Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University of Newfoundland

Naval Architecture involves the design and construction of marine vehicles or structures to suit an owners specific requirements. As a designer, a Naval Architect will always try to design the most economical ship or structure to suit a particular purpose, such as the movement of cargos, ice breaking, towing, etc.

A Naval Architect is responsible for the overall design of a ship to suit the owners intended purpose for the ship. A successful design will ensure the ship fulfills the mission at minimal cost to the owner. Naval Architects also design Navy ships, yachts, offshore oil rigs and fixed base platforms, and other floating or fixed marine structures.

The critical design areas include:

• Hull Form
• General Arrangement
• Structural Arrangement
• Stability
• Outfitting
• Speed and Powering
• Machinery Arrangement

NARC students will:

• Be issued laptop computers with required software in the 2nd and 3rd years of the program
• Use AutoCAD and MS Office extensively
• Learn through practical project and design work
• Study key areas in Naval Architecture including ship hull form, ship structure, ship stability, hull resistance and propulsion, main and auxiliary machinery, hull outfit, general arrangements, and ship design practice

The program was one of the original programs offered when the College of Fisheries, Navigation, Marine Engineering, and Electronics opened in 1964.

Potential NARC students often have an aptitude or interest in one or more of the following areas:

• ships, boats, yachts, and/or offshore structures
• design engineering
• drawing/drafting (manual and/or CAD)
• working with computers in an office environment
• technical writing

You will start with a variety of typical post-secondary courses (communication skills, math, physics, etc) and an introduction to Naval Architecture (NARC 1103 – Ships & Shipping).

Next you will learn how to use AutoCAD and begin studying hull form, ship structural geometry, and stability. Ship strength, construction practice, outfitting, machinery, and rules and regulations are taught in the second year of the program. Finally, you will learn about ship design by designing a vessel of your choice in the final year of the program.

Yes. There is an offshore structures course in which you will learn about the offshore oil industry and the design and operation of many types of offshore oil platforms and sub-sea pipelines and equipment.

You will also take courses in composite boat building in which you will learn how fiberglass boats are designed and constructed, using various hull fabrication methods.

While employment rates can vary by program and industry sector, graduates of the Naval Architecture program continue to be in high demand all over North America. Graduating students typically have accepted job offers prior to graduation. Some students continue their studies and complete a Bachelors Degree in Technology (BTech) or a Bachelors Degree in Maritime Studies (BMS).

NARC graduates have found employment in Canadian provinces including: Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba, and British Columbia. Other graduates have accepted employment outside of Canada in: the United States, Germany, South America, and the Netherlands.

The goal of the NARC program is to prepare students for careers in the ship design, ship building, repair and conversion, and offshore industries. Besides shipyard positions, students find employment with government agencies (such as Transport Canada), consulting engineering firms, classification societies (such as Lloyds Register), companies involved in the offshore oil & gas industry, smaller boatyards, and the Canadian Navy.

Graduates from this program can work in ship or boat design, estimating, construction planning, quality assurance technology, ship surveying for classification societies or Transport Canada, the oil and gas industry as related to marine structures, or numerous other areas.