MAR50320 Diploma of Maritime Operations (Watchkeeper Deck)
Elevate your maritime leadership
Advance as a skilled specialist with our course, qualifying you for roles like Master or Chief Mate on vessels in various waters. Be guided by expert mariners, gain leadership and communication techniques, overseeing stability, navigating international waters, and leading emergency response.
SM TAFE industry connections enhance your employability, aligning with top players in oil, gas, shipbuilding, and defense. If leadership at sea calls you, step up, enhance your nautical skills, and navigate your career to new heights.
This course is fee free* for residents of Western Australia. Some eligibility conditions apply for the fee free training and other fees may apply for some courses. Please refer to the FAQs for more information.
*Please note that eligibility requirements apply to some of the fee free training.
This course is a VET Student Loan eligible course. A VET Student Loan creates a debt that must be repaid to the Commonwealth and is only available to students who are eligible.
To find out if you are eligible or to see the list of eligible courses visit our Student Loans page.
Overview
Where Fremantle
When Semester 1, 2025 | Semester 2, 2025
How On Campus
Ready to navigate your crew through rough or smooth seas? Further advance your maritime career and become a highly skilled specialist in a supervisory role.
This course will qualify you to work in international waters as a:
- Watchkeeper deck officer on vessels of any gross tonnage and in any operating area.
- Able seafarer - deck
Be guided by our team of lecturers who are expert mariners, as you become equipped with leadership and communication techniques to manage a crew. You'll gain a specialised maritime skillset and become trained in overseeing a vessel's stability and seaworthiness, managing cargo handling, navigating international waters and directing the team on watchkeeping. You'll also learn essential emergency response skills such as onboard firefighting, operating survival craft and providing first aid.
SM TAFE has key maritime connections which give students strong employability opportunities in oil and gas, shipbuilding and defence industries, alongside partnerships with Shell, Rio Tinto, Royal Oman Police, MMA Offshore Marine, BHP, INPEX and Australian Offshore Solutions.
If you've got what it takes to be a leader onboard, follow your calling for a career at sea and take the next step in enhancing your nautical and navigational knowledge.
Visit the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) website for details regarding sea service and certification requirements.
Learn in specialist facilities
Situated in the port city of Fremantle, SM TAFE’s Fremantle campus includes some of the most comprehensive facilities for training in the country, with advanced training equipment and highly experienced and qualified lecturing staff. SM TAFE’s maritime training integrates simulator technology, a fleet of three vessels, biological and computing laboratories, along with engineering, seamanship and aquaculture workshops.
You can learn real-world skills in the ship, bridge and engineering simulator training suite and become job ready for your role. The technology used features the most advanced mathematical modelling and shipping databases in the world and the hardware replicates the current equipment installed on seagoing ships.
- maintain seaworthiness of the ship (ship stability)
- monitor, loading, unloading, securing and stowage of cargo
- contribute to fire prevention and firefighting (basic firefighting)
- follow vessel security procedures (security awareness training)
- observe personal safety and social responsibility (PSSR)
- prevent, control and fight fires on board a vessel (advanced firefighting)
- survive at sea in the event of vessel abandonment and personal survival techniques (PST)
- plan and conduct a passage and determine position
- use of electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) to maintain the safety of navigation
- use of radar and other bridge equipment to maintain safety of navigation
- manoeuvre the ship
- maintain seaworthiness of the ship (ship construction)
-
good time management and the ability to work with tight deadlines
-
ability to strictly follow workplace safety standards
-
a keen eye for detail
-
logical problem solving skills
-
good communication skills
-
a strong interest in boats, ships and maritime
Important information
Select your preferred campus and apply
Semester 1, 2025
Details
Units and fees
Credit units
The units below are intended for entry to this course as credit from prior study and do not contribute to the total tuition or resource fees for this course. Check the entrance requirements tab for further instructions about the study pathway to completing this course.
| National ID | Unit title |
|---|---|
| HLTAID011 | Provide First Aid |
Semester 1, 2025
Core
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARA017 Maintain seaworthiness of the ship (ship stability) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $11.50 |
| MARA025 Monitor, loading, unloading, securing and stowage of cargo | $0.00 | $0.00 | $16.00 |
| MARF031 Apply leadership and team working capability | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.00 |
| MARF037 Follow vessel security procedures (security awareness training) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $58.50 |
| MARF041 Observe personal safety and social responsibility (PSSR) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $38.25 |
| MARF047 Monitor compliance with legislative requirements | $0.00 | $0.00 | $39.50 |
| MARH022 Plan and conduct a passage and determine position | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.50 |
| MARH023 Use of electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) to maintain the safety of navigation | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.50 |
| MARH024 Use of radar and other bridge equipment to maintain safety of navigation | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.50 |
| MARJ008 Ensure compliance with pollution prevention requirements | $0.00 | $0.00 | $50.75 |
| MARK011 Manoeuvre the ship | $0.00 | $0.00 | $40.25 |
| MARN011 Maintain seaworthiness of the ship (ship construction) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $10.25 |
| MARO009 Maintain a safe navigational watch | $0.00 | $0.00 | $21.50 |
| MARO012 Transmit and receive information by visual signalling | $0.00 | $0.00 | $21.50 |
| RIIWHS202E Enter and work in confined spaces | $0.00 | $0.00 | $24.00 |
Elective
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
$0.00 | $0.00 | $1,115.50 |
Semester 1, 2025 fee
| Tuition fee | Resource fee | Total fee* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | $0.00 | $1,517.00 | $1,517.00 |
| Concession | $0.00 | $1,517.00 | $1,517.00 |
Semester 2, 2025
Core
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARF035 Contribute to fire prevention and firefighting (basic firefighting) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,873.75 |
| MARF044 Prevent, control and fight fires on board a vessel (advanced firefighting) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $995.50 |
| MARF046 Survive at sea in the event of vessel abandonment and personal survival techniques (PST) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $763.50 |
Elective
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
$0.00 | $0.00 | $1,039.50 |
|
|
$0.00 | $0.00 | $57.75 |
Semester 2, 2025 fee
| Tuition fee | Resource fee | Total fee* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | $0.00 | $4,730.00 | $4,730.00 |
| Concession | $0.00 | $4,730.00 | $4,730.00 |
Indicative fees and charges
The fees quoted are estimates only and are for all units in the course for students enrolling on a full-time basis. If you're a student that has successfully completed a lower-level qualification that is a prerequisite for this course, you'll only pay for the units that you need to enrol in to complete this course. Please view the full list of fee disclaimers.
Semester 2, 2025
Details
Units and fees
Credit units
The units below are intended for entry to this course as credit from prior study and do not contribute to the total tuition or resource fees for this course. Check the entrance requirements tab for further instructions about the study pathway to completing this course.
| National ID | Unit title |
|---|---|
| HLTAID011 | Provide First Aid |
Semester 2, 2025
Core
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARA017 Maintain seaworthiness of the ship (ship stability) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $11.50 |
| MARA025 Monitor, loading, unloading, securing and stowage of cargo | $0.00 | $0.00 | $16.00 |
| MARF032 Apply medical first aid on board ship | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,115.50 |
| MARF037 Follow vessel security procedures (security awareness training) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $58.50 |
| MARF041 Observe personal safety and social responsibility (PSSR) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $38.25 |
| MARF047 Monitor compliance with legislative requirements | $0.00 | $0.00 | $39.50 |
| MARH022 Plan and conduct a passage and determine position | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.50 |
| MARH023 Use of electronic chart display and information system (ECDIS) to maintain the safety of navigation | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.50 |
| MARH024 Use of radar and other bridge equipment to maintain safety of navigation | $0.00 | $0.00 | $17.50 |
| MARJ008 Ensure compliance with pollution prevention requirements | $0.00 | $0.00 | $50.75 |
| MARK011 Manoeuvre the ship | $0.00 | $0.00 | $40.25 |
| MARN011 Maintain seaworthiness of the ship (ship construction) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $10.25 |
| MARO009 Maintain a safe navigational watch | $0.00 | $0.00 | $21.50 |
| MARO012 Transmit and receive information by visual signalling | $0.00 | $0.00 | $21.50 |
| RIIWHS202E Enter and work in confined spaces | $0.00 | $0.00 | $24.00 |
Elective
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
$0.00 | $0.00 | $17.00 |
Semester 2, 2025 fee
| Tuition fee | Resource fee | Total fee* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | $0.00 | $1,517.00 | $1,517.00 |
| Concession | $0.00 | $1,517.00 | $1,517.00 |
Semester 1, 2026
Core
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
| MARF035 Contribute to fire prevention and firefighting (basic firefighting) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $1,873.75 |
| MARF044 Prevent, control and fight fires on board a vessel (advanced firefighting) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $995.50 |
| MARF046 Survive at sea in the event of vessel abandonment and personal survival techniques (PST) | $0.00 | $0.00 | $763.50 |
Elective
| National ID Unit title | General fee | Concession | Resource fee |
|---|---|---|---|
|
|
$0.00 | $0.00 | $1,039.50 |
|
|
$0.00 | $0.00 | $57.75 |
Semester 1, 2026 fee
| Tuition fee | Resource fee | Total fee* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| General | $0.00 | $4,730.00 | $4,730.00 |
| Concession | $0.00 | $4,730.00 | $4,730.00 |
Indicative fees and charges
The fees quoted are estimates only and are for all units in the course for students enrolling on a full-time basis. If you're a student that has successfully completed a lower-level qualification that is a prerequisite for this course, you'll only pay for the units that you need to enrol in to complete this course. Please view the full list of fee disclaimers.