BSc they can always do a distance learning MSc through Nautical Institute or some random universities while they are at sea after they have a few years experience - I would suggest this may be more useful than the top up...

As for getting a job at sea, it won't make any (much) difference to their chances of getting that first stamp in their discharge book.

[jacloc]

Thank you all, some food for thought, I will pass it on!

[smoggie]

I did the BSc (it wasn't a top-up, I did the unusual system at Plymouth University that meant we were aiming for a BSc from the very beginning). I chose the BSc as I wanted to go to a university, at the time my choice had nothing whatsoever to do with what I thought I'd use the BSc for in the future, I just wanted the whole 'uni experience'. If you'd asked me at the time I'd have said that my plan was to stay at sea and become a Captain but now 8 years down the line and life has changed! I'm in a position ashore (very much related to seafaring) and I know for sure I would not have got this position had I not had a degree. I came ashore mainly because of a medical issue but truth be told I think this issue just forced my hand slightly earlier as I've recently married and I've begun to think about having a family etc and all the stuff that goes with that! I'm female and I know this is going to bring cries of disagreement but if you're a female seafarer who wants a family your time at sea is limited (as much as I would have disagreed when I was younger!) So I'd say firstly you don't know what's going to happen in the future (be that medically and you can no longer get an ENG1 or even just family stuff) and a degree is to an extent a safety net.

[size4riggerboots]

I'm female and I know this is going to bring cries of disagreement but if you're a female seafarer who wants a family your time at sea is limited (as much as I would have disagreed when I was younger!) So I'd say firstly you don't know what's going to happen in the future (be that medically and you can no longer get an ENG1 or even just family stuff) and a degree is to an extent a safety net.

I wouldn't disagree with that at all! I know that if I had children my options for jobs at sea would be greatly diminished, not because I had a baby. but because I wouldn't want to leave that baby for weeks on end while I worked. If I ever reach a point where I do decide I want to start a family then I would reconsider topping up my FD to a full degree if it would increase my chances of getting a shore-based job. Hopefully though my sea-going experience will speak for itself though (I am not a fan of academia!).

[EH75]

Upon completing my cadetship the last thing I wanted was another year of studying! Never say never in the future but hopefully I'll end up with a master's ticket at some point and that plus experience will be all that's needed.

[Clanky]

I would say get a masters CoC first, unless you start wanting to move ashore before that time. Having the knowledge and experience gained from working towards the masters should make it easier to get the degree and the masters will help you move up the ranks at sea quicker which will also help with the move ashore.

[ETwhat?]

The disadvantage of waiting to get the masters ticket first is that your not going to get there as quickly, and if you are relying on a company funding it you may simply wait for a while until its your turn for study time. where as if you really want to the top up can be achieved in your own time off your own back in the first year, its also then in the bag if you decide that a long career at sea isn't what you want.

[HolyNougat]

It won't harm getting a degree. Companies like Carnival now hold promotion panels and having a degree may even help in getting promoted in a shipboard position - this is quite new for the junior ranks, but imagine you have two third officers both with exactly the same experience and good appraisals, I can imagine the one with the degree getting the 2/O job over the one without a degree if it came down to it and there was nothing else to choose between them.
Coming ashore - again, it can't harm having a degree, but experience and a master / chief ticket is the key thing - at the end of the day, someone with a masters ticket and offshore experience will waltz into a great shore side job, while someone with a master ticket and a masters degree will have much more difficulty if they have only passenger ship experience. Sad but true! ;-)

[Midge]

Question how long does it take to do the top up? I was under the impression that it s few months at college and the dissertation can be done whilst working at sea. Could anyone clarify that, it might be different at different colleges, I know at one they get the preparation done in the last Fd year even if they do not go on and do it, so they can hit the ground running.
I promise not to say anything else on the topic!! I'm educated out you'll be glad to hear. I'm off to make sausages and bear stuff

[CR559]

After much deliberation I have decided to apply to do the BSc(Hons) Nautical Science top up degree too. I am doing my deck cadetship(FDSc) at Liverpool John Moores University anyway, and what's another 9 months of study after you have done 3 years! the cadetship is very different to the top up year, now (2nd year of cadetship) I am in University Mon-Fri 0830-1700 and have a lot of work to do outside these times where as the 'top up' students attend just a few hours per week! which some would say is a 'proper' student.

I have been told to apply to certain trusts and my current company for sponsorship. At present the replies I'm getting back are very promising as companies don't get many applications. So if you are looking to do the Top up I don't see why you shouldn't apply to various charities and trust.

During the 9 month of study, I think this is the perfect time to sort you CV out and start applying to shipping companies for jobs as I very much doubt a newly qualified officer will get a job straight away after orals anyway! unless your sponsoring company takes you on that is.

[jacloc]

I have found out that the top up BSc (Hons) marine operations management course at Warsash is for an initial 15 weeks at college followed by up to 12 months study by flexible learning. The costs are half of what they charge if you are a continuing student, all the more reason for doing it straight away if you are thinking about it.