In Odessa there is a unique Maritime college: Odessa State Maritime Academy, which has the following faculties:  

- faculty of ships' navigators: graduates-deck officers (officers);                                    
- faculty of ships' engineers: graduates-marine engineers (engineers);
- electrical engineers' faculty: graduates electrical engineers (electricians);
- radio-technical faculty: graduates-radio officers.

In Odessa there is also Odessa Technological institute of Cold Industry. Its graduates are high class reefer engineers.

In Kherson (Ukraine) there is a secondary technical school whose graduates ship's radio officers.

In Sevastopol (Ukraine) - Institute of instrument making industry with the faculty of ships' engineers.

An entrant to the above-mentioned maritime educational institutions should have a secondary education, pass medical examination and successfully pass all entrance examinations in order to start the study in them. A term of study is 5 years ( and 5,5 years only navigators ).

In secondary educational institutions a term of study is 3,5-4 years.

All afore-said educational institutions grant the following initial diplomas allowing to start to work first on probation with the further confirmation of the professional skill in case of the successful job:

- navigator obtains a diploma of Navigator;
- engineer obtains a diploma of Third Class Engineer;
- electrical engineer obtains a diploma of Third Class Electrical Engineer;
- radio officer obtains a diploma of Second Class Radio Officer.

All afore-said specialists can obtain a certificate of the next professional degree only after a certain length of service and namely:

- the short voyage navigator obtains next degree of the Deep Sea Navigator after at least 12 month of 
the actual sea service including 6 months' service as a second officer;

- the third class engineer obtains next degree of the Second Class Engineer after at least 24 months' actual sea service on board
of the ships with the engines of the capacity not less than 750 kwt;

- the electro engineer of the Third Class obtains the next degree of the electro engineer of the second class after at least 24 months' actual sea service on board of the ships with the electro equipment of the capacity 600 kwt and more;

- the second class radio officer obtains the next degree of the First Class Radio Officer after at least 18 months' actual sea service.

In order to obtain diplomas of higher degree the subject specialists are supposed to pass exams and to have the following length of actual sea service :

- deep sea navigator can obtain higher degree of the Deep Sea Captain after at least 18 months' actual sea service ;

- second class engineer can obtain higher degree of the First Class Engineer after at least 24 months' actual sea service;

- second class electroengineer can obtain higher degree of the First Class Electrical Engineer after at least 24 months' length of actual sea service on board of the vessel with electro equipment of 3.000 kwt capacity and more.

With the reference to the foregoing the Ukrainian seafarers can be considered as highly skilled and experienced.
Most of them have a good command of English.

Here is a table of degrees and respective positions on board of merchant marine and passenger vessels:

Rating's education is about two years in state specialized schools.

Catering and Hotel Staff for passenger and cruise vessels including waiters, stewards, cooks, etc. are being trained in specialized school No.: 26 in Odessa. A term of study lasts 2 years.