Chief Mate Certificate

British Columbia Institute of Technology

Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

Official program page (opens in a new tab)

At British Columbia Institute of Technology in Burnaby, Canada, Chief Mate Certificate is offered as a certificate in Trades programme. The programme runs for 40 weeks, delivered on campus. Teaching is in English.

At a glance

Degree: Certificate

Field: Trades

Duration: 40 weeks

Delivery: On Campus

Language: English

We have no tuition fees on record for this programme yet — see the official programme page. — it helps other students.

Last reviewed September 2026 ·

Program details

Overview

The Chief Mate Certificate prepares you to act as Chief Mate and on board any vessel on unlimited voyage, or as Master on vessels of less than 500 gross tonnage on near coastal voyage class 1 and class 2, or as Master on any vessel on sheltered waters voyage. You'll take courses in navigation, meteorology, ship management, engineering, cargo, and more.

Requirements

Admission Requirements: Applicants need a Watchkeeping Mate Certificate of Competency and a Transport Canada Candidate Document Number (CDN). BCIT recommends, without making them a strict prerequisite, English 11 or equivalent English-language proficiency, Math 11 and Physics 11, all of which can be met through BCIT's own upgrading courses. The program page defers to BCIT's general English language proficiency requirements rather than stating its own test scores. Sea service is not required to be accepted into the program, but it is required later for the Transport Canada oral examination. No medical-fitness or age condition is stated on the program page.

Application Details

Start Date: January, April and September

Application Deadline: BCIT publishes common credential application dates for most cohort-based diplomas, degrees and Flexible Learning routes, though each program's own page governs: for the January 2027 intake domestic applications run 1 February 2026 to 2 January 2027 and international to 1 November 2026; for the April 2027 intake domestic runs 1 May 2026 to 1 April 2027 and international to 1 February 2027; for September 2027 domestic applications open 1 October 2026 and close 1 September 2027, international 2 July 2027. Openings are 9:00 am and deadlines 11:59 pm Pacific Time, moving to the next business day on a weekend. Admission is not institute-wide rolling, but many programs work first-qualified-first-accepted and can fill before the posted deadline, and several programs, mostly in Health Sciences, trades and graduate studies, run entirely separate application tables of their own. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.

About British Columbia Institute of Technology

“Quisque dominus summi”

Type: Institute of Technology

Control: Public

Campus setting: Suburban

Founded: 1964

Students: 44,000

Programs: 413

Location: Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada

View the full British Columbia Institute of Technology profile

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Frequently asked questions

What degree does Chief Mate Certificate award?

British Columbia Institute of Technology awards a Certificate in the field of Trades on completion of this programme.

How long does Chief Mate Certificate take?

The programme runs for 40 weeks.

Can Chief Mate Certificate be studied online?

No — the programme is taught on campus at British Columbia Institute of Technology.

What language is Chief Mate Certificate taught in?

The programme is taught in English.

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Chief Mate Certificate

At a glance