Majoring in ocean engineering

Ocean engineering is a field as diverse as the ocean itself. At Virginia Tech, we provide a foundation in the physics of the ocean, but the major focus areas are ocean vehicles and structures, including ships, advanced marine vehicles, offshore platforms and submarines.

AOE undergraduates who major in ocean engineering have the flexibility to tailor their degrees to their interests. They have the ability to mix and match courses from nine Technical Tracks, shown below,, or choose the foundational option, which spans the core areas in both ocean and aerospace engineering. Students are required to take a minimum of 9 credits from one of the approved Technical Tracks.