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HEAR THE CRASH OF THE WAVES AS YOU CREATE YOUR OWN PATH AND LET OTHERS FOLLOW IN YOUR WAKE

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NAME)

na·val ar·chi·tec·ture and ma·rine en·gi·neer·ing

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering involves designing and constructing ships and marine structures, as well as developing onboard mechanical and electrical systems.

Naval architects focus on ship design, stability, and performance, while marine engineers focus on propulsion, power, and environmental systems. Together, they ensure safe, efficient, and seaworthy vessels. Career opportunities include shipyards, design firms, offshore engineering, and marine research organizations.

Also Known As: Structural Designer, Hydrodynamic Engineer, Marine Power Systems Engineer, Marine Dynamics Engineer, Propulsion Expert, Navigation and Guidance System Engineer, Boat Designer, +10,000 more

A student adjusts ropes on a huge docked sailboat on a bright and sunny day

WHY NAME AT MICHIGAN?

  • 26%

    Female (Compared to 12% in the Industry)

  • 20

    Students:
    Average Class Size

  • 1 of 5

    NAME Programs, Nationally

  • 40%

    of the Industry is
    UM Alumni

  • #1

    in the United States (Universities.com)

The only NAME program that spans Undergraduate through Ph.D. studies.

The only department in the U.S. that provides systematic and top-notch education in all aspects of Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering.

The two students in scuba gear on the Michigan Human-Powered Submarine team practices navigating the submarine underwater

What do Naval Architects and Marine Engineers do?

We are the creators of the juxtaposition between the hard lacquered hulls and soft sails of sailboats, of the sleek and powerful military ships, of the covert and seemingly invisible submarines, and of the grandiose and extravagant yachts that sail our seas. We don’t just build ships- we build experiences and sustain life.

Academic Concentrations

  • Marine Renewable Energy

    Use hydroelectricity, wind farms, hydropower, offshore drilling, and wave energy as alternative energy sources. Water has an incredible, untethered power- learn to harness it to fuel our world.

    Courses: Marine Thermodynamics, Marine Electrical Engineering, Marine Structures, Offshore Engineering

  • Global Commerce

    Growth in global trading has led to an explosion in global shipping needs. Carrying billions of tons of goods, ships may be the most important means of transportation of our time.

    Courses: Marine Systems Production Business Strategy & Operations Management

  • Public Service

    Explore the possibilities of a civilian career in the U.S. Navy which cover virtually every occupation in the maritime world!

    NREIP (Naval Research Enterprise Internship Program) experience

  • Robotics and Autonomy

    Create robots to explore, map, and protect the tranquil splendor of our marine environments. Build autonomous boats for crafts to now be operated remotely while underwater, for remote monitoring of containerships, and for smart shipping technology.

    Michigan RobotX team, UM::Autonomy (Student Design Teams)

  • Marine and Offshore Structures

    Build stronger, longer lasting, and more reliable structures that are easier to construct. You can construct ships and other floating vessels in shipyards like people did thousands of years before us, extract petroleum and natural gas from rock formations deep beneath the seabed, and build the ships, submersibles, coastal structures, offshore platforms, and plants that handle a wide array of tasks.

    Courses: Offshore Engineering, Marine Structures

  • Design, Production, and Management

    Our name says it all: we are on the cutting edge of NAME, and we are the ones who come up with the newest in design concepts and manufacturing methods for ships, platforms, and other marine structures.

    Courses: Conceptual Vessel/Platform Design , Foundations of Ship Design, Ship Structure, Capstone Design Project, Marine Systems Production Business Strategy & Operations Management

  • Dynamics and Control

    Brace for the unexpected and know how to recover. We rely on analytic modeling and experimentation to design marine systems that can better navigate treacherous waters, withstand blast events, mitigate shocks, and safely handle extreme motions and loads.

    Courses: Marine Dynamics

  • Hydrodynamics

    Dive in and study the water itself- how it flows, how it moves, and how its biological interactions with structures and the environment for any of a million applications, including: making vessels more effective and efficient; increasing the durability of fixed ocean structures; and harnessing the power of water to extract usable energy from waves, ocean currents, and wind.

    Courses: Drag Reduction Techniques, Numerical Marine Hydrodynamics, Hydrofoils, Propellers, & Turbines

  • Structural and Hydro-Acoustics

    Put your ear to the tides and listen to discover how sound is produced in marine structures and how that sound spreads through the ocean to optimize the stealth of submarines, increase the visibility of certain marine vessels, and study the effects of the sound waves vessels produce on the environment.

  • Concentrations are areas in which a student, through the use of technical and free electives and in consultation with their advisor, could decide to focus. While NAME has no official academic concentrations, students can move into certain areas simply by taking one or two additional courses.

Concentrations are areas in which a student, through the use of technical and free electives and in consultation with their advisor, could decide to focus. While NAME has no official academic concentrations, students can move into certain areas simply by taking one or two additional courses.

Graduate receiving hood during ceremony

Sequential Undergraduate/Graduate Studies Program (SUGS)

Complete your bachelor’s and master’s degrees in only five years with SUGS by taking some graduate-level classes during your undergraduate years, so you can save yourself one semester and complete the masters with only two additional semesters.

LEARN MORE

Sample Course List

First-Year

First-Year

  • Fall Semester
    • CoE Core Calculus I (Math 115)
    • CoE Core Engineering 100
    • CoE Core Chemistry (125/126 and 130 or 210 and 211)
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth
  • Winter Semester
    • CoE Core Calculus II (Math 116)
    • CoE Core Engineering 101
    • CoE Core Physics (140 and 141)
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth

Sophomore Year

Sophomore Year

  • Fall Semester
    • CoE Core Calculus III (Math 215)
    • CoE Core Physics (240 and 241)
    • Major Requirement Thermodynamics (ME 235)
    • Major Requirement Vessel/Platform Design (NA 270)
  • Winter Semester
    • CoE Core Differential Equations (Math 216)
    • Major Requirement Dynamics (ME 240)
    • Major Requirement Solid Mechanics (ME 211)
    • Major Requirement Probability for Marine Engineers (NA 280)

Junior Year

Junior Year

  • Fall Semester
    • Major Requirement Intro to Fluid Mechanics (ME/NA 320)
    • Major Requirement Marine Power and Energy I (NA 331)
    • Major Requirement Marine Dynamics I (NA 340)
    • Elective General Elective
  • Winter Semester
    • Major Requirement Marine Structures I (NA 310)
    • Major Requirement Marine Hydrodynamics (NA 321)
    • Major Requirement Marine Power and Energy II (NA 332)
    • Major Requirement Conceptual Vessel/Platform Design (NA 370)
    • Elective General Elective

Senior Year

Senior Year

  • Fall Semester
    • Major Requirement Foundations of Ship Design (NA 470)
    • Major Requirement Marine Engineering Lab (NA 492)
    • Major Requirement Technical Elective
    • Elective General Elective
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth
  • Winter Semester
    • Major Requirement Marine Structures Construction (NA 461)
    • Major Requirement Marine Design Team Project (NA 475)
    • Major Requirement Technical Elective
    • Elective General Elective
    • Elective Intellectual Breadth

Individualized schedules will be made by students in consultation with an advisor who will tailor their classes to better fit the student's needs.

Practice your Purpose

Apply the skills you are learning in class to the real world.

Student Design Teams

UM::Autonomy - Autonomous Boat
U-M Human Powered Submarine
MCCT - Michigan Concrete Canoe Team
Robosub
Michigan Electric Boat

Professional Development

A group of students pose with a U-M flag wearing hard hats with a large ship launch in the background
Quarterdeck Student Society
American Society of Naval Engineers (ASNE)
Society for Naval Architects and Marine Engineers

Research

Computational Autonomy and Robotics Lab
READ MORE
A professor points to a computer screen and explains a concept to the onlooking researcher
Real-time Adaptive Control Engineering Lab
READ MORE
A computer model of the waves left in water by a boat propeller. The waves are marked in green, yellow, and red
Computational Ship Hydrodynamics Laboratory
READ MORE

Alumni Biographies

Each of these alumni are real people who were once in your shoes, deciding a major. Explore their path and how a Michigan education set their life in motion.

  • Jessica Reid headshot
    • Jess Reid
    • Boeing
  • Emily Tunila headshot
    • Emily Tunila
    • General Dynamics Electric Boat
  • Robert Kent headshot
    • Robert Kent II
    • United States Navy
  • Harleigh Seyffert headshot
    • Harleigh Seyffert
    • Technical University Delft (Netherlands)
  • Tyler Groll headshot
    • Tyler Groll II
    • Shell Oil Company
  • Colin Schweigert headshot
    • Colin Schweigert
    • MasterCraft Boat Company
  • Valerie Barthelemy headshot
    • Valerie Barthelemy
    • Sport Vlaanderen, Belgian National Team
  • Vittorio Bichuchner headshot
    • Vittorio Bichuchner
    • McKinsey & Company
    • Carolina Madrid
    • Strategy&, Management Consulting New York, NY
    • Mark Parra-Shostrand
    • Naval Surface Warfare Center
Jessica Reid headshot

    Jess Reid

    Boeing

Emily Tunila headshot

    Emily Tunila

    General Dynamics Electric Boat

Robert Kent headshot

    Robert Kent II

    United States Navy

Harleigh Seyffert headshot

    Harleigh Seyffert

    Technical University Delft (Netherlands)

Tyler Groll headshot

    Tyler Groll II

    Shell Oil Company

Colin Schweigert headshot

    Colin Schweigert

    MasterCraft Boat Company

Valerie Barthelemy headshot

    Valerie Barthelemy

    Sport Vlaanderen, Belgian National Team

Vittorio Bichuchner headshot

    Vittorio Bichuchner

    McKinsey & Company

    Carolina Madrid

    Strategy&, Management Consulting New York, NY

    Mark Parra-Shostrand

    Naval Surface Warfare Center

Not sure what major to choose?

Tap into our network of 85k+ engineering alumni. Do you have questions you’d like answered? Our alumni are always eager to talk about engineering.
(Current and admitted UM students only.)

Speak to an Alum
A researcher studies water flow through a specially built system with bubbles surging through it, lit in blues and greens

Industries & Occupations

  • Offshore Industries
  • National Defense
  • International Trade and Shipping
  • Coastal and Great Lakes Shipping
  • Oil and Gas Exploration
  • Regulatory Industries
  • Research
  • Transportation Industries
  • Boat Design and Manufacturing
Water gushes forward and flies off the back end of a small water vessel in a black testing chamber

Companies

  • ExxonMobil
  • Chevron
  • Mastercraft
  • American Bureau of Shipping
  • BMT Designers and Planners
  • MARIN, Maritime Research Institute Netherlands
  • United States Navy
  • Kady Krogen Yachts
  • Fincantieri Bay Shipbuilding
  • Airflow Sciences Corporation
  • General Dynamics
  • Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines
  • Military Sealift Command

LEARN MORE

Jessica Reid headshot

Jess Reid

  • Boeing
  • Fluid Systems Standards Engineer

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2017
University of Michigan, MSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2017
Engineer in Training (EIT) Certification
Career Summary

After college, Jess worked as a Marine Engineer at ExxonMobil for just over a year before transferring to Boeing to work as a Fluid Systems Standards Engineer at The Boeing Company.

Career Timeline
  • ExxonMobil
  • Boeing
What excites you about your career?

I work with complex fluid systems across all airplane programs and at all phases of production, from new design to legacy aircraft. The projects and scope of work are really exciting. I love that I can ‘see’ so much of the company in my daily work. I am constantly learning, and I get to manage complicated problems in a company where I am empowered. Switching from the energy industry to the aviation industry is a huge career highlight of mine!

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

I loved my time at the University of Michigan, especially my time in the NA&ME department! My favorite student organization was Quarterdeck. I had so many cool, fun experiences engaging with the maritime industry and I was able to develop many interpersonal skills that I use in my career through Quarterdeck. I will also always fondly remember late nights and early mornings senior year in the computer lab working on design projects.

 

Emily Tunila headshot

Emily Tunila

  • General Dynamics Electric Boat
  • Engineer II- Materials

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2015
Career Summary

Upon graduation, Emily began working in the nuclear engineering field, later transitioning into rotations in design engineering and in research and development studying hull and external structures ORP before settling into a role in robotics engineering.

What excites you about your career?

Submarines. And getting to help improve the ship building process.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

The NAME department was small and we all knew each other. We all worked together on projects and homework and became like a family. I knew no one when I came to Michigan so it was awesome to find a group of people who had similar interests and goals.

There were also lots of opportunities to take trips through the department. Nothing is cooler than standing next to a battle ship under construction, a great lakes tanker dry docked for repair or seeing an LCS side launched into the river. These trips gave really good examples of what I could be doing after graduation.

The professors were also awesome. Their doors were always open and you are able to get to know them much better because of the small department size.

Favorite Student Orgs

There was also so much to do outside of the department. I was a member of the sailing team and worked with FIRST robotics teams in Detroit for all four years. There are so many opportunities to discover what you like and what you want to do with your future.

Advice for Students

Take the time to enjoy college life. Classes are important but there is so much else to learn.

Talk to Professors about their experiences, go to Quarterdeck presentations from people in industry, take the trips offered by the department. The “real world” information makes what you learn in class much more relevant and exciting.

Robert Kent headshot

Robert Kent II

  • United States Navy
  • US Navy Submarine Officer, USS Providence

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2016
Career Summary

Upon graduation, Robert reported to Naval Nuclear Power School to learn basic principles of reactor physics, thermodynamics, health physics, electrical power theory, and material science required to operate Naval Nuclear power plants, then underwent Naval Prototype Training. From there, a career working in submarines began. At Submarine Basic Officer School, Robert learned US Navy submarine damage control, escape procedures, weapons, and ship systems, then reported to the US Navy Dive School to train to become one of the four submarine’s force SCUBA divers. After reporting to the USS Providence, Robert served as Main Propulsion Assistant responsible for the operation, care, and maintenance of the ships propulsion machinery, later serving as Electronics Materials Officer coordinating maintenance of the Navigation Division. Currently, Robert serves as SCUBA Diving Officer, performing security swims in foreign ports and minor maintenance requiring divers onboard US Nuclear power submarines, and is also Communications Officer and Assistant Operations Officer, responsible for all ship wide message traffic and radio equipment as well as the day to day operations of the warship.

Awards
  • Navy Achievement Medal – 2019
  • Global War on Terrorism Medal – 2018
  • Navy E Ribbon – Top Submarine for SUBRON-12 in 2018
What excites you about your career?

The ability to work with some of the most talented members of our Country in some of the worlds most hostile environments.

Favorite Class

My favorite class was NA 491, the senior laboratory class. Every two weeks we performed a different lab to demonstrate one of the topics we had covered in the previous three years. Not only was it exciting to see theoretical knowledge in a practical setting, but each lab presented its own set of problems in terms of data processing. I remember sitting in the Naval Architecture computer lab with my classmates attempting to figure out how to complete the lab. Eventually someone would have a breakthrough and everyone would be so excited, we all felt like we were solving the world’s biggest problems. Who knew that three short years later, those same classmates would be working on real Naval Architecture problems.

Advice to Students

Don’t be afraid of looking like an idiot in front of your professors and classmates. Most likely someone else in the class has the same question but is too scared to ask it.

Study hard but recognize that there is more to College than your degree. The friendships that I started at UM are some of the best friendships I have to this day.

Harleigh Seyffert headshot

Harleigh Seyffert

  • Technical University Delft (Netherlands)
  • Postdoctoral Researcher

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2014
University of Michigan, MSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2016
University of Michigan, MSE Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, 2016
University of Michigan, Ph.D. Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2018
Career Summary

Beginning at the Michigan Marine Hydrodynamics Lab, Harleigh researched and helped design a new beach structure for the towing tank and designed and fabricated a bow for the Department of Defense Autonomous Combat Vehicle project. Moving on, Harleigh performed a dynamic buoy motion analysis on a facility that experienced buoy integrity issues and recommended an improved buoy design to mitigate future failures for an engineering group. Later on, Harleigh developed an in-house automated program to calculate mooring line fatigue damage on deep- draft semi-submersible platforms due to Vortex Induced Motion and enabled capability to benchmark & verify future contractor work. Harleigh is currently researching extreme combined loading scenarios on complex marine vessels and structures, and the waves which lead to these scenarios, as well as reduced-order reliability models and studying how to integrate performance analysis into the design procedure.

Career Timeline
  • Hyundai Heavy Industries | South Korea
  • Chevron Energy Technology Company
  • Civil, Structural, & Marine Engineering Group: Anchors, Moorings, & Risers
  • Michigan Marine Hydrodynamics Lab
  • Global Response and Concept Engineering
  • Technical University | Delft, South Holland, Netherlands
Awards

Rackham Merit Fellowship Recipient: 2014-2015
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship: September 2016-2019

What excites you about your career?

My career is exciting because I can combine intellectual freedom and interesting technical challenges with opportunities to travel the world and interact with people from industry, government, and academia.
Getting a Michigan NAME degree means that wherever you go, you will see a familiar face and people will know where you came from. My Michigan NAME experience has opened up so many doors.
The ability to choose how I want to apply my knowledge and where I want to do that is amazing, and not something that everyone gets.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

The best part of joining NAME was joining a department that follows you long after you graduate (in a good way). I made friends that I still regularly see and talk to today- even while living on a different continent. I still regularly see Michigan professors and students at conferences. I met my husband in the NAME department! A NAME degree is wonderful and will give you so many opportunities to do good work and travel around the world. But in getting that degree, you’ll also get to interact with great people that you’ll still know years down the line. They don’t call us the Michigan mafia for nothing!

Advice to Students

Anyone can be an engineer! Even if you don’t see a lot of people who look like you or seem like they come from a similar background, you can still be a successful engineer without giving up what makes you yourself.
Sometimes you have to work hard to convince people that you deserve a seat at the table. But work hard and you will convince them!

It can be challenging, but it’s worth it. You just have to believe in yourself first: that you deserve to be there, and that you can do it. It sounds cheesy, but it’s true. If you don’t believe in yourself or believe that you deserve to be there, no one else will. But to have confidence that you are just as capable and qualified as anyone else, then everyone else will (eventually) follow suit. Once you’ve decided that you want to be an engineer, you can do it.

Tyler Groll headshot

Tyler Groll II

  • Shell Oil Company
  • Offshore Engineer

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2014
University of Michigan, MSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering
FE and PE Certifications
Career Summary

I started at Shell immediately after graduate school, and for the past 4 years have mainly been involved in 2 multi-billion dollar projects, Appomattox and Vito. Both are semi-submersible floating production facilities in more than 1500 meters of water. My job has primarily focused on marine aspects of these platforms, including marine transportation, platform installation, offshore mooring design and installation, marine tow, as well as hull design and construction.

What excites you about your career?

I get to play an integral part of the life cycles of multi-billion dollar assets every day, which presents a different set of exciting challenges. Having the capability to be able to see how choices we make in a design stage are implemented into real life is a humbling experience, especially for projects that have a life cycle of concept design to execution of multiple years.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

I was part of a science and engineering fraternity (called Triangle), that also doubled as social group, which brought many like-minded people together. I loved the camaraderie that it brought, but there was a strong academic focus which helped keep my discipline to study and focus on classes.

I enjoyed Quarterdeck society has it brought industry back to connect with students on a weekly basis, and served as a platform to make connections.
It is incredible how many of the classes that I took at Michigan I use on a regular basis, as an engineer in Shell you are expected to be multi-disciplined.

Advice to Students

Take advantage of a study abroad! Put in the work during your sophomore or junior year to understand what universities across the world have applicable transfer credits for your undergraduate classes. You would be surprised how flexible different classes are, and how you can rearrange schedules to meet credit requirements.

Take advantage of internship opportunities to explore the different industries that can be applicable within the NAME discipline. I was fortunate enough to work in a naval shipyard, a commercial yard, and the oil and gas industry in three consecutive years, which enabled me to know what type of work I wanted to be involved in for my career.

Colin Schweigert headshot

Colin Schweigert

  • MasterCraft Boat Company
  • Naval Architect

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2016
American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) Certification
Career Summary

As a Naval Architect, Colin has worked on a plethora of components of marine vessels, including hull design, exhaust, underwater gear, and structural components. Colin has also performed research on the design of fiberglass components such as liner grids, fuel systems, ballast systems, and wake development.

What excites you about your career?

Being involved in something I am passionate about is amazing. The recreational sector of the marine industry is special because many of the people involved are boating enthusiasts. Working with athletes to perfect our boats’ wakes is my personal favorite part of the job.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

Michigan was incredible and I loved my time there. I got involved with the waterski team which was the best. If I could do it again, I would get more involved with design groups and extra curricular engineering projects. These are fantastic resume builders.

Advice to Students

The most important thing I learned was how to learn. The material I thoroughly enjoyed and understood was the material that I learned to love. Getting involved with hands on projects is a great way to figure out what you’re interested in and is a great line on a resume. And join the waterski team! Go to a hockey game.

Valerie Barthelemy headshot

Valerie Barthelemy

  • Sport Vlaanderen, Belgian National Team
  • Professional Triathlete

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2013
University of Michigan, MSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2014
Career Summary

Valerie began with in a more traditional manner working as a Naval Architect Contract Engineer with Maritime Research Associates before taking the unconventional route: going to the Olympics. Since 2017, Valerie has been a Professional Triathlete for Team Belgium, employed by Sport Vlaanderen. As a member of Belgian National team, Valerie has been a part of development program for Olympic Qualification for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games and has won numerous medals in competitions.

Awards
  • 2019: Ranked top 80 in the World.
  • 2019: Bronze Medal World Cup China
  • 2019: Bronze Medal World Cup Italy
  • 2018: Bronze Medal European Championship Mixed Relay Team.
  • 2018: Belgian National Champion (Olympic Distance)
  • 2017: European Cup Winner Wuustwezel
  • 2017: Belgian National Champion (Sprint Distance)
  • 2017: Belgian National Champion (Olympic Distance)
What excites you about your career?

The possibility to achieve a lifelong dream of being an Olympian. The ability to inspire young women that any goal, whether that be an Engineering degree, or an Olympic qualification, is doable with dedication, hard work, and a good support network.

Favorite Student Orgs

Varsity Member of UM Swimming and Diving team

Advice to Students

Don’t be afraid to ask the department for help. Being a student athlete at Michigan was only possible thanks to the flexibility of the Naval Architecture department, and especially scheduling help from Warren Noone. I was able to take classes out of the “traditional sequence,” in order to fit my curriculum into 4.5 years, and balance my athletic commitment. Warren was always open to a good chat, and a pre-exam pep talk. It’s a small department, which serves as a family within the large University.

Vittorio Bichuchner headshot

Vittorio Bichuchner

  • McKinsey & Company
  • Senior Business Analyst

University of Michigan, BSE Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering, 2014
University of Michigan, MSE Robotics, 2016
Career Summary

Vittorio’s career began as a research assistant improving long-baseline navigation for underwater autonomous vehicles at the University of Michigan, which later evolved into research on autonomous vehicle technology at the PeRL Lab in the Naval Architecture Department during his Master’s in Robotics. After graduating, Vittorio began working at the McKinsey Center for Future Mobility, a global management consulting firm.

What excites you about your career?
  • Ability to solve tough clean technology business problems with clients that can have a significant impact on society.
  • Traveling and seeing the country! I’ve been in 6 countries in 3 continents and 30 states in over 3 years.
  • The people I interact with are fantastic. Everyone is incredibly excited to solve problems.
Reflection on Time Spent at U-M

The NAME community became and still are my best friends, so leverage them to build a community at Michigan! I transferred from a small college in Florida. The people that transferred with me became good friends and the department helped build a great community I enjoyed the problem-solving techniques that I had to develop to solve problems at NAME. It was applicable in my career.

Advice to Students

Have fun and do things that you enjoy. Do not focus on getting a job, focus on delivering high-quality work in classes and the rest will come.

Carolina Madrid

  • Strategy&, Management Consulting New York, NY
  • Senior Associate

UM Ross - MBA, Strategic Consulting - 2018
Michigan - Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering - 2013
Career Summary

Since I graduated from Michigan undergrad in NAME, my career has been two-pronged. Post-undergrad, I worked as a Naval Engineer at a company outside of Baltimore, MD called the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies. I always describe this institute as both a training facility, as well as maritime consultation firm. The main asset of this company was its full-mission ship simulators, which were primarily used for two purposes: 1) to train pilots or 2) to test new ship designs or new routes. Training and testing are two things that simulation is great for, as any mistake made within the confines of a simulator is going to be way less costly than if they are made in real life. Most of the maritime companies that used the simulator were commercial – we had clients in the cruising, oil & gas and cargo shipping industries, among a few others. While running the simulator, all sorts of data would be collected on the vessel’s response to environmental conditions, engine response times, turning performance, etc. Clients used this information to tweak vessel designs, alter routes or simply to prepare for the actual voyage. My role within this company was to create virtual models of clients’ vessels for use in the simulator. At times, I simulated the environment as well, but that was less often. My job was to ensure that the virtual model was built such that it reacted as realistically as possible in the simulator to external factors. I worked here for three years and enjoyed my time there and built many great professional and personal relationships. However, ultimately I decided that Naval Engineering was a bit too niche of a career for me and wanted to delve further into the business / client-facing sides that I got a glimpse of while at MITAGS. I also wanted more flexibility in terms of what industry I worked in. So, I decided to get my MBA.

I spent two years at the Michigan Ross School of Business to earn my MBA and decided to pursue a career in strategy consulting at PwC Strategy& in Chicago, IL. I do strategy consulting for clients in the Industrial Products and Services industry, so I still get to utilize my engineering background quite frequently. However, the work is a lot less engineering-specific and more centered on business decisions. I have worked with a client who manufactured elevator components and helped them develop a sourcing strategy from beginning to end, with the ultimate goal of achieving a certain savings goal. Most recently, I worked with an international research organization to investigate use cases of 5G networks and develop infrastructure investment models that cities around the world can hopefully leverage in their deployment efforts. I have been at the firm for 1.5 years and expect that I will make a move to either a smaller consulting firm or a job in industry within the next year.

What excites me about my career?

As a consultant, you continuously work on several different projects across different companies & clients and with different teams. As such, you must learn at a very rapid pace, often having to learn about entire industries in mere days/weeks in order to appear that you are an “expert” that clients can trust with their strategy. This presents challenges but is also what excites me most about my career. I learn so much in such short periods of time from extremely intelligent people and truly do have the opportunity to become an expert on many topics.

Reflection on time spent at UM?

I still recall my time at UM as some of the best, most formative years of my life. In fact, I liked it so much, I went back for two more! Coming out of high school, UM was everything I wanted in a school. It was large, it held great pride in its academics and sports programs, the extracurricular activities were endless, the student body was diverse, ethnically and intellectually and Ann Arbor was the most idyllic college town. Though the engineering program was one of my most challenging endeavors, I learned a great deal and always found support in faculty and advisors. I was constantly inspired by my peers who were having achievements in such a wide array of areas, whether it be academics, career, arts, social activism or student government. I grew a thicker skin at UM, learning to persevere through exams that I performed poorly on and slugging through countless all-nighters during my senior-year lab. I had incredible research opportunities in NAME, one which took me to Italy for the first time to attend a Shipbuilding conference, and the other which gave me a summer working at the infamous Marine Hydrodynamics Laboratory. Finally, my time at UM gave me a lifelong network of alumni that I can now count on for career and/or life support. Go Blue!

Advice to Students?

Enjoy this time! Take advantage of every opportunity that is presented to you and approach them fearlessly. Now is the time to fail! Experiment with things you are interested in and build relationships with your classmates, professors, and advisors. Ask a lot of questions – it is the only way you will learn. Drop things that aren’t bringing value to your experience and/or don’t give you energy. Go to Rich JC if you haven’t already for the best ramen of your life.

Mark Parra-Shostrand

  • Naval Surface Warfare Center
  • Naval Architect and Marine Engineer

MSE, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering - 2017
BSE, Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering - 2016
Career Summary?

I graduated from U of M in 2016/17 with a bachelor’s and master’s degree. I started working for the US Navy as a naval architect in July 2017.

What excites you about your career?

The purpose of serving our warfighters. I know the work I do every day serves and prepares sailors for current and future events. My job allows me to be creative and motivates me to work hard.

Reflection on Time Spent at U-M?

My time at Michigan was an awesome time in my life. I learned a lot from NA&ME and felt like the department was a family. The size of the department and classes allowed me to connect better with classmates and professors. This not only excelled my learning but networking opportunities. I will forever be grateful to the University of Michigan and the NA&ME department.

 Advice to Students?

Work hard and meet as many people as you can. If you don’t understand something either in class or at work never be afraid to ask a question. Nine times out of ten there is someone else with the same question. Most importantly, have fun and cherish the time you have because it goes by fast.

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