Transferring to GLMA

Maritime Academy GLMA
1

Hello,

I am currently a cadet at another Maritime Academy (first semester, right out of high school, and going for deck) and while I do like it here I signed up blind knowing very little about the industry. Now after going here I’ve learned a lot about the industry and I have realized shipping out is what I want to do. After doing some research and evaluating all of my options GLMA piqued my interest but there is not that much information on them. While I realize you guys are not career or life planners I was wondering if anyone can offer practical advice via PM?

Thank you

2

If you’re interested in working on the lakes I’d say apply there. If not really any on the schools might serve you just as well. I always figured your choice should align with both where you live now and where you want to go after you graduate.

3

[QUOTE=LI_Domer;122575]If you’re interested in working on the lakes I’d say apply there. If not really any on the schools might serve you just as well. I always figured your choice should align with both where you live now and where you want to go after you graduate.[/QUOTE]

Doesn’t GLMA (unlike other academies) give you both Great Lakes pilot and the unlimited third mate Oceans if you choose? Is there a disadvantage to going there if you don’t want to work exclusively in the Great Lakes?

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Yea you get your Great Lakes pilotage. That’s a big advantage glma has. So if he wants to work the lakes, it’s the best place for him. But what I mean is that you’ll get out with an unlimited thirds at all of them. So ultimately what he wants to sail on can be a factor.

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[QUOTE=MariaW;122577]Doesn’t GLMA (unlike other academies) give you both Great Lakes pilot and the unlimited third mate Oceans if you choose? Is there a disadvantage to going there if you don’t want to work exclusively in the Great Lakes?[/QUOTE]

Yes you get a unlimited 3rd Mate Oceans and First Class Pilot.

And if you don’t want to work the Lakes it is still an excellent school. We are small, you must do two commercial sea projects over 100 days each. One on the Lakes where you get a lot of good experience piloting a ship up and down three river systems, loading and unloading bulk cargo, calling distances and line ups. When you go oceans you get to request who you want to sail with. If you have decent grades and the retired LNG C/M adjunct Liquid Cargo instructor endorses you, you’ll more than likely get a tanker. Most guys sail with Matson, OSG, Sea River, Sea Bulk,Horizon and MSC, we have had cadets sail with Crowley, Alaska Marine Hwy., ARC, Alaska Tanker Company, Great Lakes Dock& Dredge, Edison Chouest, APL, Reineaur, last year we had a spot with Polar Tankers but there was a paper work problem and we lost the spot to another school at the last moment.

We have Graduates working at many different companies outside of the Lakes. OSG has hired a lot of guys, Sea River, Hornbeck, Harvey Gulf, Sea Bulk, Fairfield Nodal, Alaska Marine Hwy., Polar, Gulfmark, Totem Ocean.

Yes our school is focused on producing Pilots for the Great Lakes, but we do graduate with an Oceans license. As far as I am concerned graduating with a 3rd Mate Oceans, First Class Pilotage, Tankerman-PIC, ECDIS, GMDSS, and FRB beats any other Academy. Some guys even sail on ATB’s and get the Great Lakes/Inland Mate of Towing.

Compared to another school that you might not ever step foot on a commercial vessel, or only do one commercial project, I would say GLMA is a lot better. Getting the Lakes and Oceans experience will make you a better officer no matter where you end up working.

Also on the Training cruise there are only about 30 Deck Cadets so you probably have 5 guys on a watch, we did 6 hour watches and everyone rotated between taking the conn and piloting the vessel, to radar watch, to radio watch, to chart to helm, to ECDIS. Im pretty sure the other cruises do not get you near that much bridge time.

Just my two cents as a GLMA Cadet getting ready to graduate in January. Best decision of my life.

1 Like
6

Somebody correct me if I’m wrong, but I believe that you only get an Associates degree from a community college that GLMA is associated with. To some people this won’t matter, to some it might.

7

As of right now we get a Associates in Maritime Technologies from Northwestern Michigan College and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Ferris State University. www.ferris.edu

The Academy has been approved by the state of Michigan to offer a Bachelors degree we are just waiting on accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission before it can fully be put in place and offered. Once this goes into effect they have plans to offer an MBA through Ferris and the license to those entering with a Bachelors although this will likely be a year or two out.

8

I have a bachelor’s degree, it hasn’t done me much good. It’s basically just a way to weed people out, and not relevant in this industry anyway. So personally, I’m looking for a place I can get the most maritime options in the shortest time. You’ve convinced me that if I decide for a maritime academy, GLMA would be the best choice. Doesn’t third mate unlimited give you more options and advantages than some of the lesser licenses (i.e.licenses you get at PMI/MITAGS etc.) I haven’t been able to figure this out yet.

9

Who cares which academy you go to…?? You’re basically signing up for spoon fed maritime training and handed an unlimited license after 4 short years. ANY of them is going to get you a first class ticket to a six figure job. If you are half way intelligent you can make it through the “training”. After I think of what I went through to get my unlimited license compared to an “academy kid”…I get pissed and mildly depressed for a minute. I’m not knocking the academy at all. It is just amazing at how easy it seems to be to obtain a license from a school. More power to all of you who choose this route. Hawsepipers bust their ass and put up with an amount of shit that an academy kid will never endure…especially now with a myraid of obsticals that seems to never end. It doesn’t make me or any haswepiper any “better” than the other…just a bitter sweet result. The road a hawspipe mariner must walk is not an envious one by any stretch. So I say good for all of you out there who choose or are forced on this path. And congrats to the academy kid who graduates form college…you did a good job too. Good luck to all. If it comes down to a choice of getting into the industry now or going to an academy…don’t be ridiculous!! Go to the fucking academy! Just sayin.

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[QUOTE=lm1883;122597]Glma = coed dorms![/QUOTE]

At Northwestern Michigan College…

jus’ sayin.

Also, OP: Unless you are at TMA, stay where you are at.

12

I like the set up at GLMA…

Only 3 drawbacks I’d monitor are:

  1. Extremely small class and alumni presence. I’ve had 4 great jobs since graduating Schuyler and 3 of them came my way cause of connections to classmates and alumni.

  2. It’s much more expensive than the other academies as far as I’ve checked.

  3. Weather can be notorious during academic year. But it can suck at Maine as well.

Each of these can be overcome except the extra $20k or so unless you have in state or Marad or military assistance.

And the lack of a regiment probably is worth most of that money to many. The regiment is likely responsible for many failures to complete academy education programs all over the country.

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Thank you everyone for your responses. I am considering everything you guys mentioned above (and if you have anymore input to add, please post) and I am going to contact them directly to find out about the specifics on transferring and then take it from there.

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If you are currently attending another academy, stay there. You will fall at least a year behind if you try to transfer.