For example, let’s say you’re in Oregon. No standalone ocean engineering programs. But the Dept. of Civil & Construction Engineering at Oregon State has a graduate program in Coastal and Ocean Engineering, and they offer relevant courses to undergraduate civil majors:
CE 411 OCEAN ENGINEERING (4)
Introduction to linear wave theory and wave forces on piles. Guided design of wave gauge facility at Coos Bay, Oregon, that requires synthesizing fluid mechanics, structural design and foundation design.
Top CE 415 COASTAL INFRASTRUCTURE (3)
Planning and design criteria of coastal infrastructure, including breakwaters, jetties, sea walls, groins, piers, submerged pipelines, harbor design, and tsunami defense. Use of laboratory models, numerical simulations, and field observations for design.
http://cce.oregonstate.edu/content/coastal-and-ocean-civil-engineering
http://catalog.oregonstate.edu/CourseList.aspx?subjectcode=CE&level=undergrad&campus=corvallis
An ABET-accredited Civil BS degree from OSU would be a very employable credential (much more so than an Oceanography BS, or an unaccredited engineering BS, or an ABET Ocean Engineering BS). And if you took the related electives and did well, then you would be a good candidate for an Ocean Engineering MS program.