Overview
Ocean engineering deals with the design of ships of all types. The field is often called naval architecture. It involves fluid mechanics, propulsion, structures, vehicle dynamics, and marine engineering. The curriculum culminates in an international award-winning design sequence in which students design a complete ship.
The program is closely related to aerospace engineering, and the two programs share a major portion of their course requirements. A double aerospace and ocean engineering major is available to students desiring this combination.
Ocean engineering is a field as diverse as the ocean itself. At Virginia Tech, we provide a foundation in the physics of the ocean, but the major focus areas are ocean vehicles and structures, including ships, advanced marine vehicles, offshore platforms and submarines.
AOE undergraduates who major in ocean engineering have the flexibility to tailor their degrees to their interests. They have the ability to mix and match courses from nine Technical Tracks, shown below,, or choose the foundational option, which spans the core areas in both ocean and aerospace engineering. Students are required to take a minimum of 9 credits from one of the approved Technical Tracks.
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