Where could a career in the maritime industry take you?
Study one of our programmes and you will open the door to a world of opportunities.
The passenger, construction and towage industry need young people to be the masters and engineers of tomorrow.
If you love the ocean and are good at technical subjects, launch your training at the best facility New Zealand has to offer.
Programmes
- New Zealand Certificate in Domestic Maritime Crewing (Level 3) also known as Qualified Deck Crew
- One year
- New Zealand Maritime School, Online
- February, March, May, July
- New Zealand Certificate in Marine Engineering Class 6 (Level 4)
- Less than six months
- New Zealand Maritime School, Online
- March
- New Zealand Certificate in Domestic Maritime Operations (Restricted Limits) (Level 4) also known as Skipper Restricted Limits
- Six months to one year
- New Zealand Maritime School, MIT Mahurangi, Online
- March, May, September, December
- New Zealand Certificate Maritime Operations with strands in Fishing, and Watchkeeping (Level 4) also known as Officer of the Watch <500GT Near Coastal/Mate Fishing Vessel – Limited
- Six months to one year
- New Zealand Maritime School, Online
- March
- New Zealand Certificate in Domestic Maritime Operations (Coastal and Offshore) (Level 5) also known as Skipper Coastal and Offshore
- Less than six months
- New Zealand Maritime School, Online
- March
- New Zealand Certificate in Maritime Operations (Level 5) also known as Master <500GT Near Coastal and Skipper Fishing Vessel – Limited
- Less than six months
- New Zealand Maritime School
- June
- New Zealand Certificate in Marine Engineering Class 5 (Level 5)
- Less than six months
- New Zealand Maritime School, Online
- March
See why more people choose Domestic maritime at MIT

“We’ve got a really wide variety of domestic maritime programmes.”

“We’ve got a really wide variety of domestic maritime programmes. We have a couple of programmes like the super yacht certificate that are really good for people entering the industry who don’t have any industry experience. The rest of our programmes are really geared towards people who are already in industry and are actually doing at-work learning and workplace learning.??So they could be for people who are working for ferry companies, tug operators, coastal research vessels, all the way through to the inshore fishing fleet, offshore fleet and we do have programmes for super yacht, chief mate and master.
Everything that we are talking about in the theoretical aspect has a practical application on the vessel. So even though we talk about theory it’s actually put into practice. One of the things we’re talking about is in the simulator here. We can talk about theoretical collision, prevention regulations, all sorts of things like that, but it’s actually doing it in something like the simulator that makes the difference. So where it can be, it’s always reinforced in a practical sense.
One of the things about working on-board a vessel is that you do have a routine but your routine is punctuated by difference every day. So even though you have a solid routine that runs through your ship when you’re navigating from A to B, things change all the time. So it’s always quite exciting.??You never quite know what’s happening or coming up. When you look out your window you’re in an amazing environment that changes all the time.”
Louise Deehan-Owen
NZ Maritime School Senior Lecturer

We are the quality choice. Study maritime and graduate work-ready.

“A lot of the practical learning is done in the simulator.”

“I’ve always been interested in fishing and diving and doing a bit of sailing when I was growing up. I thought it would be a cool way to extend that hobby into a career.??All the instructors are A grade. Top of the line.
A lot of the practical learning is done in the simulator. There’s fairly realistic situations the lecturers can put you into. They can turn up the sea, they can reduce the visibility. They can put you in quite a hectic situation which really makes you think on your feet. Much like the real world could be.
My ideal job would be working on a boat, going cool places, preferably warm, and being able to see some pretty cool places around the country and around the world eventually.
Studying at NZMS is definitely worth it. It’s a good way to progress and it can lead to some pretty cool opportunities in the marine industry.”
Jack Abbott
NZMS student

“There’s quite a lot of work out there if you’re able to get experience.”

“I’ve spent most of my life growing up, on and around water. My old man worked in the fishing industry and is a skipper.
I was living on Stewart Island so for me I wasn’t able to come here for three months with work, so the distance learning, doing it all online played a huge role in me actually being able to do this course.
Having a career at sea means you get to experience things you can’t experience because there are no roads. Seeing whales, seeing dolphins, penguins are not uncommon. Every year we’d see a few whales as we travel up the coast. You get to experience a lot of what NZ is meant to be like. Getting away from all these big cities. Experiencing the nature and peacefulness of it all.
Most of maritime is hands-on experience. You always learn under a particular skipper. So you learn their way of doing things. But by coming here you’re learning the standard of the industry. It gives you that theoretical knowledge of why you’re doing something.
There are 7 simulators with one that is practically a boat. So that’s great hands-on because you can operate in low visibility with targets. It’s the most realistic way of learning how to do a lot of these things without actually being on a boat.
There’s quite a lot of work out there if you’re able to get experience.”
Nic Marshall
NZMS student

“I enjoy the hands-on approach. Building up confidence for real-life scenarios.”

“My old man has been in the merchant navy for most of his life and his father before him so it was a natural progression for me. I went into the fishing industry and haven’t looked back.
I enjoy the simulator the most at NZMS. The hands-on approach. Building up confidence for real-life scenarios. It’s hard being away from the family, but when you are home you’ve got a comfortable lifestyle and your family is able to see you. Get amongst it. It’s good fun. It’s definitely a good career path. It pays good.”
Sam Mitchell
NZMS student
See why more people choose Domestic maritime at MIT

“We’ve got a really wide variety of domestic maritime programmes.”

“We’ve got a really wide variety of domestic maritime programmes. We have a couple of programmes like the super yacht certificate that are really good for people entering the industry who don’t have any industry experience. The rest of our programmes are really geared towards people who are already in industry and are actually doing at-work learning and workplace learning.??So they could be for people who are working for ferry companies, tug operators, coastal research vessels, all the way through to the inshore fishing fleet, offshore fleet and we do have programmes for super yacht, chief mate and master.
Everything that we are talking about in the theoretical aspect has a practical application on the vessel. So even though we talk about theory it’s actually put into practice. One of the things we’re talking about is in the simulator here. We can talk about theoretical collision, prevention regulations, all sorts of things like that, but it’s actually doing it in something like the simulator that makes the difference. So where it can be, it’s always reinforced in a practical sense.
One of the things about working on-board a vessel is that you do have a routine but your routine is punctuated by difference every day. So even though you have a solid routine that runs through your ship when you’re navigating from A to B, things change all the time. So it’s always quite exciting.??You never quite know what’s happening or coming up. When you look out your window you’re in an amazing environment that changes all the time.”
Louise Deehan-Owen
NZ Maritime School Senior Lecturer

We are the quality choice. Study maritime and graduate work-ready.

“A lot of the practical learning is done in the simulator.”

“I’ve always been interested in fishing and diving and doing a bit of sailing when I was growing up. I thought it would be a cool way to extend that hobby into a career.??All the instructors are A grade. Top of the line.
A lot of the practical learning is done in the simulator. There’s fairly realistic situations the lecturers can put you into. They can turn up the sea, they can reduce the visibility. They can put you in quite a hectic situation which really makes you think on your feet. Much like the real world could be.
My ideal job would be working on a boat, going cool places, preferably warm, and being able to see some pretty cool places around the country and around the world eventually.
Studying at NZMS is definitely worth it. It’s a good way to progress and it can lead to some pretty cool opportunities in the marine industry.”
Jack Abbott
NZMS student

“There’s quite a lot of work out there if you’re able to get experience.”

“I’ve spent most of my life growing up, on and around water. My old man worked in the fishing industry and is a skipper.
I was living on Stewart Island so for me I wasn’t able to come here for three months with work, so the distance learning, doing it all online played a huge role in me actually being able to do this course.
Having a career at sea means you get to experience things you can’t experience because there are no roads. Seeing whales, seeing dolphins, penguins are not uncommon. Every year we’d see a few whales as we travel up the coast. You get to experience a lot of what NZ is meant to be like. Getting away from all these big cities. Experiencing the nature and peacefulness of it all.
Most of maritime is hands-on experience. You always learn under a particular skipper. So you learn their way of doing things. But by coming here you’re learning the standard of the industry. It gives you that theoretical knowledge of why you’re doing something.
There are 7 simulators with one that is practically a boat. So that’s great hands-on because you can operate in low visibility with targets. It’s the most realistic way of learning how to do a lot of these things without actually being on a boat.
There’s quite a lot of work out there if you’re able to get experience.”
Nic Marshall
NZMS student

“I enjoy the hands-on approach. Building up confidence for real-life scenarios.”

“My old man has been in the merchant navy for most of his life and his father before him so it was a natural progression for me. I went into the fishing industry and haven’t looked back.
I enjoy the simulator the most at NZMS. The hands-on approach. Building up confidence for real-life scenarios. It’s hard being away from the family, but when you are home you’ve got a comfortable lifestyle and your family is able to see you. Get amongst it. It’s good fun. It’s definitely a good career path. It pays good.”
Sam Mitchell
NZMS student