Program
Courses
Not only in Europe but all around the world there is more need than ever for highly qualified engineers of all types of expertise. This is even more true in the globalized maritime and offshore market which is at the dawn of massive challenges and, luckily, opportunities. For which the energy transition (both for vessels and to create offshore energy for landbased locations) is only a single but important example. In order to fulfill this need, this two year master after bachelor program is proposed.
EMship, International Master in Advanced Design of Sustainable Ships and Offshore Structures, is an advanced two-year master’s level education programme (120 ECTS) in design and optimisation of ships and offshore structures dedicated to sustainable maritime transport, ships, offshore and renewable energy structures. Thanks to its strong background and complementary expertise, the EMship Consortium tackles: rapid technological evolution in the fields of naval architecture, maritime technology and offshore engineering, growing demand from companies for graduates with up-to-date competences and societal challenges related to global warming (need for energy saving, renewable energy sources, more efficient and less polluting means of transport…).
The distribution of students across the different Master 1 and Master 2 mobility options takes into account several criteria: your stated preference, the need to maintain a balanced distribution among the partner universities, whether you are a self-funded or scholarship student and your motivation. For Master 2 allocations, your performance in the programme is also considered.
The final allocation of mobilities is decided by the Management Board in good faith and to the best of its judgement. Therefore, mobility destinations cannot be guaranteed beforehand.
An overview of all the courses of all the partners can be downloaded here.
Full course descriptions Master 1
The 60 credits of the first year are offered at the coordinating institute Ghent University, Belgium, and in parallel at Universitatea “Dunărea de Jos” din Galați, Romania.
- Ghent University, Belgium
Full course details UGent - Universitatea Dunărea de Jos, Romania
Full course details UGal
- Ghent University, Belgium
Full course descriptions Master 2
In the second master year, students can express their preference for five universities, each with its specific nuance and expertise:
- Shipbuilding Universität Rostock, Germany
Full course details Rostock - Hydrodynamics for Ocean Engineering École Centrale de Nantes, France,
Full course details Nantes - Ship logistics & maritime transport Instituto Superior Técnico Lisboa, Portugal,
Full course details Lisboa - Offshore & ship structure Université de Liège, Belgium,
Full course details Liège - Offshore & renewables Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain,
Full course details Madrid
Master thesis and internships
Three different organisers of master thesis topics can be distinguidshed:
Full M2 partners are always responsible for the master thesis but this can be done in cooperation with industrial partners or associated partners. For the latter this could add a third mobility to your programme. The possibilities of Southampton and Istanbul are given here solely as example. There are many more opportunities as there are much more partners (full, associate and SAB).
Example: Istanbul Technical University
At Istanbul Technical University (ITU) Faculty of Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering, students have access to comprehensive facilities and resources to support their thesis research. The faculty offers advanced laboratories such as Ata Nutku Ship Model Basin, Cavitation Tunnel, Computational Ship Hydrodynamics Laboratory and Marine Robotics Laboratory, providing opportunities for experimental and computational studies. Research topics include wave-structure interactions, ship hydrodynamics, and the design and analysis of offshore structures.
EMship week
During the programme, students participate in two EMship weeks, which bring together professors from all partner universities, industrial members of the Strategic Advisory Board (SAB), alumni and students from different cohorts. These events provide a unique platform for academic exchange, professional networking and strengthening the international EMship community.
Throughout the week, participants take part in technical visits to shipyards, research centres and manufacturing facilities. The programme also includes sessions with industrial partners to discuss developments within the maritime sector, as well as internship opportunities and career prospects. In this way, the EMship week serves as an important first point of contact between students and industry partners.
One of the highlights of the EMship week is the master’s thesis presentation by graduating students. They present their work to an audience of academics, industry professionals, alumni, and first-year students, providing an opportunity to showcase their work while allowing younger cohorts to learn from their experiences and achievements.
Each EMship Week is hosted by a different partner university, reflecting the collaborative nature of the programme. The event welcomes about 100-120 participants each year, including first- and second-year students, academic staff, alumni, and 15-20 industrial partners and organisations from around the world.
Recent editions were organised in Madrid (Spain) in 2024 and Nantes (France) in 2025. The next EMship week will take place from 27 to 29 October 2026 at the Instituto Superior Técnico in Lisbon (Portugal). More information on the programme and registration will be shared closer to the event.
Alumni
EMship has a very active Alumni Community. Please visit their dedicated website at: https://alumni.emship.eu/