I’m 24 and will soon be graduating with a bachelor’s degree in Louisiana. I have already had the “college experience” and I simply want to get my license from a respected school, in the quickest amount of time. I’m having some difficultly deciding on which Maritime school to choose from. ( Suny, Mass, or the Great Lakes) If I could get some feed back on experiences, pros, and cons of each, I would greatly appreciate it. Also, Suny has a master’s program that allows you to obtain your 3rd mate’s license. Is this a better choice?
Texas has a masters program that also allows you to obtain your third mates license. All Texas Maritime Cadets pay in state tuition no matter where you live also.
Go to PMI -pacific maritime institute
Mass Maritime is probably one of the best ones to go to. However if you want to go there and get your 3rd mates license plan on atleast another 3 years of schooling. It is a 4 year program but if you buckle down and take classes in the winter and summer and take class from 8-5 5 days a week you can do it in three. Each school does things differently and all have there pros and cons, but you will graduate with the same degree and license. Just keep in mind that when you graduate don’t go into a job thinking that you know everything there is to know, especially if you want to work in the GOM! The schools will give you false hope and make you think that you know what to do when you step aboard your first time. Keep in mind that if you don’t want to go back to school and work full time and still take classes, you can hawsepipe your way up. Some companies will pay for your school when your on your vacation off the boat but it will probably take the same amount of time.
Also there is no grad program and will get you your 3rd mates really quick. There are only a handful of gen ed classes that you need and the rest are license specific. (120 credits to graduate with a 3rd mates at mass, probably only 20-25 are gen ed classes)