Ship engineers need knowledge in the following areas:
- Mechanical: The design, use, and repair of machines and tools.
 - English Language: The meaning and use of the English language.
 - Engineering and Technology: How to use computers and rules of engineering to design and produce goods and services.
 - Public Safety and Security: How to protect people and property.
 - Transportation: The methods and costs for moving people, goods, and materials.
 - Mathematics: The rules and uses of numbers.
 - Computers and Electronics: Computer hardware and software.