MSEO / Engineering / Future Career Prospects/ Research

[Maverick_000]

Hi Guys!

1. I wanted to ask about career prospects MSEO training duration and can i get PEng ?
2. What happens if one get medically unfit during initial contract ?
3. How does the Navy see Further education like a PhD in Marine systems or relevant engineering?
Would they help you with the Research / Education after BMQ?
4. How do Officers do that?
Does Top Brass have authority to let you study and do research after successful completion of BMQ or the Structure is Unaltered? Are they open to the idea of CAF member doing Engineering Research PhD/ Marine Systems.
How many years does one have to put in to study specialized courses and contribute to CAF?
What would an MSEO do if it does not work out?
Can you still work on your red seal in Marine Diesel or Heavy Equipment or PEng while in the Navy as an Officer (MSEO)?

Can someone provide insights.
Thank you

 

[stoker dave]

It's been two days and no one has answered so I will speak up. I am a former Navy Marine Systems Engineer but long out of uniform. So whatever I say is likely outdated.

I can't respond to the specifics of your questions but here are some general thoughts:

1. Marine Systems Engineering (MARE/MS) training is intended to give you knowledge, skills and abilities to fulfill the duties of ship's marine systems engineering officer (MSEO). The training is demanding and years long. You are unlikely to have time for anything else while in this training. Once trained, the job is very demanding and will leave you with little or no time for much else.
2. The focus is not on research or PhD. You don't need that to be an MSEO.
3. Once trained there are any number of shore positions supporting engineering functions of the navy. Those jobs will let you get your engineering license and free up some time. But don't count on those jobs being easy or '9-5'.
4. Once you are trained and have fulfilled whatever contractual obligations you have, many doors will open to you. You may stay in the navy, be a ship's engineer in industry or pursue some other passion. Former MSEOs that I know have gone into law, medicine, teaching, business, academics, environmental remediation, construction, etc. The education and training is an excellent foundation for whatever you choose to do in life.

Maybe others will chime in with more current information on your specific questions.

 

[Underway]

Hi Guys!

1. I wanted to ask about career prospects MSEO training duration and can i get PEng ?

Yes but at your own cost. The RCN is self regulating and don't care about provincial governing bodies. PEng may give you points toward senior officer promotions.

2. What happens if one get medically unfit during initial contract ?

You may be released or retained until fit on a medical category. Really depends on the injury or illness.

3. How does the Navy see Further education like a PhD in Marine systems or relevant engineering?
Would they help you with the Research / Education after BMQ?

Again some points to promotion. Sometimes they sponsor further education if it's in the needs of the RCN. Example you could become a Naval Architect which is postgraduate work.

4. How do Officers do that?
Does Top Brass have authority to let you study and do research after successful completion of BMQ or the Structure is Unaltered? Are they open to the idea of CAF member doing Engineering Research PhD/ Marine Systems.
How many years does one have to put in to study specialized courses and contribute to CAF?

Initial training is usually 2 years. Then you have to get some experience before they let you do a masters degree.

What would an MSEO do if it does not work out?

Release or find a new trade.

Can you still work on your red seal in Marine Diesel or Heavy Equipment

Red seal is a Marine Tech qualification not an engineering qualification.

 

[Maverick_000]

It's been two days and no one has answered so I will speak up. I am a former Navy Marine Systems Engineer but long out of uniform. So whatever I say is likely outdated.

I can't respond to the specifics of your questions but here are some general thoughts:

1. Marine Systems Engineering (MARE/MS) training is intended to give you knowledge, skills and abilities to fulfill the duties of ship's marine systems engineering officer (MSEO). The training is demanding and years long. You are unlikely to have time for anything else while in this training. Once trained, the job is very demanding and will leave you with little or no time for much else.
2. The focus is not on research or PhD. You don't need that to be an MSEO.
3. Once trained there are any number of shore positions supporting engineering functions of the navy. Those jobs will let you get your engineering license and free up some time. But don't count on those jobs being easy or '9-5'.
4. Once you are trained and have fulfilled whatever contractual obligations you have, many doors will open to you. You may stay in the navy, be a ship's engineer in industry or pursue some other passion. Former MSEOs that I know have gone into law, medicine, teaching, business, academics, environmental remediation, construction, etc. The education and training is an excellent foundation for whatever you choose to do in life.

Maybe others will chime in with more current information on your specific

Yes but at your own cost. The RCN is self regulating and don't care about provincial governing bodies. PEng may give you points toward senior officer promotions.

You may be released or retained until fit on a medical category. Really depends on the injury or illness.

Again some points to promotion. Sometimes they sponsor further education if it's in the needs of the RCN. Example you could become a Naval Architect which is postgraduate work.


Initial training is usually 2 years. Then you have to get some experience before they let you do a masters degree.

Release or find a new trade.

Red seal is a Marine Tech qualification not an engineering qualification.

Ok thank you !
one of my friends has two offers.
One from the forces and another from an American university for a PhD in engineering related to navy(electronics, drones etc)
What is the best piece of advice I can give them to make a decision?
I was under the impression that Top Brass would be open to members getting foreign relevant qualifications and training to come back and contribute to CAF.
How can one navigate through this? Or is it just pick one?

 

[Navy_Pete]

One change coming down the pipes is PGs now have to be sponsored and funded by the organization where they will get employed, so expect a lot of the MBAs and others to fall off for MSEOs, and even the technical ones be more case by case basis when tied to specific expertise required for a job.

I expect that will probably reduce the number of sponsored post grad positions, although those are all Masters anyway. I don't believe there are any PhDs required at all, so don't think that would be available. In general, the only jobs I can think of that require some kind of STEM PhD are civilian positions at places like DRDC, and they get hired as PhDs or post-docs.

Having said that, I do now someone that picked away on a PhD on their own dime while working as an NTO (CSE specifically), and got some support in terms of a bit of time off for things like the thesis defence, but really had nothing to do with DND, and don't think it was funded at all under his learning plan either.

Lot of interesting masters programs though, and on the MSEO side that includes naval architecture, marine engineering, fire safety and a few others that are directly applicable to follow on jobs in that area. Still gets pretty pointy headed, but no where near as pointy headed as the doctorates.

 

[stoker dave]

one of my friends has two offers.
One from the forces and another from an American university for a PhD in engineering related to navy(electronics, drones etc)
What is the best piece of advice I can give them to make a decision?

MARE/MS training is a lot of work and involves a lot of time away and a lot of time onboard a ship.

Shipboard life can be a challenge (that is a whole other thread).

If you are not 100% committed to this path, you will likely find it not to your liking.

That's the best advice I can offer.

 

[stoker dave]

PS:

I would also add that young people today have a reasonable chance of living to be 100 years old. You can train to be an MSEO, complete your obligations, go work on a PhD bringing lots of hands on experience and still have 30 or 40 years of working career ahead of you.

The idea of being a new PhD at, say, 25 years old with zero real-world experience seems kinda self limiting.

You have lots of time to do lots of things.