Studying merchant marine operations at the university level is a vital part of MARAD's education strategy, especially in supporting national security and maritime defense. The six maritime academies and the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy play a crucial role in training young men and women to become officers in the U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Armed Forces, and intermodal transportation. A primary goal of MARAD’s Maritime Education and Training (MET) initiatives is to support the academic success of students enrolled in the USCG unlimited credentialing program through our Federal and state maritime academies. 

The United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA)

To ensure a steady supply of skilled and well-trained merchant mariners, MARAD funds the United States Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) at Kings Point, New York. This is MARAD's flagship merchant marine academy, specifically designed to train and educate merchant marine officers. Its congressional endorsement requirement and rigorous curricula are similar to those of other federal service academies, focusing on developing leaders for national defense roles. The USMMA curriculum is particularly demanding, condensing a four-year degree into just three years of study and a year at sea, showing that the maritime industry needs newly trained mariners as quickly as possible.

The State Maritime Academies

In addition to funding the USMMA, MARAD also offers limited federal assistance and public nautical training ships to six state maritime academies (SMA) through a Memorandum of Agreement. The SMAs, as colleges within state universities, execute four-year undergraduate programs.  Unlike USMMA, congressional approval is not required. However, they still provide all the instruction, theory, and at-sea training needed to become a commissioned officer and Merchant Mariner (a U.S. Coast Guard license). For more information, contact an SMA today or reach out to MARAD's Office of Maritime Labor & Training.