MMA Cadet experience

Cadet Shipping at Maine Maritime Academy

By Kathy MacArthur, Commercial Shipping Coordinator

CADET SHIPPING at Maine Maritime Academy is a hands-on, required experience offered as a part of the unlimited license USCG program for students majoring in Marine Engineering Operations, Marine Engineering Technology, Marine Systems Engineering (5-year program), and Marine Transportation Operations. This course is typically completed during the summer between the end of the sophomore year and the beginning of the junior year.

For many students, Cadet Shipping is their first opportunity to experience working within the maritime industry. It is a completely immersive experience where the cadet boards a vessel and is expected to perform tasks as assigned by the officers of the ship, in addition to completing a substantial “sea project” as assigned by their deck or engine professor. This course is designed to prepare students for real-life experiences at sea while providing them with opportunities to learn more about their chosen profession.

The students’ course of study dictates how many days they must complete for their requirements to be fulfilled. Deck students (Marine Transportation Operations) must complete 90 days aboard their vessel per Maine Maritime Academy’s program approval with the USCG. Engine students (Marine Engineering Operations, Marine Engineering Technology, and Marine Systems Engineering (5-year program)) must complete 60 days aboard their vessel to satisfy their requirements.

Photo Courtesy of Midn. Eva Schulz

MMA has been fortunate enough over the years to create partnerships with companies in the maritime industry to offer our students challenging, commercial experiences. Companies we are currently partnered with for the summer of 2025 are: Alaska Tanker Company, American Seafoods, American Steamship Company, ARC, Cabras Tugs, Crosby Tugs, Crowley Maritime, Edison Chouest, Fairwater, Glacier Fish, Grand River Navigation, Great Lakes Dredge & Dock, Hornbeck Offshore, Interlake Steamship, Kirby Offshore, Laborde, Matson Navigation, Moran Towing, Military Sealift Command, Norwegian Cruise Line, O’Hara Corporation, OSG, Otto Candies, Pasha Hawaii, Polar Tankers, Reinauer, Seaward Services, Stabbert Maritime, Transocean, Trident Seafood, University of Hawaii, US Ocean, USMMI, Valaris, and Weeks Marine.

For many companies, participating in the Cadet Shipping program is an opportunity to help shape and train the next generation of mariners. Offering Cadet Shipping billets is the chance for the company to interview students for future employment by way of field experience, gauging a student’s aptitude for life at sea, and watching the growth of the student from day one through day 60 or 90. Additionally, while this is an opportunity for companies to “interview” students for future employment, this is an opportunity for students to “interview” the company, determining if it may be somewhere they want to apply for a job upon graduation. After successfully completing their time at Maine Maritime Academy, jobs are waiting for many students from the company with whom they Cadet Shipped.Maine Maritime Academy was the trailblazer in the creation of this Commercial Shipping experience, as the first Academy to incorporate this invaluable experience into its curriculum. The program was created in the 1960s to prepare students for the challenges of life at sea, giving students a taste of the profession before launching into the industry. Because of the program’s value, success, and popularity, other maritime academies have adopted the program into their curricula, resulting in increased competition for available opportunities. Our Cadet Shipping program has stringent requirements and processes in place which are expected to be followed by our students. It is vitally important that students are aware of their requirements, so they don’t fall behind in their academic programming.

Industry partnerships and participation in our Cadet Shipping program continues to impress me. Companies are not required to provide Maine Maritime Academy with Cadet Shipping opportunities. In fact, it is quite an expense that companies undertake when they agree to take students onto their vessels. Many companies not only pay the students’ wages, but they pay for their travel to and from the vessels, no matter where they are in the world, and they provide our students with room and board. Though it can’t be put into a monetary formula, the time, energy and expertise our industry partners share with our students is the most valuable part of the equation. We wouldn’t be able to put out the exceptional mariners that we do without our partnerships.

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