IIT Madras Zanzibar launches MTech in Ocean Structures

NEW DELHI: The Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras Zanzibar has launched a new MTech programme in ocean structures for the academic year 2024-25. Eligible candidates can apply for the postgraduate programme by June 20. IITM Zanzibar is the international campus of the institute.

Candidates having a four-year undergraduate degree in civil engineering with a minimum of 60 per cent marks are eligible to apply for the MTech programme. Students will be selected for the programme on the basis of their marks in UG and screening test and interview with 50% weightage to each criteria. Personal interviews will be conducted for those students who clear the screening test. The screening test and interviews will be conducted online. The institute will conduct the screening test on June 30 and admission letters will be issued on July 15.

The new course at IIT Madras Zanzibar is open to candidates of all nationalities and includes two streams - ‘Offshore and Ship structures’ and ‘Port Harbour and Coastal structures’. Stream selection will be based on the CGPA obtained by students at the end of first semester.

The curriculum of the MTech programme will be customised according to the needs in the oil and gas and maritime sectors. It would cover the basics of marine and offshore hydrodynamics, structural design for oil and gas exploration offshore platforms, ports, harbours including port structures and breakwater.

Students will be studying first, second and fourth semesters at the international campus, and the third semester at IIT Madras Chennai campus in India.

Highlighting the importance of this course, professor Preeti Aghalayam, dean of School of Engineering and Science and the director-in-charge, Zanzibar campus, IIT Madras, said, “It is exciting to announce this new program. Blue economy is a priority area for Zanzibar and the world today, and engineering programs that will yield skilled human resources in this domain are an urgent need.”

Elaborating on careers opportunities for the graduates of this programme, professor Dr S Nallayarasu, head, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, said, “This program opens up new career opportunities for graduate engineers in ocean engineering including niche areas of offshore industry, port and harbour development in the region. The program is aligned with Maritime India Vision 2047 and will contribute significantly to training professionals.”