International Degree Programme in Ship Management — Nautical Sciences (ISMN) Bremen University of Applied Sciences

The international degree programme in Ship Management is a full-time study programme. The curriculum reflects the provisions of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW Convention) as amended.
The subjects build up the competencies to take over the duties on the operational and management level as deck officer and shipmaster.
Students will acquire core competencies in the following subjects:

• Navigation, Marine Communication & Ship Command, Watchkeeping
• Manoeuvring & Ship Handling
• Cargo Handling & Ship's Stability
• Ship's Technology & Engineering
• Maritime Digitalisation
• Maritime Safety and Security
• Maritime Economics & Law

To graduate with a BSc, at least one practical semester (six months) on board a sea-going vessel is required. When graduating with twelve months of on-board training, a German STCW Certificate of Competence by the German Flag State Administration will be issued.

The graduates will also have many job opportunities in the maritime industry ashore, e.g. in shipping companies, port and cargo services, marine suppliers and IT companies, administration, the energy sector, training and education.

Semester One:

ISMN 1.1. Navigation Basics (6 ECTS)
ISMN 1.2. Human Element (6 ECTS)
ISMN 1.3. Blue Sciences (6 ECTS)
ISMN 1.4. Ship Technology (6 ECTS)
ISMN 1.5. Maritime Economics (6 ECTS)

Semester Two:

ISMN 2.1. Navigation Systems / Informatics (6 ECTS)
ISMN 2.2. Ship Manoeuvring (6 ECTS)
ISMN 2.3. Tanker Shipping & Operations (6 ECTS)
ISMN 2.4. Ship Stability, Trim & Strength (6 ECTS)
ISMN 2.5. Shipping Law & Environmental Liability (6 ECTS)

Semester Three:

ISMN 3.1. Practical Semester – internship at sea (30 ECTS)

Semester Four:

ISMN 4.1. Applied Navigation (6 ECTS)
ISMN 4.2. Watchkeeping (6 ECTS)
ISMN 4.3. Dangerous Cargo (6 ECTS)
ISMN 4.4. Ship Engineering (6 ECTS)
ISMN 4.5. Transport Law & Claim Handling (6 ECTS)

Semester Five:

ISMN 5.1. Marine Communication (6 ECTS)
ISMN 5.2. ARPA/ECDIS (6 ECTS)
ISMN 5.3. Dry Cargo Operations (6 ECTS)
ISMN 5.4. Ship Automation & Digitalisation (6 ECTS)
ISMN 5.5. Maritime Human Resources (6 ECTS)

Semester Six:

ISMN 6.1. Practical Semester – internship at sea (30 ECTS)

Semester Seven:

ISMN 7.1. Maritime Meteorology (6 ECTS)
ISMN 7.2. Applied Ship Handling (6 ECTS)
ISMN 7.3. Elective I (Special Ships) (6 ECTS)
ISMN 7.4. Safety & Security Management (6 ECTS)
ISMN 7.5. Fleet Management (6 ECTS)

Semester Eight:

ISMN 8.1. Ship Command (6 ECTS)
ISMN 8.2. Applied Bridge Management (12 ECTS)
ISMN 8.3. Elective II (Maritime Management) (6 ECTS)
ISMN 8.4. Bachelor's Thesis (6 ECTS)

The third and the sixth semesters are compulsory internship semesters, which must be spent at sea on board of a seagoing merchant ship above 500 GT (gross tonnage) in international trade.

• It is the students' responsibility to find a shipping company offering internships on board a merchant ship.
• To gain a STCW Certificate of Competency as deck officer in a total of twelve months, sea training is mandatory which is integrated into the curriculum.
• The Centre of Maritime Studies at Bremen University of Applied Sciences provides standardised internship contract forms upon request.

Academic admission requirements include one of the following:

• general university entrance qualification ("Abitur")
• restricted university entrance qualification ("Fachhochschulreife")
• scholastic assessment test / special admission
• English level B2

Check here for the latest fee information: https://www.hs-bremen.de/en/study/during-your-studies/formalities/.

This fee includes the semester ticket, which can be used for all public transportation in and around Bremen. This also covers some specific trains to Hamburg.

In all faculties and in several areas of administration, it is possible to find a student job (maximum 39 hours per month, roughly 12 EUR per hour).

In general, students from European Union countries do not require a work permit to work during their course of study.
Students from countries outside the European Union may work with a work permit for 120 full days or 240 half days over the course of one year. A special permit is required to work more than that.

Check our website to read about the Achim Boehme scholarship: https://www.hs-bremen.de/en/study/degree-programme/international-degree-programme-in-ship-management-nautical-sciences-bsc/.
If there are funds available, the scholarship will be open for enrolment only in winter. Application can be submitted only after enrolment.

Several advisory services are available at the HSB.

There are a few places available in an on-campus student residence hall. However, most students live in private accommodation. In Bremen, a room costs between 300 EUR and 400 EUR per month. A deposit consisting of the first two or three months of rent (not including utility costs) must be paid before moving in.

With almost 9,000 enrolled students and about 70 degree programmes in five schools, the Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences is one of the larger institutions of its kind in Germany. It offers academic programmes at undergraduate and graduate level covering the fields of science and engineering as well as business and social sciences. A strong link with industry and other relevant professional institutions is characteristic of all programmes, and a one-semester internship is an integral part of the curriculum.

In keeping with its official mandate, the Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences is involved in numerous research and development projects and operates research institutions in all areas, with a commitment to continual further expansion of these activities.

Internationality is the trademark of the Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences, as reflected in more than 300 cooperation contracts with partner universities all over the world regulating mutual exchanges between the students and academic staff of their respective institutions. In more than half of the undergraduate study programmes, students are required to spend at least one semester abroad.

In addition to this, the university has an ongoing commitment to improve the quality of the on-campus experience of internationality. A selection of classes taught in English as well as intercultural training sessions for local and foreign students support the "Internationalisation at Home" initiative, with the goal of promoting an intercultural university culture.

The Hochschule Bremen, City University of Applied Sciences is conveniently located in the centre of the city of Bremen, within walking distance of attractive locations for dining, shopping, leisure, and sports.

The Free Hanseatic City of Bremen is the capital of the federal state of Bremen, the smallest state in Germany, with a population of 684,000 and an area covering 404 square kilometres, located in north-west Germany close to the North Sea coast. As a unique city in which history comes alive and the future is being planned, Bremen is a place of sensual pleasures, including not only things that melt in your mouth, but also countless delights to see and hear.
It is a city of art and culture, parks and gardens, romantic quarters, and elegant shopping malls. Indeed, Bremen has even more to offer: tradition and cosmopolitanism. The people of Bremen are by no means as stiff as they are often said to be. On the contrary, they enjoy celebrating frequently, preferably with guests from abroad who look forward to returning to Bremen as good friends. A city that can look back on a thousand-year history: nowhere is this more evident than on the famous market square, a favourite meeting place for the citizens of Bremen. The statue of Roland is the symbol of civic liberty and freedom in Bremen. In the town hall, the pulse of political life of the Free Hanseatic City still beats. The magnificent renaissance façade and the Bremen Town Musicians just around the corner are world famous.

Trade and shipping have determined the character of the city for centuries and play an essential role in the business life of Bremen and of the Federal Republic of Germany. Bremen is a significant site for the automotive industry, electronics, and nautical science as well as the aviation and aerospace industry, and at the same time a centre of food, drink, and tobacco production. These industries are represented by companies such as Mercedes AG, STN ATLAS Elektronik, Lürssen Werft, EADS Astrium, OHB, Beck's Bier, and Kraft Foods.

Cultural life is characterised by numerous museums and art collections, theatre, ballet, opera, and music.
Bremen is a stronghold of sports such as football (SV Werder), horseback riding, handball, dancing, and cycling, with much-acclaimed international tournaments.