What's new at Indian Maritime University? CUET UG registrations re-opened on May 27 and will remain open till May 31. The correction window is also open from May 25 to May 31. CUET 2022 exam will be conducted in the first week of July. Meanwhile, IMU registrations for postgraduate admissions are open via CUET PG and the last date to register is June 18. Check CUET PG Brochure 2022 and CUET PG 2022 notification for more updates. 

The Indian Maritime University (IMU) was established as a Central University through an Act of Parliament (Act 22) in November 2008, under the aegis of the Ministry of Shipping, Government of India. It is a teaching cum affiliating University, with its headquarters in Chennai and six regional campuses in Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkatta and Visakhapatnam. It also has 18 affiliated institutes. The University is a member of the International Association of Maritime Universities (IAMU), an association dedicated to the enhancement of global Maritime excellence.

IMU offers a wide range of courses in Maritime Studies, leading to an award of UG, PG and PhD degree in various disciplines. These courses are offered through its four schools namely, School of Maritime Management, School of Marine Engineering & Technolgy, School of Nautical Sciences and School of Naval Architecture & Ocean Engineering. Admission to all the programmes is conducted through IMU CET, followed by a counselling process. The University reserves seat for special states, including Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep and Minicoy Islands, eight north-eastern states (including Sikkim) and Jammu & Kashmir.

Before the foundation of IMU, there were seven renowned teaching and research institutes under the Ministry of Shipping. These institutes were subsumed under IMU in 2008. Following are the names of those institutes:

• The Training Ship Chanakya, Lal Bahadur Shastri College of Advanced Maritime Studies & Research, and Marine Engineering Research Institute (MERI, Mumbai) became the Mumbai campus
• The Marine Engineering Research Institute (MERI, Kolkata) and Indian Institute of Port Management (IIPM) became the Kolkata campus
• The National Ship Design and Research Centre and the National Maritime Academy became the Visakhapatnam (Vizag) and Chennai campuses, respectively
• Kochi campus was set up later in 2009

IMU Chennai was previously known as National Maritime Academy, which was established in 1985 with the technical assistance from UNDP/ UNCTAD to offer courses of reputable standards. The Campus is located on a 20-acre scenic beachfront property on the outskirts of Chennai. It houses the academic block, hostel, residential and recreational facilities. The hostel complex can accommodate up to 250 residents. IMU Chennai has one of the best maritime libraries in the country with more than 8,000 books, journals and magazines in Maritime Studies. The audio-visual division has an archive of over 600 titles on DVDs covering a gamut of Marine and Port operations. This campus has a state-of-the-art Ship Maneuvering Simulator that has a capability to generate images of various types of ships and port approaches in diverse operational and climatic conditions, which help the cadets to get hands-on experience in the Engine room.

At present, IMU Chennai offers nearly 15 courses in the field of Marine Engineering, Nautical Sciences, Port and Shipping Management, and related subjects. These courses are available at UG, PG and PhD level. The placement rate of IMU Chennai is approximately 70%, with some of the major companies such as Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, Shipping Corporation of India, Fleet Management Ltd, NYK Ship Management, etc. visiting the campus to hire students. The University has also signed up MoUs with numerous international universities/institutes for mutual growth opportunities. The prominent ones include Plymouth University, Admiral GI Nevelskoi Maritime State University, Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Maritime University and Southampton Solent University.

IMU Chennai undertakes a host of training programmes under two divisions: Marine and Port. The Marine division conducts pre-sea and post-sea training programmes for Merchant Navy personnel, while the Port division offers courses for the officials of major ports, non-major ports, Maritime boards, and organisations connected with transport trade. Seminars and workshops are also conducted regularly for the overall development of the students.

IMU Chennai application process generally begins in the first week of April every year. Candidates can fill out the admission form through IMU's official website. The admission process to the University is conducted through IMU CET. However, admissions to the BBA programme is merit-based. Apart from the entrance exam, candidates also need to qualify for a physical fitness test prior to their admission. Candidates seeking admission to Marine programmes are strongly recommended to have a passport.

Read more on IMU Chennai admission

IMU Chennai offers admission to all the courses (except BBA) based on a candidate's performance in IMU CET. For BBA, the admissions are based on a candidate's academic merit. In order to pursue a UG course at IMU, candidates must be unmarried and below 25 years. Check out some of the top courses offered by the Chennai campus, along with their eligibility criteria and fee in the table below:

Some of the important dates related to IMU Chennai are tabulated below: 

The official website of the University states that IMU does not guarantee placements as the job market is dependent on many factors. However, it does take all the reasonable efforts to find suitable job offers for its students. The University has a record of 70% placements rate and many prestigious companies such as Shipping Corporation of India, NYK Ship Management, Dredging Corporation of India Limited, Synergy Ship Management, Anglo-Eastern Ship Management, etc. are known to have hired from IMU Chennai campus.

Read more on IMU Chennai placements

IMU offers a 'performance-based reward scheme' to the meritorious students with the aim of motivating them to keep achieving remarkably every semester. The scheme is based on the academic performance of the students in their immediate previous semester examination. Under this scheme, the University grants Rs 1 lakh to the toppers of each batch and programme. The students in the top 10 percentiles (other than toppers) get Rs 75,000 each and next 10 high scorers get Rs 50,000 each.

The University also offers post-matric scholarships for OBC/SC/ST and minority communities through state agencies. Click here to know more.

Read IMU Chennai students' reviews