To become a naval architect, you need an accredited engineering degree in naval architecture or a related field. You then need supervised design experience and, usually, a licence such as a US PE or UK Chartered Engineer status.
This guide covers what naval architects do and the education and licensing route in the US, UK and the Netherlands. It also covers skills, employers and pay.
A naval architect is an engineer who designs ships, boats, offshore platforms and submarines. The job covers hull form, stability, structure, powering and layout, and the rules that make a vessel safe to build and operate.
Naval architects also work on existing ships: refits, conversions, lengthening, repairs and damage assessments. A design passes through several loops, often called the design spiral, before it is ready for the shipyard.
- Owner’s requirements: cargo or mission, speed, range, size limits and budget.
- Concept design: main dimensions and hull form, agreed with the client.
- Hydrodynamics and powering: resistance and propulsion, often modelled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and model tests.
- General arrangement: cargo spaces, accommodation, tanks, and space for engines, generators and piping.
- Structure: scantlings to classification rules, checked with finite element analysis (FEA), and the main hull plans and drawings.
- Weight and stability: lightship weight, centre of gravity, and intact and damage stability.
- Cost and feasibility: build cost, schedule and yard capability.
Each loop refines the last until the design meets the owner’s needs and the rules. For a racing boat, the focus is weight and hydrodynamic performance, so the choice of hull materials matters most.
Stability work follows the IS Code intact stability criteria and the damage stability rules of SOLAS Chapter II-1. The plans then go to a classification society for approval.
Once built, the vessel is launched and goes on sea trials to prove its speed, manoeuvring and systems. Naval architects often attend to confirm the ship performs as designed.
“Marine architect” and “ship architect” are informal names for a naval architect; “naval” here means ships in general, not only warships. A marine engineer is different: the focus is machinery, propulsion and systems rather than the hull.
Many degrees combine both fields, and the job titles overlap in small firms. Naval architects are also not architects in the building sense and do not need an architecture licence.
Most naval architects follow the same route: school maths and physics, an accredited engineering degree, supervised experience, then a licence or chartered status. Reaching licensed status takes about eight years.
- Take maths and physics at school: these subjects decide entry to engineering degrees.
- Earn an accredited degree: naval architecture, marine engineering, ocean engineering or a related branch of engineering.
- Get practical experience: internships, co-op terms, shipyard placements or a graduate training scheme.
- Work under senior engineers: usually four years before a licence in the US.
- Get licensed or chartered: the US PE or UK CEng/IEng lets you sign off designs and lead teams.
If you are still choosing a school, compare the programmes in our guide to the best naval architecture and naval engineering schools in the US.
| Country | Degree | Accreditation | Professional status | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Bachelor’s in naval architecture and marine engineering, or a related engineering field | ABET | FE exam, about four years’ experience, then the PE exam in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (computer-based, 85 questions) | BLS; NCEES exam specification, Oct 2025 |
| United Kingdom | BEng or MEng in naval architecture or maritime engineering | RINA, licensed by the Engineering Council | Chartered Engineer (CEng) or Incorporated Engineer (IEng) through RINA; an accredited MEng gives full CEng academic credit | RINA accredited courses |
| Netherlands | MSc Marine Technology (TU Delft), 2 years, 120 EC | Dutch higher-education accreditation | No statutory licence; professional title through experience | TU Delft programme page |
In the UK, RINA also accredits company graduate training schemes, which give a more direct route to CEng or IEng. A Level 6 naval architect degree apprenticeship standard is in development.
Rarely as a qualified naval architect. Most employers and all licensing bodies expect an engineering degree.
You can start as a design draughtsperson or technician in a shipyard or design office, then study part-time. In the UK, that technician route can lead to Incorporated Engineer status with further learning.
- Engineering maths and physics: hydrostatics, fluid dynamics, structures and strength.
- Stability: righting levers, metacentric height, free surface and damage cases.
- Software: CAD, hull-design and stability programs, FEA and CFD.
- Rules knowledge: class rules, SOLAS, MARPOL and the Load Line Convention.
- Communication: explaining trade-offs to owners, yards, class and regulators.
Design is teamwork. A senior naval architect leads draughtspersons and mechanical, electrical and structural engineers, rather than doing every calculation alone.
About half of US naval architects and marine engineers work in ship and boat building. The rest work for design consultancies, the federal government, shipping companies, classification societies and universities.
| Employer type (US) | Share of jobs |
|---|---|
| Ship and boat building | 51% |
| Professional, scientific and technical services (design consultancies) | 22% |
| Federal government | 13% |
| Water transportation | 4% |
Outside the US, the same pattern holds: shipyards, design offices, navies, offshore energy firms and yacht designers. Classification societies and flag administrations hire naval architects to approve plans and write rules.
Most naval architects start as junior or graduate engineers in a design team, then move to naval architect, senior and lead roles. From there, many become project managers, chief naval architects or technical directors.
- Design office or shipyard: junior, naval architect, senior, lead or chief naval architect.
- Classification and regulation: plan approval engineer or surveyor, carrying out surveys on ships in build and service.
- Owner’s side: newbuilding superintendent or owner’s representative at the yard.
- Research and teaching: university or model-basin roles, usually with a master’s or PhD.
A PE licence or chartered status is the usual milestone before signing off designs or leading projects.
The US median pay for marine engineers and naval architects was $112,230 a year in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The lowest 10% earned under $83,010 and the top 10% over $173,330.
| Measure (US) | Value |
|---|---|
| Median annual pay | $112,230 |
| Lowest 10% | Under $83,010 |
| Highest 10% | Over $173,330 |
| Jobs | About 8,400 |
| Projected growth, 2025–35 | 7% (much faster than average) |
| Openings per year | About 500 |
Pay depends on location, sector and licence. Licensed engineers and those in defence and offshore work usually earn more than graduates in small design firms.
For people who like maths, design and ships, yes. The field is small, about 8,400 US jobs, but BLS projects 7% growth to 2035, and the work is varied and well paid.
Demand comes from naval shipbuilding, offshore wind, and fleet renewal to meet emissions rules, part of the wider decarbonization of shipping. The trade-off is that jobs cluster near shipyards and design centres, so you may need to move.
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