ISTANBUL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY FACULTY OF MARITIME (ITU MF)
The ITU Faculty of Maritime (ITU MF), established in 1992 as the newest of ITU’s 11 faculties, is the continuation of the Higher Maritime School founded in 1884. Located in Tuzla on a 70,000 m² campus with 400 meters of coastline along the Sea of Marmara, the Faculty provides undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral education across three departments.
Graduates of the Marine Engineering Operations Department receive the title of ITU Marine Engineering Operations Engineer. After graduation, they may obtain their Marine Engineer Officer and subsequently Chief Engineer licenses through the Republic of Türkiye Maritime Administration Examination Center (GASM), enabling them to work as Chief Engineers in international and national fleets. Some graduates also take managerial positions in ship-owning companies.
The education is designed for male and female students in a disciplined, uniformed, and boarding system based on a hierarchical structure. Practical training is supported through the research vessel R/V Sismik 1 and various smaller boats. The Faculty’s Simulation Center is one of the leading maritime training and research centers in the world.
ITU MF has represented Türkiye at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), coordinating maritime education activities of 162 countries. It is also a founding president of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU/IAMUS), which includes maritime universities and students from 48 countries across five continents.
The Marine Engineering Operations Department admits approximately 50 students annually and has an academic staff of about 23 members. Students also engage in various sports activities at the indoor swimming pool and sports hall, as well as rowing and sailing clubs. More information is available at www.df.itu.edu.tr.
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STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK MARITIME COLLEGE (SUNY MF)
SUNY Maritime College was founded in 1874 aboard the training ship St. Mary in New York and is the oldest and first-ranked maritime college in the United States. In 1934, it moved to its current 56,000 m² Fort Schuyler campus.
It became one of the first colleges to join the State University of New York (SUNY) system in 1948 and was also the first maritime institution in the United States to admit female students in 1972. Located on the Throggs Neck peninsula where the East River meets Long Island Sound, the campus is housed within a historic fort, only a few miles from Manhattan and New York City.
Students conduct open-sea training during four summer semesters aboard the United States’ most advanced training vessel, T.S. Empire State VII (160 m, 26,000 gross tons), delivered in 2023. The Simulation Center, featuring bridge, electronic navigation, satellite communication, cargo handling, and engine simulators, plays a central role in modern maritime education.
In this boarding and uniform-based system, graduates receive a Bachelor of Science in Marine Engineering Operations (SUNY MF). If they are U.S. citizens, they are also eligible to take the U.S. Coast Guard licensing exams to obtain Chief Engineer and unlimited license qualifications.
More information is available at www.sunymaritime.edu.
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MARINE ENGINEERING PROGRAM
Upon completion of the ITU MF / SUNY MF dual degree international joint undergraduate program (UOLP), students are awarded two degrees:
* Marine Engineering (B.Sc.) from ITU
* Marine Operations – Engine License (B.Eng.) from SUNY
Graduates are eligible to take the Chief Engineer license examinations at the Turkish Maritime Administration Examination Center (GASM). The total duration of the program is 5 years, including a mandatory English preparatory year.
The preparatory year includes basic English instruction as well as non-credit maritime certification courses and maritime orientation training. Students who already meet the required English proficiency level receive maritime English training and certification courses instead.
The preparatory year is conducted at ITU. The first-year fall semester is held at ITU Faculty of Maritime Studies, while the spring semester takes place at SUNY Maritime College. During the first-year summer term, students complete their first open-sea training aboard T.S. Empire State VII for approximately two months.
The second-year fall and spring semesters are held at SUNY Maritime College, followed by another two-month open-sea training period during the summer.
The third-year fall semester is conducted at ITU MF, while the spring and summer semesters include approximately eight months of paid onboard training on national or international commercial vessels organized by ITU MF.
The fourth-year fall and spring semesters are completed at ITU MF. The program is fully boarding-based with a disciplined, uniformed structure and a hierarchical student system at both institutions.
Admission to this program requires candidates to be ranked within the top 90,000 in the Numerical (Science) score type. Applicants should consult the official ÖSYM preference guide for detailed ranking conditions.
* 2025–2026 academic year quotas and scores
* Applicant handbook
* Current student handbook