DNS (Diploma in Nautical Science)
A one-year IMU pre-sea course for future deck officers, followed by sea time as a deck cadet.
HIMT College Chennai · college guide
HIMT College: Courses, Eligibility and How to Prepare
For Class 12 PCM students — Physics, Chemistry, Maths · age 17 to 25 (relaxations apply) · girls and boys. Not PCM? This path is not open to you.
A plain guide to HIMT College: the IMU courses it runs for a Class 12 PCM student, how admission works, and how NavPath prepares you for the exam and the interview.
NavPath Academy is not affiliated with HIMT College. This is an independent preparation guide.
HIMT · Chennai (pre-sea campus at Kalpakkam), Tamil Nadu
What HIMT College is
HIMT College is the pre-sea college of the HIMT group in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, with its residential pre-sea campus at Kalpakkam, south of the city. The college is affiliated to the Indian Maritime University and its courses are approved by the Directorate General of Shipping. The wider group also runs post-sea and certification training in Chennai and Visakhapatnam.
HIMT’s website lists all three routes for a Class 12 PCM student: DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science and B.Tech Marine Engineering, alongside GME, ETO and rating courses for other entry points. That means the deck and engine degree routes sit on one campus in the south.
Courses
What HIMT College offers a Class 12 PCM student
Confirmed on the college’s website. Confirm the current course list on the institute’s website before you apply.
B.Sc Nautical Science
A three-year IMU degree for the deck side, taught at the Kalpakkam campus, followed by sea time.
B.Tech Marine Engineering
A four-year IMU degree for the engine side, with workshop and ship-in-campus facilities. A lateral-entry version exists for diploma holders.
How admission to HIMT College works
IMU CET
All three courses are IMU programmes, so IMU CET comes first. The next public cycle is IMU CET May 2027. Your rank decides which courses and institutes are open in counselling.
College application and counselling
HIMT takes applications on its own admissions site alongside the IMU process. The college states its own eligibility for each course, including Class 12 marks, English and age, and can hold an interview.
Medical
A DG Shipping-approved medical with eyesight and colour-vision standards is part of every sea-going admission.
Sponsorship is separate
Shipping companies visit the college for cadet selection. That is the company’s decision, not the college’s. Read our company guides for how those rounds work.
HIMT · before you apply
Questions to settle before you apply
- Which course is right for you: DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science or B.Tech Marine Engineering? Decide this in counselling with a parent present.
- Have you checked eyesight and colour vision with an approved doctor? Do it before you spend a year preparing.
- Have you read the institute’s current eligibility for Class 12 marks, English and age on its own website?
- Do you understand that admission and company sponsorship are two separate decisions by two separate bodies?
Read the Merchant Navy career ladder for the full officer route, then check your eligibility before you choose a course.
Questions families ask about HIMT
Is HIMT College affiliated to IMU?
Yes. Its DNS, B.Sc Nautical Science and B.Tech Marine Engineering courses are IMU programmes, approved by DG Shipping.
Where is the HIMT pre-sea campus?
At Kalpakkam, south of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The group’s post-sea training centres are in Chennai and Visakhapatnam.
Can I join HIMT without IMU CET?
For the IMU courses, no. IMU CET is the entry step. Confirm the current rule on the college’s website, because IMU rules change from year to year.
Does HIMT take girls?
The college lists separate hostel facilities for girls and boys, and its courses are open to both. See our Women in Merchant Navy guide.
How does NavPath prepare me for HIMT?
With an HIMT-specific exam and interview module, mock panels with sailing officers and engineers, psychometric practice and spoken English from week one.
More institute guides
Guides for other maritime institutes
Tolani Maritime Institute · Anglo-Eastern Maritime Academy · Samundra Institute of Maritime Studies · Great Eastern Institute of Maritime Studies · AMET University
Know the course before you sit the exam.
Check your eligibility, then apply for NEST, our IMU CET model test. Confirm every admission detail on HIMT College’s own website.