Like the students who graduate from the four military-affiliated U.S. service academies, midshipmen who graduate from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy earn a bachelor of science degree and incur a service obligation. But these graduates get to choose whether they'll serve in either the military or working for the U.S. civilian maritime industry.
The U.S. Merchant Marine consists of civilian-operated, U.S.-flagged commercial and passenger ships -- either privately or U.S. government-owned -- that may be called into military service. Some already support the military on a regular basis.
Safety concerns prompted the U.S. government to establish standardized maritime training. Created in 1938, the U.S. Merchant Marine Cadet Corps moved to the Merchant Marine Academy's current location in Kings Point, N.Y., on the north shore of Long Island, in 1943. Soon after the facility's establishment, enrollment increased while the four-year curriculum shrank to two years so the academy could provide officers to serve in World War II, more than 6,000 by the war's end.
Today, about 1,000 students make up the Merchant Marine Academy's Regiment of Midshipmen in a given year. All five of the academy's academic majors are marine-oriented. Bachelor's degrees focus on marine engineering; marine engineering systems; marine engineering and shipyard management; marine transportation; and maritime logistics and security.
During their Sea Year, midshipmen at the Merchant Marine Academy spend a full 12 months at sea, on either commercial or military ships.
Students who are admitted receive free tuition, room, board, textbooks, and basic medical and dental care. They must pay for certain expenses that include laundry and supplies, and unlike the cadets and midshipmen at the four military-affiliated service academies, those at the Merchant Marine Academy don't receive a paycheck.
Out of the 1,225 applicants to the Merchant Marine Academy with congressional nominations in the Class of 2027, 453 received offers of appointment, and 277 reported to school.
U.S. Maritime Service Vice Adm. Joanna Nunan began serving as the Merchant Marine Academy's superintendent in 2022. Nunan is a retired Coast Guard rear admiral and 1987 graduate of the Coast Guard Academy. The U.S. Maritime Service provides training to Merchant Marine officers and crew.
The Merchant Marine Academy's mission is to "educate and graduate leaders of exemplary character who are inspired to serve the national security, marine transportation, and economic needs of the United States as licensed Merchant Marine officers and commissioned officers in the Armed Forces."
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Getting into the Merchant Marine Academy
To become a Merchant Marine Academy midshipman, a student must be at least 17 years old but not yet 25 by July 1 of the year they would enter the school.
For the most part, they must be U.S. citizens. Candidates must "meet the physical, security, suitability and character requirements" for an officer's commission in the U.S. Navy Reserve. The Merchant Marine Academy may admit a limited number of international students.
Applicants to the Merchant Marine Academy must get started by creating an account in the USMMA Applicant Portal. To register in the portal, students will first need to sign up for a Login.gov account with an email address that's not provided by their high school or won't otherwise be inactivated.
Like other federal service academies, the Merchant Marine Academy requires students to receive a nomination from a member of Congress. However, the student doesn't necessarily have to be from the same voting district as the member; the same state or territory will do. The academy must receive the nomination by Jan. 31 of the application window.
Applicants must submit their high school transcripts and have their ACT or SAT scores forwarded to the school. They must provide the names of teachers who will submit recommendation letters and the adult who will administer their Candidate Fitness Assessment.
The application deadline for the class of 2029 is Feb. 1, 2025.
Academic Requirements
Most Merchant Marine Academy midshipmen ranked in the top 20% of their high school class, and the academy gives "special consideration" to applicants who took honors, advanced placement and other advanced courses.
The Merchant Marine Academy dictates that applicants must have completed -- at minimum -- three units of English; three units of math (algebra, geometry, trigonometry or pre-calculus); and one unit of chemistry or physics with a lab. In addition to the minimum requirements, the academy also recommends a fourth math unit (calculus); and taking both chemistry and physics.
Students who have already started at another college must fulfill additional requirements.
Physical and Medical Requirements
The Merchant Marine Academy requires applicants to complete the same Candidate Fitness Assessment as applicants to the academies administered by the Air Force, Army and Navy. The assessment consists of six events, with average scores among Merchant Marine Academy applicants as follows:
- Basketball throw (women 41 feet, men 67 feet)
- Pull-ups for both men (9) and women (3); women who can't do one pull-up may substitute the flexed-arm hang (average time, 19.8 seconds)
- Shuttle run (women 10 seconds, men 9.1 seconds)
- Modified sit-ups (women 68, men 72)
- Push-ups (women 33, men 54)
- Mile run (women 8:06, men 6:43)
Candidates are responsible for finding a qualified adjudicator to administer the test, such as a physical education teacher, a military academy liaison officer, a military officer or noncommissioned officer, a professor of military science, or a Junior ROTC or ROTC instructor.
Candidates must complete a Defense Department medical exam and meet the requirements for a midshipman strategic sealift officer in the Navy Reserve, along with Navy body composition standards. The academy will automatically consider candidates for a waiver who are competitive for admission but have a disqualifying condition.
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After Graduating from the Merchant Marine Academy
Graduates of the Merchant Marine Academy may choose to fulfill their five-year employment obligation either by serving five years on active duty, chosen by as many as 25% of graduates, or by working in an academy-approved occupation in the U.S. maritime industry. Graduates also commit to reserve military service for eight years following graduation.
Academy-approved occupations include:
- Civilian officer serving on a U.S. merchant vessel.
- Commissioned officer in the U.S. military or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
- Employee in another maritime-related profession in certain circumstances.
For more questions about the service obligation, email maritime.graduate@dot.gov or call 202-366-7618.
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