Recent College Graduate in Search of Advice

I recently graduated with a B.S. of biology. My original intention was to go to medical school, but I realized that it wasn’t my cup of tea after shadowing/speaking with a few doctors. I’m quite interested in a career as a mariner and was wondering if you guys might be able to help me with a few questions:

  1. If you were in my shoes would you go back to school at a maritime academy or would you take the hawsepipe route?

  2. Are vocational programs worth the money? For example: http://www.avtec.edu/AMTC-Home.aspx

Any advice is greatly appreciated. I’ve done a fair bit of reading, but it’s all still a bit murky to me. Also, thank you for your time/help, it’s greatly appreciated.

You have not provided enough information about yourself, or your aspirations for anyone to be able to give specific advice.

Very generally speaking, why not just go get an entry level seagoing job and try it out. Also, you should investigate the Alaska Ranger program (environmental compliance on cruise ships). A job as a NMFS fisheries observer might also be a good place to start.

If you are going to pay to go to school, check out the M.S./ License programs at SUNY and the other academies.

I would think Scripps or Schmidt would be foaming at the mouth to snatch up someone with a biological background who wants to go to sea. The pay isn’t the best but for someone who’s never been to sea before it’s not bad from what I hear. They’re both scientific research companies with their own ships working mostly in the Pacific out of California. I hear the average age of their crews is about 25! That is of course not to mention the fact that the ships are bound to have lots more females than the average sea-going vessel. Might be quite a set up for a keen opportunistic bloke! I don’t know who owns her but the research yacht Alucia is in the same market at Scripps and Schmidt. By the way in case you were wondering, that’s Schmidt as in Eric Schmidt of Google: $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$.

You could always apply to KP and have everyone else pay for your second education. Probably what I would do. Just tell the staff your interested in becoming a Navy Seal.

As much as I hate to say look into NOAA Wage Mariner side or even worse NOAA Corps.

To be honest. It really depends on what school you went to or how you did but there’s plenty of Marine Bio majors competing for exactly the kind of internships you’re looking into. If suggest seeing if you can get into a graduate marine bio program if they’re are any schools that you know of that have one. That’s if you’re looking to use you’re bio degree and work in science. If you want to be a mariner that’s a whole other path.

Edit: if you really want to be a mariner and are a decent student I’d suggest looking at SUNY Maritime’s MS in International Trade and Transportation, you can pursue you’re 3rd Mate License through that faster than you would pursuing a Bachelors License program.

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;134632]
Edit: if you really want to be a mariner and are a decent student I’d suggest looking at SUNY Maritime’s MS in International Trade and Transportation, you can pursue you’re 3rd Mate License through that faster than you would pursuing a Bachelors License program.[/QUOTE]

Exactly. With a degree already, look into the academies with license option master programs. Suny offer some, and A&M has one as well (Masters in Maritime Administration and Logistics). You can complete this in three years with a deck license, graduating after your senior cruise.

Yea the Texas program is good, plus a Masters degree from Texas A&M wouldn’t look bad at all. As for the program it self, I think a couple of the other schools besides SUNY and Texas offer MS + License programs as well. Your big deciding factor IMO would be where you’re from and what part of the country you want to live in for a couple of years.

Thanks for the replies. I apologize for omitting critical information – I’m still trying to wrap my head around this process. Anyways, here’s some more about myself:

[ul]
[li]I’m a lifelong Alaskan resident currently living in Anchorage
[/li][li]I’m 27 years old, turning 28 in June.
[/li][li]I graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage with a b.s. biological sciences (3.7 gpa)
[/li][li]Prior to attending college I supervised the largest concrete plant in Anchorage (which is peanuts compared to elsewhere). Regardless, I was responsible for ~ $10,000,000 of production annually.
[/li][li]I’m humble, hardworking and eager to learn (all credit goes to my parents)
[/li][/ul]

I’m definitely going to give SUNY Maritime’s graduate program a look; thanks for the tip. I’d prefer to avoid crippling loads of debt if possible, but if it’s beneficial to me in the long run I’d consider it. Again, thank your time, I know it’s a precious resource.

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;134632]To be honest. It really depends on what school you went to or how you did but there’s plenty of Marine Bio majors competing for exactly the kind of internships you’re looking into. If suggest seeing if you can get into a graduate marine bio program if they’re are any schools that you know of that have one. That’s if you’re looking to use you’re bio degree and work in science. If you want to be a mariner that’s a whole other path.
.[/QUOTE]

To quote the Dean of one of the schools I was considering after high school - 'Marine Biology? Let me tell you son, right now there are more marine biologist than there are fish."

My advice - get on a boat in any capacity to see if it’s a good fit before spending more time and $ on education.

I think the epitome of desparation would be going to sea to meet women.

I hear maritime academy girls are easy… The down side is they are not easy on the eyes!

[QUOTE=Bayrunner;134666]I hear maritime academy girls are easy… The down side is they are not easy on the eyes![/QUOTE]

Maritime academies: where the men are men, and so are the women.

I don’t understand how one would “meet women at sea,” other than some Thai hookers or a one nighter at the four floors of whores in Singapore. Even on a ship in the Navy with lots of women, most are pretty rough around the edges, or already in a relationship. I guess maybe a cruise ship it would be somewhat feasible, but still.

[QUOTE=MandolinGuy;134672]I don’t understand how one would “meet women at sea,” other than some Thai hookers or a one nighter at the four floors of whores in Singapore. Even on a ship in the Navy with lots of women, most are pretty rough around the edges, or already in a relationship. I guess maybe a cruise ship it would be somewhat feasible, but still.[/QUOTE]

I think that comment was a reference to my suggestion that Scripps and Schmidt crews were young and full of women. I was not suggesting that that would be a good place to look for a wife, merely that it could potentially prove to be a welcome distraction on long hitches between San Diego and Kaoshiung looking for floating plastic in the Pacific.

[QUOTE=PaddyWest2012;134676]I think that comment was a reference to my suggestion that Scripps and Schmidt crews were young and full of women. I was not suggesting that that would be a good place to look for a wife, merely that it could potentially prove to be a welcome distraction on long hitches between San Diego and Kaoshiung looking for floating plastic in the Pacific.[/QUOTE]

Nah, it wasn’t a direct comment…just an extension of the conversation based on my (well, more like my shipmates’ as I’m married) experiences. Oceanographic researchers would probably attract a more attractive student / professional body.

For you, the fastest current path from being a landlubber to standing an officers bridge watch on a ship at sea is Navy, Coast Guard, or NOAA corps OCS. The Army has some program as well but I’m unfamiliar with it. Once your accepted, 3 months training and your standing on a bridge somewhere. I know most here don’t care for that route but it is what it is.

Otherwise, its masters degree license track at an academy for 2.5-3 years, or hawse-piping it as a deck hand for 3-6 years or more.

Your call. You’ll probably want to work on deck for a hitch somewhere to even see if you like going to sea.

Thanks for the replies everyone, there were some excellent suggestions. Some were curious about additional info regarding myself, so here it is:

[ul]
[li]27 year old lifelong Alaskan resident currently living in Anchorage
[/li][li]Graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage, B.S. biological sciences, 3.7 gpa
[/li][li]Have experience working in industrial environments (concrete plants, gravel pits, block plants)
[/li][li]Prior to deciding to finish my degree I supervised the largest concrete plant in Anchorage (which is peanuts compared to elsewhere). Regardless, I was responsible for ~10-15 millions of production annually.
[/li][li]I’m humble, hardworking, easy to get along with and eager to learn
[/li][li]My grandfather was a merchant mariner, which is what initially piqued my interest in this field. I’d pick his brain, but he’s no longer with us. Plus, he comes from a time when business was done with a firm handshake rather than piles of bureaucratic paperwork.
[/li][/ul]

SUNY Maritime and Texas A&M graduate programs both seem like good options for a deck license. However, I was leaning toward engineering mainly because I’ve read there are greater/more stable job prospects (correct me if I’m wrong, please) – but I think I’d be happy on the deck too. I’d also like to avoid crippling loads of debt if possilbe (already have a mortgage). One of the reasons I was curious about a vocational program for QMED is that I could start working/earning income sooner while working toward a license.

Again, thank you for your time. It’s greatly appreciated.

Another hit-and-run.

What’s with these guys coming on here and asking about a career on the ocean and then never coming back or following up?

Thanks for the replies everyone, there were some excellent suggestions. Some were curious about additional info regarding myself, so here it is:

  • 27 year old lifelong Alaskan resident currently living in Anchorage

  • Graduated from University of Alaska Anchorage, B.S. biological sciences, 3.7 gpa

  • Have experience working in industrial environments (concrete plants, gravel pits, block plants)

  • Prior to deciding to finish my degree I supervised the largest concrete plant in Anchorage (which is peanuts compared to elsewhere). Regardless, I was responsible for ~10-15 millions of production annually.

  • I’m humble, hardworking, easy to get along with and eager to learn

  • My grandfather was a merchant mariner, which is what initially piqued my interest in this field. I’d pick his brain, but he’s no longer with us. Plus, he comes from a time when business was done with a firm handshake rather than piles of bureaucratic paperwork.

SUNY Maritime and Texas A&M graduate programs both seem like good options for a deck license. However, I was leaning toward engineering mainly because I’ve read there are greater/more stable job prospects (correct me if I’m wrong, please) – but I think I’d be happy on the deck too. I’d also like to avoid crippling loads of debt if possible. One of the reasons I was curious about a vocational program for QMED is that I could start working/earning income sooner while working toward a license.

Again, thank you for your time – I know it’s a precious resource.