One of the very basic requirement of OIC Exam is that the applicant must complete the Bachelor’s degree in either Transportation or Engineering. Once the sea service requirement is complete, (12 months as Deck Cadet, 36 months in the deck department) then the process can start.
The end product of this process is the releasing of your complete Diploma & TOR (Transcript of Records) which is one of the main requirement for OIC Examinations.
In this blog, we’re going to talk about how to file for BS Degree in BS Transportation and Engineering from start to finish.
Start by Completing the Sea Service Requirement
After graduating as an associate degree holder in Transportation or Engineering, this is the phase where you will find a company to employ you as a cadet or rating.
This process is quite difficult and can consume years of your time. If you don’t have a backer, then it will even get more difficult. Applying to different shipping companies in Manila or Cebu can be very expensive, without a guarantee of anything.
If however you complete the sea service requirement, then it is advisable for you to come back to your school and process your BS degree, get your diploma and TOR.
Contact your School
Before you even get back and process your BS degree, it is highly recommended to contact your school first. Ask them about the requirements and the overall process as this may change from time to time. Get the latest updates directly from your school.
You can find the updated list of maritime schools that are accredited to offer maritime programs here.
Each maritime school has a different requirements on to how to file for BS Degree. Some may have more requirement than others. As I research for this article, there is no uniform requirement in regards this process.
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Prepare the BS Requirements
After contacting your school, ask for a list of requirements for this process. They will normally ask how many months your sea service is and at what rank. Bear in mind that being a cadet and being a rating onboard has different requirements. Let’s see some of the requirements as shown below. Remember, this differs from school to school.
After you have successfully have these on hand, its time to process your BS degree at the school where you graduated. It is highly recommended that you do this as they have all your records since you start your college education.
Proceed to file for your BS Degree
Now that you have the requirements on hand, go back to your school and process your BS application. In this step, your documents and documentary evidences will be assessed if all is true and is done in good faith.
Your documents should not bear false notes, fake signatures, fake sea service certificates and so on. All of it should be authentic and true. There will be dire consequences if the assessor will find out that there are inauthentic documents in your possession. You may get blacklisted by MARINA. You don’t want that.
Then, there will be a panel for your interview, asking you of various questions in line with that you learn over the course of your experience.
This can be a very long process and will require a lot of your time while you’re on vacation. Whether you will take the exams or not, it is still advisable to get your BS degree.
Will having a BS Degree matters?
Well, for practicality, no. It does not matter. If you already has a stable rotation onboard your current employer, then it is not really a must.
But for those who will seek higher position onboard vessels and take the exams, then this is a need.
However, it depends upon the seafarer himself if he will get into this process or not. Will it be better if your kids will see up in the wall a diploma of the course you finished with in college?