Master of Science in Ocean Engineering (Online)

A 30-credit online MS in Ocean Engineering focused on naval ship design, with thesis and non-thesis tracks. Courses combine prerecorded lectures with a weekly live online class meeting, and all students take a final comprehensive oral exam.

Official program name

Master of Science in Ocean Engineering (Online)

Awarded degree

Master of Science in Ocean Engineering

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Degree level

Master's

Engineering major

Ocean Engineering

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Program type

Dedicated degree

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

School

Virginia Tech — Kevin T. Crofton Department of Aerospace and Ocean Engineering

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Location

Blacksburg, VAWhere the school is located. This is not a residency requirement and does not decide whether you may enroll from your state.

Thesis / non-thesis

Thesis · Non-thesis

Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Required credits

Thirty credit hours

Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Duration

Not verified

Teaching language

English (not separately stated)

Coursework delivery

Online courseworkCoursework is delivered online. Physical attendance requirements (labs, visits, exams, research) are listed separately.Coursework is delivered online. Physical attendance requirements (labs, visits, exams, research) are listed separately.

Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Online scope

The entire degree can be completed through the online pathway (stated)

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Physical attendance

Physical attendance requirements not verifiedRequired in person: other in-person requirement

Class schedule

Mixed (live + self-paced)

Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Study intensity

Not published

Capstone

OptionalNon-thesis students take 6 credits of Project and Report or the two-course Naval Ship Design capstone.

Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Online engineering labs explained

Prior degree

RequiredBachelor's degree, typically in engineering, mathematics, or physics

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Minimum GPA

RecommendedMinimum 3 — 3.0 GPA or better on a 4.0 scale strongly recommended

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Recommendation letters

Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test

Not required

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

TOEFL iBT

RequiredInternational applicants; a score of 90 or higher is strongly recommended.

Source: aoe.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

• Application deadline

  September 1 · for Spring

  The university does not print a year with this date.

  Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026
  Year not printed

• Application deadline

  December 30 · for Fall

  The university does not print a year with this date.

  Source: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026
  Year not printed

Other published fees

Engineering Supplemental Fee, graduate part-time (1-6 credit hours)

$500 per semesterMandatory

Source: bursar.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Engineering Supplemental Fee, graduate full-time (7 or more credit hours)

$1,000 per semesterMandatory

Source: bursar.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

Scholarships, fellowships or assistantships for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Institutional accreditation

• Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 12, 2026

Programmatic accreditation

No current ABET accreditation is matched to this program in ABET's database. ABET rarely accredits graduate programs; this is normal and not a mark against the program. Institutional accreditation does not imply program accreditation, and another program at the same school being accredited does not cover this one.

Published enrollment restrictions (state authorization)

• Virginia Tech is an institutional participant in the State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (SARA) arrangement. Official pageSource: vtonline.vt.edu · verified October 12, 2026

International applicants

Not verified for this program.

A professional licensure disclosure for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Professional Engineer licensure is decided by the board of the state where you apply — not by the school's state — and usually involves education, the FE exam, experience and the PE exam. A degree listed here is not a licensure guarantee. Engineering licensure and online degrees · Engineering vs engineering technology

1. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-12) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 12, 2026
2. vtonline.vt.edu/MastersDegrees/Ocean-Engineering.html — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
3. vtonline.vt.edu/State-Authorizations-SARA.html — Official disclosure page, verified October 12, 2026
4. aoe.vt.edu/graduate/degrees-and-certificates/master-of-engineering.html — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
5. aoe.vt.edu/graduate/distance-learning.html — Official program page, verified October 12, 2026
6. aoe.vt.edu/graduate/graduate-admissions.html — Official admissions page, verified October 12, 2026
7. bursar.vt.edu/content/dam/bursar_vt_edu/tuition/ay-2627/2026-2027%20Tuition%20%20Fee%20Rates%20with% — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 12, 2026

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