Earn your DDE.
Without losing
a single rotation.
The Designated Duty Engineer 1,000 to 4,000 HP credential, delivered 100% online and approved by the United States Coast Guard. Built for working mariners by a credentialed Chief Engineer.
What does going to school actually cost you?
Slide the inputs to match your situation. We show you what a typical 2-week residential DDE program costs in real dollars, on top of the tuition. The numbers below are estimates based on average rates. Your actual costs will vary.
The same DDE credential, with BMT
Estimates only. Rental car cost calculated at $60/day. Actual program lengths, wages, and travel costs vary by mariner, school, and route.
Full USCG curriculum. No shortcuts.
The same content the U.S. Coast Guard requires, structured for mariners who already know the engine room and need the credential to match the work.
Diesel Engine Theory & Operation
Combustion principles, four-stroke and two-stroke cycles, fuel injection systems, lubrication, cooling, starting and reversing.
Auxiliary Machinery
Pumps, compressors, purifiers, separators, refrigeration, HVAC, hydraulics. The systems that keep the boat running.
Electrical Systems
Generators, switchboards, motor controls, circuit protection, troubleshooting. Reading schematics and acting on them.
Watchkeeping & Operations
Standing engine room watch, log-keeping, fuel and lube oil management, response to alarms, communication with the bridge.
Safety & Emergency Response
Firefighting in engineering spaces, flooding response, fuel spill containment, emergency shutdown procedures, PPE.
Regulations & Documentation
USCG, IMO, MARPOL, SOLAS regulations as they apply to the engineer. ORB and oil record book entries done right.
A Chief Engineer wrote every module.
Not a course designer who never went to sea. Not an academic who hasn’t held a wrench in a decade. The DDE curriculum at BMT was authored by a credentialed Chief Engineer with active sea time, who designed it the way they wished it had been designed when they sat for the credential.
That shows up in the lessons. The examples come from real engine rooms. The tricky parts get the attention they deserve. The boring parts don’t get padded.
The only 100% online DDE 1,000 to 4,000 HP course in America.
You can verify our USCG approval directly on the National Maritime Center’s website. We don’t ask you to trust us. We ask you to check the source.
Designated Duty Engineer · 1,000 to 4,000 HP
Move up to DDE without missing a rotation. Same credential as in-person school. Same USCG approval. Built for the engineer who’s already turning wrenches and just needs the credential to match the work.
What’s included
- Complete USCG-approved curriculum (6 modules)
- Module quizzes plus cumulative final exam
- AI-proctored remote final, taken on your schedule
- Direct messaging with credentialed instructors
- NMC submission walkthrough on completion
- Access on phone, tablet, or laptop. Works at sea.
The questions we get the most.
If you’re skeptical about online USCG approval, you’re not alone. Here are the answers to what every mariner asks before enrolling.
Yes. BMT is an approved provider with the United States Coast Guard. You can verify our approval directly on the National Maritime Center’s website. The credential you earn through this course is the same credential issued to graduates of in-person programs.
We don’t ask you to take our word for it. We encourage you to check the NMC database before enrolling.
Yes. On completion, you receive a USCG-approved certificate of training. You submit this with the rest of your application packet (sea time, medical certificate, TWIC, etc.) the same way you would from any other approved school.
We provide a walkthrough of exactly what to submit and how, so nothing gets bounced back.
You schedule the exam when you’re ready, anywhere with a stable internet connection. The AI proctor uses your webcam and microphone to verify your identity and monitor for prohibited materials, the same way an in-person proctor would. Most students complete the exam in a single session.
If you’re not comfortable with this format, the exam can also be taken at any approved testing center. Most students prefer the at-home option.
It’s self-paced, so it depends on your schedule. Most students complete the course in 6 to 12 weeks, studying during off-rotations. You can move faster if you have continuous time off, or slower if you’re squeezing it in between watches.
There’s no clock and no expiration. Once you enroll, you have access until you complete the course.
The lesson content works on any device and is optimized for low-bandwidth connections. Most lessons can be downloaded for offline viewing. The only times you need a stable connection are when submitting quizzes and taking the final exam.
Many of our students complete the lessons while at sea and time their final exam for shore leave or off-rotation periods.
You can retake the final exam after a 7-day waiting period, at no additional cost. Retakes are encouraged. The waiting period exists so you have time to review the material that gave you trouble.
Most students who don’t pass on the first attempt pass on the second.
We offer a 14-day money-back guarantee. If you enroll and decide it’s not for you within 14 days, we refund the full course fee, no questions asked.
After 14 days, refund requests are reviewed individually based on your circumstances and progress.
The DDE 1,000 to 4,000 HP credential is for engineers serving on inspected commercial vessels in that horsepower range. The OUPV (6-pack) is an operator’s license for uninspected passenger vessels carrying up to 6 passengers. Different credential, different role.
If you’re looking for OUPV, that course is on our roadmap (see the resources page for the upcoming course list).
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