Merchant Navy is a specialized field, which provides an experience unlike that offered by any other profession. However, the constant travelling, almost zero social life, and hostile working environment can take a toll on people working on ships. These reasons have also been the main driving force behind people leaving sailing for a shore job.
In case you are one of those who wants to shift to a shore job, a degree in Masters in Business Administration (MBA) would be the best option for a promising career on shore.
How can a degree in MBA help a maritime professional?
When a mariner wants to shift to a shore job, there are a couple of options available. However, to get a decent position in a reputable shipping company, one requires two main things –
- Extensive job experience (More than two years)
- A degree in MBA
If you already have a good amount of experience sailing as a captain or a chief engineer of a ship, then you are probably the right person for a managerial position in a shipping company on shore. However, experience of a Chief engineer or a Captain backed by an MBA degree would make you a hot-commodity in the job market.
But this is about maritime professionals who already have extensive experience at sea. What about those officers who want to quit sailing early in life for an office job on shore? It is often seen that shipping companies are reluctant to recruit officers with less managerial level work experience at the sea. For such officers, an MBA degree would open several doors of opportunities not only in the shipping field but also in various other sectors.
What kinds of MBA can a Maritime Professional do?
An officer can opt for any one of the following MBA programs. Note that these are not the only options. However, these would offer the best future prospects considering the kind of work experience maritime professionals already have.
- MBA in logistics and supply chain
- Port management
- MBA in shipping management
- MBA in shipping and logistics
A person, who wants to explore options beyond the shipping industry, can choose any one of the conventional subjects of MBA such as Marketing, Finance, Human resource etc.
However, an MBA degree in above mentioned programs would benefit a mariner who already has the right kind of experience and knowledge of the subjects taught these programs.
What’s the first step towards MBA?
Getting a degree in MBA from a reputed university is no piece of cake. Competition is fierce and the process is lengthy and stressing. One needs to have good amount of dedication along with clear goals in order to attain an MBA degree in shipping.
The first step towards an MBA degree would be to clear a standardized management test (entrance exam), which is necessary to apply for an MBA degree in a reputed college.
Each country has its own standardized test for MBA colleges. For e.g. India has the Common Admission Test (CAT) for MBA.
However, anyone who is looking forward to an MBA degree from an international college, he or she will have to get a decent score in GMAT (Graduate Management Admission Test), a computer adaptive test which is accepted by almost all business colleges around the world.
Some private business schools have their own MBA entrance exams and selection procedures. However, GMAT is accepted by all the top reputed management colleges around the world.
Know more about GMAT, here.
What are the MBA selection criteria for Maritime Professionals?
All reputed colleges providing an MBA degree in Shipping look for two main things – decent work experience and the GMAT score. Moreover, they also take into account a good work profile and consistent grades throughout high school and graduation course.
Also note that some colleges providing MBA in shipping can consider a candidate without a GMAT score if the person has extensive sailing experience (more than 7-8 years) along with an exceptional past record and work profile. However, this criterion is decided solely by the concerned business school.
Apart from GMAT, one would also require to clear English language proficiency tests such as TOEFL and IELTS. (This is only if the person is applying to an international business school and when English is not his or her first language)
Colleges Offering Courses in Shipping Management
Listed below are some of the colleges providing management degree in shipping and maritime management.
Liverpool John Moores University
Kindly note -This is not the complete list.
Image credit: topmba
About Raunek
hi i did MBA from European university cyprus and am in indian citizen so please can u share me how i applay to these kind of opporunity.am very interesting this proffestional