Our Students Will Be Employed: A Captain and a Student – Dmitry Chutchev Completed His Master’s Degree while at Sea

SAMK’s latest maritime simulator technology was taken in use in 2016.

Dmitry Chutchev has been working on ships since he graduated from the University of Water Transport in Saint Petersburg with a Marine Navigation degree in 1996.

– I started as a 3rd officer on dry cargo vessels, and later become a captain. I used to sail as a captain for over 10 years, mostly on different kinds of container ships.

After a decade at sea, Chutchev decided to go back to school. He applied for the Degree Programme in Maritime Management at Satakunta University of Applied Sciences and started his studies in 2018.

– The programme was mostly realized as remote studies, which enabled me to sail and keep my job during the two years I studied. I found this an attractive offer – allowing me to get a Finnish education while not affecting my captain’s job.

Deeper insights into maritime work

The Degree Programme in Maritime Management has courses on Scandinavian maritime legislation, maritime economics, marine insurance, shipping, marine technology, and so on. Academic knowledge from legal, economic, and technical issues is combined with expertise from the industry. Teaching teams also arrange visits and workshops in Finland and to Nordic Countries and London together with the industry. The full curriculum can be seen on the degree programme’s web page on the SAMK website.

Dmitry Chutchev tells he found all the courses included in the programme interesting, but he enjoyed studies on marine insurance the most. Students can choose the topic for their theses themselves, so Chutchev’s thesis focused on marine insurance on the Northern Sea Route.

– The best part of studying at SAMK was the lectures, which were held in Helsinki. I also enjoyed writing my thesis, which included different types of work: researching material, sorting out vast amounts of information, choosing the needed parts, and finally writing the thesis.

The Master of Maritime Management degree programme can be completed as blended learning within two years while working. Contact lectures are held every second month in Helsinki. Alternatively, starting from September of 2023, the degree programme can be completed as one year of full-time studies in Rauma. Chutchev started his studies in 2018, so he completed the degree within two years while working simultaneously.

Back on shore

Dmitry Chutchev graduated with a degree of Master of Maritime Management in 2021 and is presently living in Helsinki. He works as a Quality Superintendent at the shore for a Finnish company. His aim was to improve his chances for employment in Finland with a Finnish master’s degree. SAMK is one of the few universities of applied sciences in Finland that offer a master’s degree in maritime management.

– I will and have already recommended SAMK to others interested in a master’s degree in maritime management. In fact, my wife will start her studies next year.

Besides finding his studies interesting and recommending the MMM degree programme to others, Chutchev also found the lecturers helpful.

– Especially I would like to mention the great help I received from lecturers Peter Sandell and Ninna Roos during and after my studies. Without their assistance, guidance, and understanding of the marine work, the results I got would have been unreachable.

Interested in the Master of Maritime Management degree programme?

The Degree Programme in Maritime Management has a yearly intake of 30 students, and the degree consists of 60 ECTS. The next application period is from the 5th of January to the 16th of February 2022. The programme can be applied for on Studyinfo.

Dmitry Chutchev

• From Russia and studied previously in Saint Petersburg
• Graduated from SAMK with the Master of Maritime Management Degree
• Now works as a Quality Superintendent at the shore for a Finnish company