Travel Abroad through Maritime Schools
Overseas Experiences at the U.S. Maritime Academies
Jun 6, 2009
Interested in international travel? Love being on the water? Thinking about a career in the maritime industry? If the answer to these three questions is a resounding yes, then a maritime academy may be just the right college experience for you. At these schools, international sea travel programs are required for all students hoping to pursue a U.S. Coast Guard-certified license.
What is a Maritime Academy?
In the United States, a maritime academy is not a federal service academy. The vast majority of students at these schools do, however, participate in a structured, military-style program that prepares them for a career as a merchant mariner.
Students accumulate a minimum of six months of sea time on the school's Training Ship (T.S.) in order to meet the Coast Guard's requirements for obtaining a license as an officer upon passing the license exam in the senior year. There are five maritime academies in the United States, in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, California, and Texas.
New York Maritime
The State University of New York-Maritime College (SUNY Maritime) is located in the Bronx. The school requires all students in the Coast Guard licensure program to participate in three Summer Sea Terms aboard the T.S. Empire State VI, the largest training ship in the United States. Typically cadets depart for a port in the Caribbean in mid-May, followed by three in Europe, before returning to the United States in early July.
California Maritime
California Maritime is located in Vallejo, California. What differentiates California Maritime's international travel experience from those of the schools on the northeast coast of the United States is the destinations: The Golden Bear III spends the summers cruising around the Pacific Ocean rather than across the Atlantic.
Massachusetts Maritime
During the winter, Massachusetts Maritime (Mass Maritime) cadets train on board the T.S. Kennedy. The program runs from the beginning of January through February, between the fall and spring semesters. The ship most often visits ports in the Caribbean, but once every four years, the ship sails to the Mediterranean.
Maine Maritime
Maine Maritime is located in the town of Castine, over seventy miles east of Augusta in the Penobscot Bay. Students board the State of Maine in the summers after their first and third years. Ports of call span from South America to Eastern Europe. In the summer after the second year, students work aboard merchant vessels.
Texas Maritime Academy
At Texas A&M there is a Maritime school, the Texas Maritime Academy. The school is located in Galveston, across the water from Port Bolivar. Summer Cruise is a part of the curriculum, as at the other maritime academies. Students must complete three summer cruises on board the T.S. Texas Clipper, which, like California Maritime's training ship, sails to ports in the Pacific.
Additional Opportunities for International Sea Travel
International sea travel is not limited to the maritime academies. The United States Merchant Marine Academy (King's Point), United States Naval Academy (Annapolis) and United States Coast Guard Academy also require time at sea prior to graduation and commissioning.
For students interested in attending another school but still hoping to get sea time, the Naval Reserve Officer Training Corps (NROTC), available at many schools around the United States, also requires summers at sea to complete the program.
To learn more about the maritime academies in New York, Massachusetts, Maine, California, and Texas, visit the schools' websites, where it's also possible to find information about scheduling a campus visit. For those interested in a possible career at sea and a unique international experience, consider a maritime school, at which international travel by sea is an essential part of the curriculum and is required for completion of the program.
