Move from unlicensed
to qualified.
From your bunk.
The full 120-hour Qualified Member of the Engine Department (Oiler) curriculum, delivered 100% online and approved by the United States Coast Guard. Complete it on your schedule. Between watches, on shore leave, or during off-rotations.
QMED is your first credentialed step into the engine department.
If you’re an unlicensed wiper or workaway looking to advance, QMED Oiler is the gateway. It’s a USCG-required 120-hour curriculum, and it’s required before you can hold a rated position.
Higher pay grade
Rated QMED positions pay materially more than unlicensed roles. The credential pays for itself within your first rotation in most cases.
Real career path
QMED is the foundation that unlocks Junior Engineer, Third Engineer, and beyond. Without it, the ladder doesn’t start.
Required by employers
Most fleet operators won’t put you on the engine watch board without it. The credential is the line between “helping out” and “on the watch.”
Same credential. Without the travel tax.
The 120 hours is the same 120 hours. The curriculum is the same. The credential is the same. The difference is what you give up to earn it.
Traditional QMED School
What it costs2 to 3 weeks off rotation
Most QMED programs run 80 to 120 in-person hours over 2 to 3 weeks. That’s a full off-rotation gone to school instead of pay.
Travel + lodging
Most QMED schools are clustered in maritime hubs. If you don’t live near one, that’s flights, hotels, meals.
Cohort schedule
You start when the next class starts. Miss the window? Wait six weeks for the next one.
BMT QMED Online
What we changedStudy between watches
Open lessons on phone, tablet, or laptop. Twenty minutes here, an hour there. The 120 hours adds up on your time.
Zero travel
Your couch, your bunk, the mess hall, anywhere. The course goes wherever you do.
Start any day
No cohorts. Enroll today, start tonight, finish when you’re ready.
The full 120 hours. Nothing skipped.
Every section the USCG requires for QMED Oiler, structured for self-paced study. Each module includes a quiz; the course ends with a cumulative AI-proctored final.
Engine Room Familiarization
Layout, equipment identification, watch routines, bilge and fuel systems, alarm response basics.
Pumps, Valves & Piping
Pump types and operation, valve identification and function, pipe systems, leaks and isolation procedures.
Lubrication Systems
Lube oil types, filtration, lube oil sampling, top-ups, sump and tank inspection.
Cooling & Fresh Water
Sea water and fresh water cooling loops, expansion tanks, heat exchangers, treatment chemistry.
Fuel Handling
Fuel types, day tanks, transfer procedures, purification, spill prevention, ORB entries.
Safety & PPE
Engineering space hazards, PPE selection, hot work, confined space, lockout/tagout.
Firefighting Basics
Fire classes, extinguisher types, fixed systems, response priorities for engineering fires.
Tools & Maintenance
Hand and power tools, basic mechanical maintenance, recordkeeping, work order completion.
Regulations & Documentation
USCG, MARPOL, SOLAS as they apply to QMED. ORB and engine room log entries.
QMED · Oiler
The credential that gets you on the engine watch board. 120 hours of USCG-required training, on your schedule, from anywhere with a signal.
What’s included
- Full 120-hour USCG-required curriculum (9 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
- Lifetime course access. No subscription.
Quick answers before you enroll.
The questions we hear most from QMED candidates.
Yes. BMT is USCG-approved for the QMED Oiler 120-hour course. You submit your completion certificate with the rest of your application packet (sea time letters, medical, TWIC, etc.). We provide the submission walkthrough.
You don’t need sea time to take the course. You do need it to receive the actual credential from the NMC. The general rule is 6 months of qualifying sea service in the engine department, but check the specific NMC requirements for your situation.
The course is 120 hours of content. Most students complete it in 4 to 8 weeks studying part-time during off-rotations. If you push it, you can finish in a couple of weeks of focused study.
The curriculum assumes you’ve spent some time around engineering spaces (most candidates have wiped or workaway’d). If you’re brand new, the course is still doable, but you’ll want to ask more questions and use the instructor messaging.
Employers accept the QMED endorsement, full stop. The NMC issues the same endorsement regardless of whether you took the course online or in-person. If your employer is skeptical, point them to your USCG-issued endorsement, not the school you used to qualify for it.
Full refund within 14 days of enrollment, no questions asked. After 14 days, refund requests are reviewed individually.