Massachusetts Maritime Academy (Mass Maritime) is a
public university
A public university or public college is a university or college that is in owned by the state or receives significant public funds through a national or subnational government, as opposed to a private university. Whether a national universit ...
in
Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts
Buzzards Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Bourne in Barnstable County, Massachusetts. The population was 3,859 at the 2010 census. It is the most populous of the five CDPs in Bourne.
Geography
Buzzards Bay is located at (4 ...
, focused on maritime-related fields. It was established in 1891 and is the second oldest state maritime academy in the United States. Originally established to graduate deck and engineering officers for the
U.S. Merchant Marine, the academy has since expanded its curriculum. Though not required, some graduates go on to serve in active and reserve components of the
U.S. Armed Forces
The United States Armed Forces are the military forces of the United States. The armed forces consists of six service branches: the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force, Space Force, and Coast Guard. The president of the United States is the ...
. The academy operates a training ship, the
USTS ''Kennedy''.
Regiment of Cadets
All residential students are members of the Academy's
Regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscripted ...
of
Cadet
A cadet is an officer trainee or candidate. The term is frequently used to refer to those training to become an officer in the military, often a person who is a junior trainee. Its meaning may vary between countries which can include youths in ...
s. Within the Regiment, cadets supervise other cadets in a broad variety of activities, including the orientation of freshmen, room inspections, Morning Formation, daily cleaning stations, study hours, sea term planning and shipboard responsibilities. Students who seek to enroll in the Facilities Engineering or the Emergency Management programs as non-uniformed commuter students must apply in writing for admission to that status.
Academy freshmen, called "Youngies" (short for "young ladies and gentlemen"), arrive at the Academy in mid-August for Orientation, a two-week military-style indoctrination 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. The indoctrination period and cadet candidate program is essential to the preparation for the youngies' first semester at sea (sea term) in January.
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 (juniors) are designated Squad Leaders and are in charge of the training of the Youngies. First class cadets (seniors) hold cadet officer positions within the regiment and/or aboard the training ship.
Special units
Regimental Band and Chorus
Composed of an average of 40 members, the MMA Band and Chorus is the musical ensemble of the Academy and the official music department at MMA. It takes part in ceremonial events at MMA as well as
changes of command, military retirements, and funerals at
Massachusetts National Cemetery
Massachusetts National Cemetery is a U.S. National Cemetery located in Bourne, Massachusetts, in Barnstable County on Cape Cod, approximately 65 miles (105 km) southeast of Boston, Massachusetts and adjacent to the Otis Air National ...
along with other major events nationwide. The band also provides music for community events around the
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
, region.
The band consists of the following ensembles:
*Ceremonial Field and Concert Band
*Chamber Chorus
*Jazz Ensemble "First Watch"
*Buccaneers Brass Band
To learn more: https://www.maritime.edu/clubs-orgs/band-honor
Alpha Platoon
The MMA Drill Team, Alpha Platoon is the regiment's
exhibition drill
Exhibition drill is a variant of drill that involves complex marching sequences which usually deviate from drill used in the course of ordinary parades. Teams performing exhibition drill are often affiliated with military units, but the scope of ...
unit whose members are selected after a semester of mastering drill and ceremony.
Honour Guard
The
honour guard
A guard of honour ( GB), also honor guard ( US), also ceremonial guard, is a group of people, usually military in nature, appointed to receive or guard a head of state or other dignitaries, the fallen in war, or to attend at state ceremonials, ...
is primarily a ceremonial
color guard
In Military, military organizations, a colour guard (or color guard) is a detachment of soldiers assigned to the protection of Colours, standards and guidons, regimental colours and the national flag. This duty is so prestigious that the militar ...
consisting of at least 6 cadets. They are responsible for the
posting of the colours during athletic events. It also maintains a sabre team for other events at the MMA.
Academics
Prior to the expansion of its offered majors in 1990, the academy was exclusively a
merchant marine college, tasked with the training of future
cargo ship
A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's seas and oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. Cargo ships are usu ...
officer
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
s. The academy only offered majors in the
ship transport
Maritime transport (or ocean transport) and hydraulic effluvial transport, or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used throu ...
subjects of
Marine Transportation
Maritime transport (or ocean transport) and hydraulic effluvial transport, or more generally waterborne transport, is the transport of people (passengers) or goods (cargo) via waterways. Freight transport by sea has been widely used throu ...
and
Marine Engineering
Marine engineering is the engineering of boats, ships, submarines, and any other marine vessel. Here it is also taken to include the engineering of other ocean systems and structures – referred to in certain academic and professional circl ...
. The academy now offers many more majors focused on maritime subjects including graduate degrees. The seven majors offered at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy are Marine Transportation (DECK), Marine Engineering (MENG), International Maritime Business (IMBU), Energy Systems Engineering (ESE), Facilities Engineering (FENG), Emergency Management (EM), and Marine Science Safety and Environmental Protection (MSSEP). Massachusetts Maritime Academy is
accredited
Accreditation is the independent, third-party evaluation of a conformity assessment body (such as certification body, inspection body or laboratory) against recognised standards, conveying formal demonstration of its impartiality and competence to ...
by the
New England Commission of Higher Education
The New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) is a voluntary, peer-based, non-profit membership organization that performs peer evaluation and accreditation of public and private universities and colleges in the United States and other ...
.
Sea term
![ENTERPRISE2005](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/42/ENTERPRISE2005.jpg)
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 ''Kennedy'' for sailing, including loading provisions in the freezers and dry stores spaces. The ship sails for foreign ports of the
Caribbean Sea
The Caribbean Sea ( es, Mar Caribe; french: Mer des Caraïbes; ht, Lanmè Karayib; jam, Kiaribiyan Sii; nl, Caraïbische Zee; pap, Laman Karibe) is a sea of the Atlantic Ocean in the tropics of the Western Hemisphere. It is bounded by Mexico ...
three out of four years, and one in four formerly traveled to the
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...
. At least one of the Caribbean voyages includes the
Panama Canal
The Panama Canal ( es, Canal de Panamá, link=no) is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Atlantic Ocean with the Pacific Ocean and divides North and South America. The canal cuts across the Isthmus of Panama and is a conduit ...
and an
Equator
The equator is a circle of latitude, about in circumference, that divides Earth into the Northern and Southern hemispheres. It is an imaginary line located at 0 degrees latitude, halfway between the North and South poles. The term can als ...
crossing.
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
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached by ...
, maintenance and emergency drills. Port visits offer a time to relax, but still include watch responsibilities and ship's maintenance.
Training ships
*
USS ''Enterprise'' (17 October 1892 – 4 May 1909)
*
USS ''Ranger'' (26 April 1909 – 29 October 1917) rechristened to ''Rockport''
** ''Rockport'' (30 October 1917 – 20 February 1918) rechristened to USS ''Nantucket'' during
World War I
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
** USS ''Nantucket'' (21 February 1918 – 1920s) rechristened to ''Bay State''
** ''Bay State'' (1920s–1941) rechristened to TV ''Emery Rice'' upon her transfer to the US Merchant Marine Academy
* ''Keystone State'' (1942) former
USCGC ''Seneca'', borrowed from
Pennsylvania Maritime Academy
* ''American Pilot'' (1943–1945) former ''Empire State''
* ''American Mariner'' (1946) former ''George Calvert''
* ''Yankee States'' (1947) former
USS ''Sirona'', shared with
Maine Maritime Academy
Maine Maritime Academy (Maine Maritime or MMA) is a public college focused on maritime training and located in Castine, Maine. The academy was established by the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941. Unlike federal service academies, a congr ...
* ''SC 1321'' (1946–1948)
*
USS ''Charleston'' (1949–1957)
* USTS ''Bay State II'' (1957–1973) former
USS ''Doyen''
* USTS ''Bay State III'' (1974–1978) former ''Empire State IV'', former
USS ''Henry Gibbins''
*
USTS ''Empire State V'' (1979) former USNS ''Barrett'', borrowed from
SUNY Maritime
* USTS ''Bay State IV'' (1980–1981) former Barrett class
USNS ''Geiger'', destroyed by fire, December 1981
* USTS ''State of Maine'' (1982–1983) former Barrett class
USNS ''Upshur'', borrowed from
Maine Maritime Academy
Maine Maritime Academy (Maine Maritime or MMA) is a public college focused on maritime training and located in Castine, Maine. The academy was established by the 90th Maine Legislature on March 21, 1941. Unlike federal service academies, a congr ...
* USTS ''Empire State V'' (1984) borrowed again from SUNY Maritime
* USTS ''State of Maine'' (1985) borrowed again from Maine Maritime Academy
*
USTS ''Patriot State'' (1986–1998) former ''Santa Mercedes''
*
USTS ''Empire State VI'' (1999–2003) borrowed from SUNY Maritime
* USTS ''Enterprise'' (2003–2008) former
USNS ''Cape Bon'', former SS ''
Velma Lykes''
**
USTS ''Kennedy'' (2009–Present) rechristened from ''Enterprise'' in honor of the
Kennedy family
The Kennedy family is an American political family that has long been prominent in American politics, public service, entertainment, and business. In 1884, 35 years after the family's arrival from Ireland, Patrick Joseph "P. J." Kennedy be ...
Shanghai exchange program
The academy offers an exchange program to
Shanghai Maritime University
Shanghai Maritime University (SMU; ) is a public university in Shanghai, People's Republic of China. Shanghai Maritime University is multidisciplinary with six fields of study: Engineering, Management, Economics, Literature, Science and Law. It ...
, an 18,000-student school situated next to a deep-water port. Cadets spend 100 days in the Shanghai program taking maritime business, law, and marketing classes and exploring the country to gain the experience they will need in the international maritime field. Four months later, Chinese cadets make the trek to Taylor's Point and spend a semester at Massachusetts Maritime Academy. They are immersed into American culture, featuring trips to Boston, New York, Washington DC, and Plymouth Plantation.
Campus alternative and renewable energy
Massachusetts Maritime Academy has done a great deal of work to incorporate green and safe energy to the campus. The campus green energy initiative consists of solar panels on top of the dormitories that provide 81 kilowatts of solar power to the campus. The Academy also owns a 660 kilowatt wind turbine that provides nearly 20 percent of the campus's electricity.
Combined heat and power has been installed in the dormitories. Micro-turbines (small scale combustion turbines) generate electricity for the campus while utilizing the waste heat and flue exhaust to heat the hot water used in the dormitories.
The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) Information Commons is a LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Platinum Building. The 42,000 square foot building opened in September 2011 and was a 23 million dollar project. The construction of the building used 100% recycled steel; 20% recycled concrete; and 40% recycled insulation. The wood in the building is
all bamboo as well. The building is cooled and heated by a geothermal system along with chilled beam technology. Additional light sensors and natural light are provided with skylights reducing the need for artificial lighting when enough natural light is present. The building is furnished with water conserving fixtures and the landscaping uses no irrigation for the planted areas. Water captured from the roof irrigates plantings adjacent to the building. In addition, the pitch of the roof of the ABS Information Commons increases the airflow directed towards the wind turbine by 8%.
Athletics
The Massachusetts Maritime Academy fields 15 varsity athletic teams (7 men's, 7 women's ,1 co-ed) competing at the
NCAA Division III
NCAA Division III (D-III) is a division of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the United States. D-III consists of athletic programs at colleges and universities that choose not to offer athletic scholarships to their stu ...
level.
Notable alumni
*
William J. Flanagan, Jr.,
Admiral
Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...
,
USN
The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage o ...
(retired), MMA class of 1964; served as Commander in Chief,
U.S. Atlantic Fleet (CINCLANTFLT) 1994-1996
*
Christine M. Griffin, past deputy director of the
United States Office of Personnel Management
The United States Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is an independent agency of the United States Federal Government that manages the US civilian service. The agency provides federal human resources policy, oversight and support, and tends t ...
.
*
Captain Richard Phillips, ''Maersk Alabama'' captain during Somali piracy attack
* Lee Van Gemert, Class of 1940. Author of "Stability and Trim for the Ship's Officer", the Merchant Marine standard textbook on the subject. He is also one of the co-founders of the Sierra Bravo Delta Club, which some believe to be the school's first and only fraternity (no longer in existence).
* Captain Emery Rice, Commander, USNR, MMA, Class of 1891. Quartermaster of USS ''Olympia'' at the Battle of Manila Bay; while in command of a freighter in World War I, attacked, rammed and sank a German U-boat, for which he received the Navy Cross
References
External links
Official websiteOfficial athletics website
{{authority control
Liberal arts colleges in Massachusetts
Maritime colleges in the United States
Educational institutions established in 1891
Military academies of the United States
Universities and colleges in Barnstable County, Massachusetts
1891 establishments in Massachusetts
Public universities and colleges in Massachusetts