Diploma in Offshore & Sustainable Engineering (N42)

Electrical Engineering Fundamentals (3 Credit Units)

This module provides a foundation in electricity covering basic concepts of electrical circuits and the methods used to analyse them. The module emphasises the understanding of the basic electrical circuit laws (Ohm’s Law, Kirchhoff’s Voltage and Current Laws) and network theorems, and their application to electrical network analysis. Topics covered include fundamentals of electricity, network theorems, capacitance, electromagnetic induction and inductance.

Engineering Mathematics 1 (4 Credit Units)

This module is designed to provide students with the fundamental skills in mathematics required to solve basic engineering problems. Topics are introduced in an order that is intended to keep abreast of the application requirements in engineering modules. The emphasis in each topic is on simple applications and problem solving. Topics include algebra, trigonometry, logarithms, plane analytic geometry, matrices and complex numbers. Throughout the module, there is appropriate use of a Computer Algebra System.

Engineering & Society

This module prepares to develop in our students fundamental concepts and considerations pertaining to key attributes of an engineering professional by relating to them the significance of engineering to society through the conduct of hands-on project work. Underpinned by Service-Learning pedagogy, in this module students are involved with community projects focused on delivering engineering solutions. These projects also give students opportunities to develop cultural intelligence while working with different community stakeholders, develop the ability to view socio-technological issues from multiple perspectives, and reflect on the societal impacts of engineering through the course of their project work.

Career & Professional Preparation 1 is incorporated into the module to help students onboard their engineering studies with the aim of preparing them for future engineering careers. Students will plan their professional development and map their education and career goals towards the workforce they intend to join. 

Mechanical Engineering Fundamentals (3 Credit Units)

This module introduces students to the study of external forces in two dimensions and their effect on particles and rigid bodies that are at rest. Students learn the skills to analyse the forces acting on the bodies by drawing free-body diagrams and applying the conditions of equilibrium. Topics include forces and resultants, moments and couples, equilibrium and the concepts of plane friction. This module also aims to equip students with the skills to analyse problems of rigid bodies in motion. Only linear motion in two dimensions will be covered. Topics include kinematics and kinetics of linear motion.

Programming (3 Credit Units)

This practice-oriented module equips students with basic knowledge and skills in computer programming using C language. The main topics include basic computer programming concepts, fundamentals of C programming including branching, loops, and functions.

English Language Express* (Credit Units - NA)

English Language Express aims to give you a better grounding in the English Language and to strengthen the written and oral communications skills that you will need in your academic and professional careers. You will be engaged in writing, reading, listening and speaking activities that will develop your ability to speak and write grammatically, coherently and clearly. You will also hone your reading and listening comprehension skills.

Innovation Made Possible^ (3 Credit Units)


^ Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) modules account for 13 credit units of the diploma curriculum. They include modules in communication, innovation and world issues, as well as an interdisciplinary project. By bringing students from diverse diplomas together, the interdisciplinary project fosters collaboration to explore and propose solutions for real-world problems. IS aims to develop students to be agile and self-directed learners, ready for the future workplace.

Engineering Mathematics 2 (4 Credit Units)

This module is designed to provide students with the fundamental skills in mathematics required to solve basic engineering problems. Topics are introduced in an order that is intended to keep abreast of the application requirements in engineering modules. The emphasis in each topic is on simple applications and problem solving. Throughout the module, there is appropriate use of a Computer Algebra System. Topics include trigonometry, differentiation and simple integration with applications.

Engineering Drafting (4 Credit Units)

This module covers the fundamentals of engineering drawings utilised in vessel design and construction. Students will learn commands of the software, common drawing language and standards, drawing interpretation and key considerations in producing 2D drawings. Through the module, students will also produce engineering drawings of various disciplines, gain practical experience using AutoCAD, an industry-standard engineering drafting software, and learn about digital drawing management. 

Geometry and Buoyancy (4 Credit Units)

This module introduces the world of marine and offshore, where students delve into the fundamental principles of vessel construction and floatation. The basic vessel types, layout and key components of vessel geometry in relation to design will be covered. Students will be taught to interpret drawings employed in the vessel design and construction process, such as lines plan, general arrangement and structural drawings.

Thermofluids (3 Credit Units)

Students will learn the basic laws governing the behaviour of fluids under the influence of energy transfer. Topics include systems concept, temperature and pressure, fluid statics, fluid in motion, continuity equation, laminar and turbulent flows, ideal incompressible flow, Bernoulli’s equation, flow measurement and Pitot tube, external flow and application of thermofluid’s principles in simple engineering systems.

Engineering & Society (4 Credit Units)

This module prepares to develop in our students fundamental concepts and considerations pertaining to key attributes of an engineering professional by relating to them the significance of engineering to society through the conduct of hands-on project work. Underpinned by Service-Learning pedagogy, in this module students are involved with community projects focused on delivering engineering solutions. These projects also give students opportunities to develop cultural intelligence while working with different community stakeholders, develop the ability to view socio-technological issues from multiple perspectives, and reflect on the societal impacts of engineering through the course of their project work.

Career & Professional Preparation 1 is incorporated into the module to help students onboard their engineering studies with the aim of preparing them for future engineering careers. Students will plan their professional development and map their
education and career goals towards the workforce they intend to join.

Health & Wellness^ (1 Credit Unit)

This is a Level 1 Core module for all Year 1 students. The module will introduce students to the importance of maintaining both physical and mental health through the knowledge and monitoring of health indicators, and application through appropriate exercises. The aim of the module is to empower students with basic knowledge and skills to be independent and responsible in maintaining overall personal health.

Confident Communication: Find Your Voice (VOICE) ^ (3 Credit Units)

The VOICE module aims to empower students to become thoughtful and confident communicators able to tailor a message to suit audience, purpose and context. Students will learn how to use storytelling structures and techniques, persuasive strategies and effective visuals to connect meaningfully with their audience. Through a personalised growth plan, the module encourages students to reflect, set goals and take ownership of their growth and development as communicators. The module employs engaging teaching strategies such as games, thinking routines, masterclasses and workshops, and a celebratory showcase festival at the end to make learning fun and exciting.

^ Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) modules account for 13 credit units of the diploma curriculum. They include modules in communication, innovation and world issues, as well as an interdisciplinary project. By bringing students from diverse diplomas together, the interdisciplinary project fosters collaboration to explore and propose solutions for real-world problems. IS aims to develop students to be agile and self-directed learners, ready for the future workplace. 

Hydrostatics and Stability (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to equip students with a solid foundation in vessel hydrostatics, covering essential insights into intact stability, large angle stability, as well as trim and damage stability of vessels. Additionally, the principles and analysis of centroids, relating to areas, volumes, and mass, will be thoroughly explored for diverse types of floating platforms and vessels.

Marine Engineering Systems  (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with a broad understanding of marine piping systems, basic ventilation systems and auxiliary machineries including static and rotating equipment onboard ships through hands-on practices on common marine equipment such as valves, strainers, pumps, heat exchangers and diesel engines (including dual-fuel engines using cleaner fuel); and their applications in marine systems design and operations.

Offshore Topside Systems  (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with a broad overview of the world’s current and transitional energy trends. It covers the engineering concepts, practices and operations on various floating platforms such as FPSO, FLNG and FSRU. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the engineering design and working principles of the offshore topside systems’ process plant, equipment and utilities in upstream oil, gas and LNG processing.

Project Management  (3 Credit Units)

This module covers the various methods and processes involved in planning and scheduling for major engineering projects in a marine environment. The key topics are critical path method, earned valued method, work breakdown structure, resource management and cost and schedule control.

Strength of Materials (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with the foundational knowledge of strength of materials with an emphasis on applications and problem solving. Topics include simple stresses and strains, torsion in shaft, shear force and bending moment diagrams, stresses in beams, combined stresses and experimental stress analysis.

World Issues: A Singapore Perspective^ (2 Credit Units)

This module takes a global approach to significant current and historical events. The aim is to enhance students’ understanding of such events and issues in the context of Singapore, as well as challenge students to think critically about choices and decision-making vis-à-vis the nation state.

^ Interdisciplinary Studies (IS) modules account for 13 credit units of the diploma curriculum. They include modules in communication, innovation and world issues, as well as an interdisciplinary project. By bringing students from diverse diplomas together, the interdisciplinary project fosters collaboration to explore and propose solutions for real-world problems. IS aims to develop students to be agile and self-directed learners, ready for the future workplace. 

Engineering & Sustainability (4 Credit Units)

The module aims to introduce students to contemporary design thinking that preserves the natural environmental through a broad overview of topic on Design for Sustainability. The module emphasises on the well-being of people and the environment as the outcome. It covers resource efficiency, use of environmentally friendly materials, innovated sustainable products and processes through practices such as lean and green operations, remanufacturing and responsible sourcing.

Main focus of the module sets on the most dominant environmental issue which is climate change. Through the understanding of carbon footprint, carbon emission calculation, learning of carbon negative solutions and decarbonisation efforts from industry leaders who are leading authority in sustainability domain, it helps students to gain a better understanding of the local and global engineering industry approaches. With deep understanding of the issue and impacts, it encourages students to appreciate and apply sustainable design philosophy that will reduce negative impacts on the environment.

Maritime Decarbonisation (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with the background of IMO net zero greenhouse gas emission strategy and the challenges for the pathway to net zero emission for vessel operations. It will discuss the impact of the change in regulations on future vessel designs and retrofitting of existing vessels. Topics include emission types, emission sources, vessel efficiency indexing and emission measurement, options for alternative fuels, renewable energy and energy storage systems applicable to vessels. The module will also look at current market trends IMO regulations and discuss the practicality of existing solutions and upcoming developments for implementation.

The module also explores the upcoming regulatory framework for carbon tax credit, Environmental, Social, and Corporate governance (ESG) in the shipyard during vessel construction and operation.

Structure & Resistance (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with essential principles and analyses concerning vessel resistance and propulsion, including the concept of hull form optimisation and energy saving devices related to Energy Efficiency Design Index (EEDI). Students will be taught to comprehensively examine structural strength using the simple beam theory analogy, leading to an optimal and ideal strength-to-weight ratio. Challenges related to vibration, maneuverability and the intricacies of ship launching would also be covered.

Marine Propulsion Systems (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with the fundamental knowledge and understanding of marine propulsion systems, matching of engine and propeller, compressed air system for starting, steering gear systems, reliability concepts applied to machinery design, and marine pollution control. Alternative fuel systems, hybrid propulsion, electrification and green ship technologies such as scrubbers and ballast water treatment will also be covered.

Offshore Wind (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to provide students with general knowledge of the design considerations for offshore wind projects. Industry standards for offshore platform design will be introduced, with topics ranging from various wave theories to Morison’s theory. Motion and mooring analysis will also be introduced for offshore floating wind platforms. Overall, students will be exposed to the latest engineering concepts and practices in the design, construction and installation of offshore wind projects.

Capstone Project  (8 Credit Units)

This module takes students through the entire project cycle and will require them to apply the knowledge and skills acquired in their studies in groups to solve a real problem related to the marine industry. They may be assigned projects in conventional energy, new energy, renewables and decarbonisation solutions. The students’ performance will be assessed continuously. Basic design considerations using 3D printing will also be covered.

This module aims to provide students with the theoretical and analytical knowledge in marine and offshore design. International conventions such as tonnage, load line assignment and roles of statutory bodies and classification societies will be introduced and discussed. The students will have an opportunity to apply naval architecture learnt in diploma level to work through the iterative marine & offshore design process. With hands-on real design tasks, students are required to complete one round of design spiral to realise the design process and have a real feeling of marine & offshore design work.

Marine Production Technology (4 Credit Units)

This module aims to equip the students with knowledge in operations and advanced processes carried out in marine production and QA/QC processes throughout the entire production flow in new building yards as well as repair and conversion yards. Marine industry safety and legislation governing occupational safety in workplaces will be covered through the introduction of the production process.

One-year Internship (Local/Overseas) (16 Credit Units)

The Year-Long internship aims to enhance existing internships to enable a more structured applied-learning pathway co-supervised by company supervisors and polytechnic lecturers. Learning resources such as learning guides and taskbooks would be purposefully designed to scaffold students’ learning throughout the year-long internship phase. The learning guides and taskbooks would cover the essential knowledge and comprise an inventory of essential on-the-job tasks designed to cover all desired applied learning outcomes as part of the internship assessment. The contents of the learning guides and taskbooks will be jointly developed with the industry. Students would submit a final report at the end of each semester and present what they have learned. Assessment would be conducted jointly by the school and company supervisors.

Project ID: Connecting the Dots^ (4 Credit Units)

Project ID aims to prepare students for an increasingly globalised and interconnected world where problems are multi-faceted and require interdisciplinary research and collaboration to solve. Using a project-based learning approach, students will have the opportunity to work in a multi-disciplinary team with students from across the polytechnic to investigate and propose comprehensive recommendations for a pressing real-world problem affecting Singapore. they will be guided to step out of your disciplinary silos and effectively communicate and collaborate with peers from different backgrounds. The module seeks to develop independent learning skills and the ability to synthesise diverse strands of knowledge to solve a complex problem, while impressing on them the importance of being a responsible global citizen.

One-year Internship - Local/Overseas (20 Credit Units)

The Year-Long internship aims to enhance existing internships to enable a more structured applied-learning pathway co-supervised by company supervisors and polytechnic lecturers. Learning resources such as learning guides and taskbooks would be purposefully designed to scaffold students’ learning throughout the year-long internship phase. The learning guides and taskbooks would cover the essential knowledge and comprise an inventory of essential on-the-job tasks designed to cover all desired applied learning outcomes as part of the internship assessment. The contents of the learning guides and taskbooks will be jointly developed with the industry. Students would submit a final report at the end of each semester and present what they have learned. Assessment would be conducted jointly by the school and company supervisors.

Six-month Internship - Local/Overseas (20 Credit Units)

The Internship aims to provide practice-oriented training to equip students with the appropriate knowledge, management and communication skills imbued with the right values to work as technologists in marine production. Students will get the chance to understand the organisational structure, company product and go through the work/ production flow/project with company employees. Both industry supervisors and NP supervisors will assess students’ performance.

Final-year Project (20 Credit Units)

In this module, students will design and develop a product or system related to a real-world project. In the project, students learn to apply their knowledge and skills in creative problem-solving, engineering and design, teamwork and project management. This module focuses on identifying the problem or need, research and design. Students might be required to design, fabricate, test, and refine the prototype and prepare the refined design and a project report. Students must also do a final presentation to a panel of examiners.