Water Transportation Schools

Detailed profiles of schools for Water Transportation from the EdRef college search portal.

Water Transportation programs provide opportunities for those individuals wishing to enter an industry that is crucial to the American transportation system. There are many different types of jobs, from food handlers to ship engineers, with workers operating on many kinds of craft, from cargo ships to tugboats. The educational requirements for these various positions vary widely. Captains and chief engineers usually need a bachelor’s degree in order to obtain positions. Lower-level workers may be required to have all types of training.

Workers who work on commercial vessels greater than 100 gross register tons need to obtain documentation from the U.S. Coast Guard. This documentation depends greatly on the specific type of job they have. For example, radio operators need to have licenses from the Federal Communications Commission as first class radiotelegraph operators. Merchant mariners operate deep-sea ships, tugboats, towboats, ferries, dredges, excursion vessels, and other waterborne craft on the oceans, Great Lakes, rivers, canals, and other waterways.