The United States Merchant Marine Academy
Kings Point, New York
Acta Non Verba – Deeds, not words – is the motto of The United States Merchant Marine Academy. With a 13:1 student faculty ratio and a student population just under 1,000, the USMMA offers an intensive educational program that will place you in a position to be an officer of a naval vessel in the military or in private industry.
With 95% of all goods in the world transported by sea, Kings Point (as USMMA is also known) offers education in a number of crucial fields. Marine engineering systems, shipyard management, marine engineering, marine transportation, and especially important these days, maritime logistics and security are all fields that students can specialize in at USMMA. Graduates go on to serve in the military, for government contractors, in major shipping industries, and play essential roles in our economy and preserving peace.
Oh, and did I mention that the Midshipman Fees are only $1095/year.
Sorry, yes. So USMAA is a service academy just like the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy. That means that you pay only a small amount to attend. In fact, the Midshipman Fees cover your uniforms, laundry, and haircuts. There are other small fees (passports, etc.) but the fees are still nominal when considered in comparison to other colleges. And there is also financial aid (although your passport and your transportation worker information credentials must be paid from your own monies). Overall, your total expenses will come to around $3,00 on the high end.
Like other service academies, you have to have a congressional nomination. You also have to be a citizen of the United States (born or naturalized is fine). They take a few non-citizens but it’s a tricky thing. There are fitness assessments and you need to be able to swim (because marine, you know). There are some non-swimmer requirements, but really, would you want to be captaining a Panamax and not know how to swim? A health exam is required and there are some things that will disqualify you like not having enough teeth (?) and severe asthma.
Upon graduation there is a service requirement just as there is at any service academy. You are expected to serve for six years after graduation actively or eight years in reserve. But most folks serve longer and you are allowed to serve in a multitude of ways. Some people go to work at NOAA, some in the Coast Guard, others enter the Marines or Navy. There are multiple options.
The US Merchant Marine Academy is built on four pillars. The first is academics, and academically, you will study a lot. Like A LOT. There is a core curriculum that will ensure that you have a basic grounding in subjects like English, math, history and science, but then there are additional requirements crucial to performing well in the field. Classes in subjects like Leadership and Ethics, Naval Science, and Physical Education and Ship’s Medicine are all part of the core, because let’s face it, these are things you need to know. Internships are required as is Sea Year. You will be encouraged to take electives in multiple subjects such as cybersecurity, meteorology, business law, java programming, cryptography, oceanography, thermodynamics, welding, and history of the modern world.
Pillar two is Sea Year. There are three terms per year and you will be busy during all of them. You will enter as a fourth class or plebe and move your way up the ranks. By the time you are a third class (second year) you will be spending Sea Year time onboard ships to get practical training and experience. Sea Year is what every student at Kings Point looks forward to their whole time there. During Sea Year you will travel all over the world, do multiple different jobs, apply your skills, and complete a humanities project on shipboard leadership. Sea Year is all about the ability to rely on yourself, your knowledge, and your own abilities. You will do everything you’ve trained for up to now from loading cargo to maintaining the engines to navigating to standing watch. The average midshipman sees 18 countries during Sea Year. During third class you’ll be gone 100 days. But during second class it will be 235 days. It’s an adjustment for folks, but it’s also amazing.
The third pillar is athletics and they are a major part of life at Kings Point. Being on a ship or serving in the Navy is an active lifestyle and health is crucial to that. Athletics promotes leadership skills, the ability to work as a team, and interpersonal skills, all of which are necessary for shipboard life. USMMA offers 18 different DIII options for men and women as well as some niche sports for those who are especially interested in things like dinghy racing, sailing, and an especial favorite at WAHS, rowing. Ice hockey, rugby, and water polo are also competitive in club form. All students at Kings Point are encouraged to participate in athletics and they have a new women’s soccer team that is beginning this year.
The fourth pillar is regimental life and although this is the merchant marine, there is hierarchy and there is order in the ranks of students. Students enter as first years at the lowest level and are overseen by their fourth year classmates. These students, the first class midshipmen, have varying roles that they play in overseeing student life. They in turn are overseen by the Superintendent and the Chief of Staff. Academics are overseen by the Academic Dean. Students are divided into battalions and companies. Students live in barracks and follow a strict schedule which has you up at 0600 each morning and studying every night by 1945. Lights are out at 0000 so get that 6 hours of sleep, because you’re up at 0600 again! Oh and don’t try to get out of that early morning class. Room inspection is at 0725 and your first class begins at 0740.
But here’s the upside. Classes don’t go past 1600 (that’s 4:00 for the rest of us) and you have 3 hours every day to enjoy recreational time. It’s built into the schedule for you. It’s an expectation that you will do it. Every. Day. 1600-1900. And there’s lots to do as well. Their band is awesome and they have some fantastic clubs. For those hoping to join the military there are pre-service groups as well like Coast Guard Club, Marine Option, and Women on the Water which is dedicated to supporting women who want to expand career opportunities in the field. Learn to be an EMS tech there and help the community, join the drill team or the color guard. Join Acta Non Verba which is a service club or get active with the Climbing and Outdoor Club. The Sustainability Alliance works to find ways to use alternative energy sources in the maritime industry, get active with the Ballroom Dance Club, sing with the Glee Club or grill with the Midshipmen Eating Animals Together (M.E.A.T.), a barbeque club. Get active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, try yoga and wellness with the Vibe Tribe, or write for the student news Hear This! The Moral Science Society discusses the ethics of science. The Propeller Club connects students with professionals and employers in the maritime industry. The Eagle Scout Association (KPESA) attends high adventure programs and hosts a Camporee for the younger scouting set.
Plus there are abundant opportunities to take on leadership roles in the school. Morale Officers are elected from each company and charged with helping to keep the mood of the company on steady terms. They work within and without the company in tandem with the other Morale Officers. Diversity Training Officers help to make sure that their fellow midshipmen are keeping their hearts and minds open to one another. They provide training, events, and support for their fellow students. These two options are in addition to leadership roles within the regiments.
The application opens on 1 May which makes it a different sort of application. There are a few academic requirements: 3 English courses, 3 Math courses (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry), and 1 Science (Physics or Chemistry with lab) with a total of 15 credits up to this point. They note these are minimal requirements and would like to see 4 years of math (with Precalculus and Calculus even better) and both Physics and Chemistry, plus CAD and Machine engineering. While the minimum requirement for a GPA is 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale unweighted) they’d like to see it higher and would prefer that you have taken classes heavy on the sciences, maths, and engineering. Business, law, and stats are also classes they like to see. The mean SAT score is around 1270.
Is USMMA for you? It’s not as difficult to get into as the Naval Academy even though you still need an appointment. As a service academy it is a nearly free education and that is pretty hard to say no to especially when college costs what it does today. You will leave with tremendous skills, knowledge, and the ability to get a job in an industry that pays well and that is pretty exciting. But it’s also hard. You will work hard here, both academically and physically. And you will be put to the test. Sea Year will ask a lot of you. But for those who hear the call of the sea, this is a super way to answer it.
Pros:
Cons:
Kings Point, New York
Acta Non Verba – Deeds, not words – is the motto of The United States Merchant Marine Academy. With a 13:1 student faculty ratio and a student population just under 1,000, the USMMA offers an intensive educational program that will place you in a position to be an officer of a naval vessel in the military or in private industry.
With 95% of all goods in the world transported by sea, Kings Point (as USMMA is also known) offers education in a number of crucial fields. Marine engineering systems, shipyard management, marine engineering, marine transportation, and especially important these days, maritime logistics and security are all fields that students can specialize in at USMMA. Graduates go on to serve in the military, for government contractors, in major shipping industries, and play essential roles in our economy and preserving peace.
Oh, and did I mention that the Midshipman Fees are only $1095/year.
Sorry, yes. So USMAA is a service academy just like the Naval Academy or the Air Force Academy. That means that you pay only a small amount to attend. In fact, the Midshipman Fees cover your uniforms, laundry, and haircuts. There are other small fees (passports, etc.) but the fees are still nominal when considered in comparison to other colleges. And there is also financial aid (although your passport and your transportation worker information credentials must be paid from your own monies). Overall, your total expenses will come to around $3,00 on the high end.
Like other service academies, you have to have a congressional nomination. You also have to be a citizen of the United States (born or naturalized is fine). They take a few non-citizens but it’s a tricky thing. There are fitness assessments and you need to be able to swim (because marine, you know). There are some non-swimmer requirements, but really, would you want to be captaining a Panamax and not know how to swim? A health exam is required and there are some things that will disqualify you like not having enough teeth (?) and severe asthma.
Upon graduation there is a service requirement just as there is at any service academy. You are expected to serve for six years after graduation actively or eight years in reserve. But most folks serve longer and you are allowed to serve in a multitude of ways. Some people go to work at NOAA, some in the Coast Guard, others enter the Marines or Navy. There are multiple options.
The US Merchant Marine Academy is built on four pillars. The first is academics, and academically, you will study a lot. Like A LOT. There is a core curriculum that will ensure that you have a basic grounding in subjects like English, math, history and science, but then there are additional requirements crucial to performing well in the field. Classes in subjects like Leadership and Ethics, Naval Science, and Physical Education and Ship’s Medicine are all part of the core, because let’s face it, these are things you need to know. Internships are required as is Sea Year. You will be encouraged to take electives in multiple subjects such as cybersecurity, meteorology, business law, java programming, cryptography, oceanography, thermodynamics, welding, and history of the modern world.
Pillar two is Sea Year. There are three terms per year and you will be busy during all of them. You will enter as a fourth class or plebe and move your way up the ranks. By the time you are a third class (second year) you will be spending Sea Year time onboard ships to get practical training and experience. Sea Year is what every student at Kings Point looks forward to their whole time there. During Sea Year you will travel all over the world, do multiple different jobs, apply your skills, and complete a humanities project on shipboard leadership. Sea Year is all about the ability to rely on yourself, your knowledge, and your own abilities. You will do everything you’ve trained for up to now from loading cargo to maintaining the engines to navigating to standing watch. The average midshipman sees 18 countries during Sea Year. During third class you’ll be gone 100 days. But during second class it will be 235 days. It’s an adjustment for folks, but it’s also amazing.
The third pillar is athletics and they are a major part of life at Kings Point. Being on a ship or serving in the Navy is an active lifestyle and health is crucial to that. Athletics promotes leadership skills, the ability to work as a team, and interpersonal skills, all of which are necessary for shipboard life. USMMA offers 18 different DIII options for men and women as well as some niche sports for those who are especially interested in things like dinghy racing, sailing, and an especial favorite at WAHS, rowing. Ice hockey, rugby, and water polo are also competitive in club form. All students at Kings Point are encouraged to participate in athletics and they have a new women’s soccer team that is beginning this year.
The fourth pillar is regimental life and although this is the merchant marine, there is hierarchy and there is order in the ranks of students. Students enter as first years at the lowest level and are overseen by their fourth year classmates. These students, the first class midshipmen, have varying roles that they play in overseeing student life. They in turn are overseen by the Superintendent and the Chief of Staff. Academics are overseen by the Academic Dean. Students are divided into battalions and companies. Students live in barracks and follow a strict schedule which has you up at 0600 each morning and studying every night by 1945. Lights are out at 0000 so get that 6 hours of sleep, because you’re up at 0600 again! Oh and don’t try to get out of that early morning class. Room inspection is at 0725 and your first class begins at 0740.
But here’s the upside. Classes don’t go past 1600 (that’s 4:00 for the rest of us) and you have 3 hours every day to enjoy recreational time. It’s built into the schedule for you. It’s an expectation that you will do it. Every. Day. 1600-1900. And there’s lots to do as well. Their band is awesome and they have some fantastic clubs. For those hoping to join the military there are pre-service groups as well like Coast Guard Club, Marine Option, and Women on the Water which is dedicated to supporting women who want to expand career opportunities in the field. Learn to be an EMS tech there and help the community, join the drill team or the color guard. Join Acta Non Verba which is a service club or get active with the Climbing and Outdoor Club. The Sustainability Alliance works to find ways to use alternative energy sources in the maritime industry, get active with the Ballroom Dance Club, sing with the Glee Club or grill with the Midshipmen Eating Animals Together (M.E.A.T.), a barbeque club. Get active with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, try yoga and wellness with the Vibe Tribe, or write for the student news Hear This! The Moral Science Society discusses the ethics of science. The Propeller Club connects students with professionals and employers in the maritime industry. The Eagle Scout Association (KPESA) attends high adventure programs and hosts a Camporee for the younger scouting set.
Plus there are abundant opportunities to take on leadership roles in the school. Morale Officers are elected from each company and charged with helping to keep the mood of the company on steady terms. They work within and without the company in tandem with the other Morale Officers. Diversity Training Officers help to make sure that their fellow midshipmen are keeping their hearts and minds open to one another. They provide training, events, and support for their fellow students. These two options are in addition to leadership roles within the regiments.
The application opens on 1 May which makes it a different sort of application. There are a few academic requirements: 3 English courses, 3 Math courses (Algebra, Geometry, Trigonometry), and 1 Science (Physics or Chemistry with lab) with a total of 15 credits up to this point. They note these are minimal requirements and would like to see 4 years of math (with Precalculus and Calculus even better) and both Physics and Chemistry, plus CAD and Machine engineering. While the minimum requirement for a GPA is 2.5 (on a 4.0 scale unweighted) they’d like to see it higher and would prefer that you have taken classes heavy on the sciences, maths, and engineering. Business, law, and stats are also classes they like to see. The mean SAT score is around 1270.
Is USMMA for you? It’s not as difficult to get into as the Naval Academy even though you still need an appointment. As a service academy it is a nearly free education and that is pretty hard to say no to especially when college costs what it does today. You will leave with tremendous skills, knowledge, and the ability to get a job in an industry that pays well and that is pretty exciting. But it’s also hard. You will work hard here, both academically and physically. And you will be put to the test. Sea Year will ask a lot of you. But for those who hear the call of the sea, this is a super way to answer it.
Pros:
- Cost
- Engineering Degrees
- In demand Professions
- Leadership Skills
Cons:
- Need an Appointment
- Structure and Hierarchy
- Service Obligation
- 0600