Maritime Engineering Science (Yacht and High-Performance Craft) (MSc) 12 months Postgraduate Programme By University of Southampton |TopUniversities

Programme overview

Main Subject

Engineering - General

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Master's

Study Mode

On Campus

Course summary
What makes a yacht fast, efficient and stable? How do you turn hydrodynamics, structural engineering and design into a craft that performs when it reaches the water?
If you want to specialise in the analysis, design and performance of yachts, small craft and other high-performance vessels, MSc Maritime Engineering Science: Yacht and High-Performance Craft is for you.
At Southampton, you’ll combine the core principles of maritime engineering with specialist knowledge of high-performance craft. Explore how engineering decisions influence vessel performance and develop the analytical understanding needed to design and assess marine craft and structures within demanding environments.
You’ll look at the yacht and small-craft sector through an engineering lens, bringing together design, analysis and performance. This broad foundation will help you understand the different factors that need to work together when developing high-performance vessels.
The pathway sits within Southampton’s wider Maritime Engineering Science MSc, giving you a strong grounding in the discipline alongside the opportunity to develop specialist expertise that reflects your career ambitions.
You don’t need previous specialist knowledge of maritime engineering. If your background is in engineering, science or mathematics, you’ll begin by developing the fundamental maritime engineering knowledge needed to progress into more advanced study.
Find your place where engineering, performance and marine design come together, and develop the expertise to analyse how vessels behave, challenge existing approaches and contribute to the craft designed next.
Key features of this course
**Put performance at the heart of design.** Explore how yachts, small craft and high-performance surface vessels are analysed and designed, developing specialist knowledge relevant to their performance on the water.
**Build a strong maritime engineering foundation.** Develop your understanding of the core principles involved in designing and analysing marine craft and structures before moving deeper into your specialism.
**Connect analysis with design.** Learn to approach vessel development as an integrated engineering challenge, considering how different design decisions influence overall performance.
**Specialise without narrowing your perspective.** Combine in-depth study of yacht and high-performance craft with the wider maritime engineering knowledge needed to understand the broader context in which vessels operate.
**Bring your existing skills into maritime engineering.** Build on a background in engineering, science or mathematics and apply your existing analytical thinking to new challenges in the marine sector.
**Prepare to investigate complex engineering questions.** Develop the analytical, problem-solving and research mindset needed to assess maritime engineering challenges and explore possible solutions.
Your future career
The maritime sector needs engineers who can understand how design decisions translate into real vessel performance.
You’ll graduate with specialist knowledge of yachts and high-performance craft alongside a broader understanding of maritime engineering science.
Your studies will strengthen your ability to analyse marine craft and structures, evaluate engineering problems and bring together different technical considerations when developing solutions.
The programme is designed for graduates and professionals who want to pursue a career in the maritime sector, including areas connected with yacht and small-craft design, analysis and performance.
It can also provide a foundation for further research if you want to investigate maritime engineering questions in greater depth.
Wherever your next step takes you, you’ll leave Southampton better equipped to understand how high-performance craft work, question how they could work better and contribute to the future of marine design.
Further information
Yacht and High-Performance Craft is one of 5 specialist pathways within Southampton’s Maritime Engineering Science programme.
The pathway focuses on the analysis, design and performance of yachts, small craft and other high-performance surface vessels.
The course combines a broad grounding in maritime engineering with in-depth specialist study.
It is suitable for graduates and professionals from engineering, scientific or mathematical backgrounds who want to pursue a career in the maritime sector.
Previous specialist knowledge of ship science is not essential. You’ll be introduced to the fundamentals before progressing into more advanced maritime engineering study.

Programme overview

Main Subject

Engineering - General

Degree

MSc

Study Level

Master's

Study Mode

On Campus

Course summary
What makes a yacht fast, efficient and stable? How do you turn hydrodynamics, structural engineering and design into a craft that performs when it reaches the water?
If you want to specialise in the analysis, design and performance of yachts, small craft and other high-performance vessels, MSc Maritime Engineering Science: Yacht and High-Performance Craft is for you.
At Southampton, you’ll combine the core principles of maritime engineering with specialist knowledge of high-performance craft. Explore how engineering decisions influence vessel performance and develop the analytical understanding needed to design and assess marine craft and structures within demanding environments.
You’ll look at the yacht and small-craft sector through an engineering lens, bringing together design, analysis and performance. This broad foundation will help you understand the different factors that need to work together when developing high-performance vessels.
The pathway sits within Southampton’s wider Maritime Engineering Science MSc, giving you a strong grounding in the discipline alongside the opportunity to develop specialist expertise that reflects your career ambitions.
You don’t need previous specialist knowledge of maritime engineering. If your background is in engineering, science or mathematics, you’ll begin by developing the fundamental maritime engineering knowledge needed to progress into more advanced study.
Find your place where engineering, performance and marine design come together, and develop the expertise to analyse how vessels behave, challenge existing approaches and contribute to the craft designed next.
Key features of this course
**Put performance at the heart of design.** Explore how yachts, small craft and high-performance surface vessels are analysed and designed, developing specialist knowledge relevant to their performance on the water.
**Build a strong maritime engineering foundation.** Develop your understanding of the core principles involved in designing and analysing marine craft and structures before moving deeper into your specialism.
**Connect analysis with design.** Learn to approach vessel development as an integrated engineering challenge, considering how different design decisions influence overall performance.
**Specialise without narrowing your perspective.** Combine in-depth study of yacht and high-performance craft with the wider maritime engineering knowledge needed to understand the broader context in which vessels operate.
**Bring your existing skills into maritime engineering.** Build on a background in engineering, science or mathematics and apply your existing analytical thinking to new challenges in the marine sector.
**Prepare to investigate complex engineering questions.** Develop the analytical, problem-solving and research mindset needed to assess maritime engineering challenges and explore possible solutions.
Your future career
The maritime sector needs engineers who can understand how design decisions translate into real vessel performance.
You’ll graduate with specialist knowledge of yachts and high-performance craft alongside a broader understanding of maritime engineering science.
Your studies will strengthen your ability to analyse marine craft and structures, evaluate engineering problems and bring together different technical considerations when developing solutions.
The programme is designed for graduates and professionals who want to pursue a career in the maritime sector, including areas connected with yacht and small-craft design, analysis and performance.
It can also provide a foundation for further research if you want to investigate maritime engineering questions in greater depth.
Wherever your next step takes you, you’ll leave Southampton better equipped to understand how high-performance craft work, question how they could work better and contribute to the future of marine design.
Further information
Yacht and High-Performance Craft is one of 5 specialist pathways within Southampton’s Maritime Engineering Science programme.
The pathway focuses on the analysis, design and performance of yachts, small craft and other high-performance surface vessels.
The course combines a broad grounding in maritime engineering with in-depth specialist study.
It is suitable for graduates and professionals from engineering, scientific or mathematical backgrounds who want to pursue a career in the maritime sector.
Previous specialist knowledge of ship science is not essential. You’ll be introduced to the fundamentals before progressing into more advanced maritime engineering study.

Admission Requirements

67+
92+
120+
6.5+
You'll need a 2.1 degree in marine/maritime engineering, naval architecture, ship science, aerospace engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering, physics or maths, yacht or powercraft design. Specific module requirements are also required, please check the website for further details.

18 Aug 2027
1 Year
Sep

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