Navigation

Massachusetts Maritime Academy (also called Mass Maritime or MMA) is a regionally accredited, coeducational, state college offering undergraduate degrees in maritime-related fields, as well as graduate degrees and professional studies. Established in 1891, Mass Maritime is the oldest continuous state maritime academy in the country. The Academy is located on Taylor's Poit in Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, in the United States and prepares students for careers in the maritime, engineering, emergency management and environmental fields. Originally established to graduated deck and engineering officers for the U.S. Merchant Marine, the academy has since expanded it's curriculum. Though not required, some graduates go on to serve in active & reserve components of the U.S. Armed Forces. The Academy operates a training ship, the USTS Enterprise

The Academy offers Bachelor of Science degrees in Marine Transportation, Marine Engineering, Marine Safety & Environomental Protectio, Facilities & Environmental Engineering, International Maritime Business, and Emergency Management.

The Academy also offers a Master of Science in Facilities Management and a wide array of professional/continuing education programs.

HISTORY:
Massachusetts Maritime Academy was founded by an act of the state legislature on June 11, 1891 as the Massachusetts Nautical Training School, the name was changed in 1913 to the Massachusetts Nautical School and took its present name in 1942. The school's first training ship was the USS Enterprise on loan from the Navy.

REGIMENT OF CADETS:

All residential students are members of the Academy's Regiment of Cadets. Within the Regiment, cadets supervise other cadets in a broad variety of activities, including the orientation of freshmen, room inspections, sea term planning and shipboard responsibilities. Students who seek to enroll in the Facilities & Environmental Engineering or the Emergency Management programs as non-uniformed commuter students must apply in writing for admission to that status.

Academy freshmen, called "Youngies", arrive at the Academy in mid-August for Orientation, a two-week intensive program that is physically and mentally demanding. It encompasses regimental training, military drill, and physical fitness. It also serves as an introduction to shipboard/maritime safety, nomenclature, and customs.

After Orientation the academic year begins. For the rest of their first academic year as fourth class cadets, Youngies continue to be required to adhere to stringent rules affecting many aspects of their daily life.

Second class cadets, or juniors, are designated Squad Leaders and are in charge of the training of the Youngies. First class cadets, or seniors, hold cadet officer positions within the regiment and/or training ship.

SEA TERM:
Sea Terms are conducted between the two Academic Semesters, in January and February. Cadets register soon after the New Year holiday, and prepare the USTS Enterprise for sailing, including loading provisions in the freezers and dry stores spaces. The ship sails for foreign ports of the Caribbean Sea three out of four years, and one in four goes to the Mediterranean Sea. At least one of the Caribbean voyages includes the Panama Canal and an Equator crossing.

The Sea Term is not a pleasure cruise. The voyage lasts about 52 days on average, and during that time a cadet will rotate through class and laboratory training at sea, ships operations including deck and engine watches, maintenance and emergency drills. Port visits offer a time to relax, but still includes watch responsibilities and ship's maintenance.