
STCW Course
Gain full certification and become job-ready with the complete STCW course covering every mandatory competency required for seafarers worldwide. From personal survival and firefighting to medical care and maritime security, this course meets international standards set by the IMO. Develop the skills that flag states, port state control officers, and employers expect from every professional mariner.
What you will learn:
This course covers the full range of STCW mandatory competencies required for seafarers at all levels. You will learn the regulatory framework governing certification, hours of rest, and flag state obligations. You will develop practical skills in personal survival techniques, fire prevention and firefighting, and elementary first aid. Security duties under the ISPS Code, environmental responsibilities, and shipboard social conduct are also covered in depth. Advanced modules address fire team leadership, medical care management, and crisis resource management principles. By the end, you will hold the documented competencies needed to serve safely and professionally on vessels trading internationally.
How you study in practice STCW Course
How you practise STCW Course
For businesses looking to train their team
With Dedika for businesses, the course includes exercises and examples tailored to your own business and the way your company needs.
Course content
8 Chapters • 39 LessonsDuration between 4 and 360 hours (you decide)
Chapter 1HideHide detailsSee detailsSTCW Framework and Maritime Regulations
STCW Framework and Maritime Regulations
Lesson 1 • Structure of the STCW Code
Breaks down the Convention articles, Annex chapters, and the mandatory and recommendatory parts of the Code. Connects regulatory text to practical shipboard application.
Lesson 2 • Hours of Work and Rest Regulations
Covers mandatory rest hour limits, record-keeping obligations, and exceptions under STCW. Demonstrates how fatigue management rules protect both seafarers and vessel safety.
Lesson 3 • Flag State and Port State Control
Explains the roles of flag states in issuing certificates and port states in conducting inspections. Seafarers understand how compliance is verified and enforced internationally.
Lesson 4 • Certification and Endorsement Requirements
Details the certificates, endorsements, and revalidation cycles required under STCW. Connects documentation requirements to career progression and vessel trading areas.
Lesson 5 • History and Purpose of STCW
Traces the origins of the STCW Convention and the problems it was designed to solve. Provides context for why international standards exist and how they protect seafarers.
Chapter 2HideHide detailsSee detailsPersonal Safety and Social Responsibilities
Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities
Lesson 1 • Social Responsibilities and Teamwork
Covers professional conduct, cultural awareness, and the duty to report unsafe conditions. Links positive social behaviour to effective team performance and accident prevention.
Lesson 2 • Emergency Duties and Muster Procedures
Explains muster lists, emergency station duties, and the actions required at each alarm signal. Prepares seafarers to respond correctly before formal survival training is completed.
Lesson 3 • Personal Safety Awareness Onboard
Introduces hazard recognition, safe working practices, and personal protective equipment use. Establishes the individual responsibility each seafarer holds for their own safety.
Lesson 4 • Environmental Protection Responsibilities
Outlines seafarer obligations to prevent pollution and comply with waste management procedures. Connects individual actions to vessel compliance with international environmental standards.
Chapter 3HideHide detailsSee detailsElementary First Aid at Sea
Elementary First Aid at Sea
Lesson 1 • Primary Survey and Life Threats
Teaches the ABCDE assessment approach to identify and manage immediate life-threatening conditions. Forms the foundation for all subsequent first aid decision-making onboard.
Lesson 2 • Wound Care and Hemorrhage Control
Addresses wound classification, cleaning, dressing application, and tourniquet use for severe bleeding. Directly applicable to common shipboard injuries from machinery and deck work.
Lesson 3 • Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Techniques
Covers adult CPR, rescue breathing ratios, and AED operation in a maritime environment. Builds the physical skill and confidence to sustain resuscitation until relief arrives.
Lesson 4 • Burns, Fractures, and Shock Management
Explains first aid for thermal and chemical burns, suspected fractures, and hypovolemic shock. Prepares seafarers for injuries common in engine rooms and cargo operations.
Lesson 5 • Medical Emergencies and Evacuation
Covers recognition and initial management of heart attack, stroke, and heat illness at sea. Connects first aid actions to radio medical advice and medical evacuation procedures.
Chapter 4HideHide detailsSee detailsFire Prevention and Firefighting
Fire Prevention and Firefighting
Lesson 1 • Fire Theory and Shipboard Hazards
Explains combustion chemistry, the fire triangle, and the specific ignition sources found on vessels. Provides the theoretical basis for all prevention and suppression decisions.
Lesson 2 • Portable Firefighting Equipment
Teaches selection, inspection, and operation of portable extinguishers and fire hoses. Builds hands-on proficiency with the equipment most likely used in initial attack.
Lesson 3 • Breathing Apparatus and Protective Gear
Covers donning, doffing, and operational use of self-contained breathing apparatus in fire conditions. Ensures seafarers can safely enter smoke-filled spaces as part of a fire team.
Lesson 4 • Firefighting Procedures and Team Roles
Explains the shipboard firefighting organisation, boundary cooling, and search-and-rescue roles. Prepares seafarers to function within a coordinated team response.
Lesson 5 • Fire Detection and Fixed Systems
Covers smoke, heat, and flame detector types, plus fixed suppression systems such as CO2 and sprinklers. Connects detection technology to early warning and automatic suppression capability.
Chapter 5HideHide detailsSee detailsPersonal Survival Techniques
Personal Survival Techniques
Lesson 1 • Lifejackets and Immersion Suits
Covers the types, donning procedures, and limitations of lifejackets and immersion suits. Directly prepares seafarers for the critical minutes following vessel abandonment.
Lesson 2 • Water Survival and Rescue Coordination
Teaches swimming techniques, HELP and huddle positions, and actions to assist rescue operations. Completes survival training by addressing in-water survival and helicopter rescue.
Lesson 3 • Lifeboat and Rescue Boat Operations
Explains launching, boarding, and manoeuvring lifeboats and rescue boats in emergency conditions. Builds operational competency with the primary means of vessel abandonment.
Lesson 4 • Survival Psychology and Decision-Making
Addresses the psychological responses to maritime emergencies and strategies to maintain effective action. Establishes the mental framework that underpins all physical survival skills.
Lesson 5 • Life Raft Deployment and Survival
Covers hydrostatic release, inflation, boarding, and management of life rafts at sea. Prepares seafarers for scenarios where lifeboats cannot be launched.
Chapter 6HideHide detailsSee detailsProficiency in Designated Security Duties
Proficiency in Designated Security Duties
Lesson 1 • Maritime Security Threats and Awareness
Identifies current maritime security threats including piracy, stowaways, and terrorism. Establishes the threat landscape that all subsequent security procedures are designed to address.
Lesson 2 • Access Control and Restricted Areas
Covers procedures for controlling access to the vessel and monitoring restricted spaces. Builds practical skills for the most frequent security duty performed by seafarers.
Lesson 3 • Security Searches and Surveillance
Teaches systematic search techniques for persons, baggage, cargo, and vessel spaces. Prepares seafarers to detect concealed weapons, contraband, and unauthorised persons.
Lesson 4 • Reporting and Responding to Security Incidents
Explains incident reporting chains, evidence preservation, and immediate response actions. Ensures seafarers can escalate security events correctly and support post-incident investigation.
Lesson 5 • ISPS Code and Ship Security Plans
Explains the ISPS Code structure, security levels, and the content of a Ship Security Plan. Connects regulatory requirements to the daily security duties of designated personnel.
Chapter 7HideHide detailsSee detailsAdvanced Firefighting and Fire Team Leadership
Advanced Firefighting and Fire Team Leadership
Lesson 1 • Tactical Firefighting in Enclosed Spaces
Covers entry procedures, ventilation control, and suppression tactics for fires in confined shipboard spaces. Addresses the highest-risk firefighting scenarios encountered at sea.
Lesson 2 • Engine Room and Cargo Space Fires
Addresses the specific hazards, fixed system activation, and tactical approaches for machinery and cargo fires. Builds scenario-specific competency for the most common serious fire locations.
Lesson 3 • Casualty Rescue and Rehabilitation
Teaches techniques for locating, extracting, and providing initial care to fire casualties. Integrates first aid skills with firefighting operations to complete the emergency response cycle.
Lesson 4 • Post-Fire Investigation and Reporting
Covers fire scene preservation, cause investigation methods, and formal reporting requirements. Enables fire team leaders to contribute to lessons-learned processes and prevent recurrence.
Lesson 5 • Fire Emergency Command Structure
Defines the roles of the on-scene commander, fire team leader, and support teams during a shipboard fire. Establishes the command hierarchy that enables coordinated multi-team response.
Chapter 8HideHide detailsSee detailsMedical Care and Crisis Management Onboard
Medical Care and Crisis Management Onboard
Lesson 1 • Advanced Medical Assessment Onboard
Covers systematic patient history-taking, physical examination, and use of the ship's medical guide. Builds the diagnostic reasoning needed to manage illness without immediate shore support.
Lesson 2 • Medication Administration and Medical Equipment
Explains safe administration of shipboard medications, injection techniques, and medical equipment operation. Prepares designated medical officers to provide treatment within their authorised scope.
Lesson 3 • Managing Serious Illness and Trauma
Addresses management of chest injuries, abdominal emergencies, and serious infections at sea. Extends first aid knowledge to sustained medical care over extended periods without evacuation.
Lesson 4 • Crisis Resource Management Principles
Teaches situational awareness, task allocation, and decision-making under pressure during shipboard crises. Provides the leadership framework that integrates all emergency response competencies.
Lesson 5 • Drills, Debriefs, and Continuous Improvement
Covers drill planning, execution, and structured debriefing to improve emergency preparedness. Closes the training cycle by embedding a culture of continuous improvement in crisis response.
Your valid completion certificate
This course is for you:
Entry-level seafarers: needing mandatory certification before joining their first vessel.
Career changers: transitioning from land-based industries into commercial maritime roles.
Fishing vessel crew: moving into regulated international or offshore shipping work.
Lapsed certificate holders: updating expired STCW credentials to restore employment eligibility.
Maritime students: completing academy programmes and preparing for their first sea service.
Superyacht crew: formalising safety training required for professional charter operations.
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