There are several colleges and universities on the coasts of the United States that offer a naval architecture and marine engineering degrees such as Michigan Institute of Aviation and Technology, Remington College and Colorado Technical University. A complete listing is available at U.S. College Search (see Resources). You can also obtain this degree through online colleges and universities, such as the Online Architecture Degree school, which offers the same curriculum, but with the convenience of taking the classes at home.
In order to apply to a bachelor's degree program, you need a high school transcript and scores from standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT. To apply for the master's program, you need a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering field and scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE).
When pursuing a degree in naval architecture design, be prepared to take courses in science, math and engineering. The specific courses required for the bachelor's degree include Marine Engineering and Design, Offshore Structure Design, Calculus, Engineering Physics, Meteorology for Mariners and General Chemistry. Courses for a master's degree include Introduction to Thermodynamics, Advanced Marine Design, Ship Hull Strength, Hydrodynamics in Ship Design, Structural Vibration in Marine Craft and Advanced Offshore Engineering.
Once you obtain your bachelor's or master's degree in Naval Architecture design, you can apply for several types of naval jobs. With a bachelor's degree, you can find jobs in the military, such as the U.S. Navy or Coast Guard, or in the the oil and gas industry, shipbuilding and marine shipping. Once you obtain a master's degree, you can apply for jobs at naval architect research and development firms, marine regulatory agencies, offshore engineering design firms and shipbuilding companies.