Mission

The primary mission of the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School is to offer leading edge education and training programs that will benefit professionals from the maritime and transportation industry (private-sector, military, and government). Through its education, training and research initiatives, the USMMA GMATS is dedicated to optimizing America’s economic and strategic intermodal transportation system and its global transportation interests.

Further, the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School seeks to encourage worldwide trade by providing mariners and international transportation, and business professionals with the requisite skills needed to operate intermodal transportation systems in the worldwide economy that are safe, efficient, and environmentally compliant.

History

Continuing Education for professionals in the maritime industry began at Kings Point in the 1960’s with the Nuclear Ship Savannah Project. At the time, engineers assigned to the Savannah received specialized nuclear engineering training at USMMA. This same model was adopted in the 1980’s with the change from steam to diesel power in the American Merchant Marine and dozens of marine engineers trained at Kings Point in order to be qualified to crew up slow speed diesel vessels. In addition, during the 1980’s the Maritime Administration sponsored the development and implementation of the "National Sealift Training Program" that is designed to train ship’s officers and naval reservists who would be called upon to crew strategic sealift vessels during times of national emergency. During the late 1980’s and early 1990’s continuing education programs at Kings Point were loosely organized under an alumni organization known as the U.S. Maritime Resource Center.

The U.S. Merchant Marine Academy was reviewed in the early 90’s by the Vice President’s National Performance Review, the Department of Transportation’s Inspector General Office, and by members of Congress. Although the scrutiny of Kings Point unequivocally demonstrated the vital role of the Academy, it was felt that USMMA needed to use its unique resources to even better serve the education and training needs of the transportation industry: commercial, government, and military. It was also clear that no additional federal funds would be made available to make this happen.

Responding to this mandate, the Academy established USMMA Continuing Education in 1994 as a "non-appropriate fund instrumentality" (NAFI) of USMMA, the Maritime Administration and the Department of Transportation. As a NAFI, the program is entirely self-funded through tuition and fees. Reflecting the growth and diversity of USMMA Continuing Education, the name of the program was changed in 1999 to the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School (GMATS).

USMMA GMATS Today

The USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School is currently divided into four divisions:

Together these divisions offer more than 140 professional education and training programs. In addition, GMATS specializes in developing customized education and training programs that meet the specific needs of any transportation organization. With nearly 4000 students annually attending its programs, USMMA GMATS has become an important supplier of maritime and transportation training for personnel from numerous government, military, and commercial entities.

GMATS relies on more than 300 subject matter experts to provide instruction in its programs. This faculty brings a wealth of diversity and talent to the classroom. Instructors include USMMA faculty, academia from other colleges and universities, and guest lecturers from private-sector, military, and government organizations who are experts in their field. In keeping with the Kings Point tradition, where appropriate, classroom presentation is augmented by extensive use of the Academy’s laboratories, simulators, and waterfront vessels. Transportation related courses generally include field visits to intermodal facilities in the Port of New York/New Jersey.

Master's Degree Programs

In 2000, USMMA GMATS began a partnership with the American Military University (AMU). Under the degree granting authority of AMU, USMMA GMATS participates in an MA degree in Transportation Management. USMMA GMATS offers numerous courses that are accredited for the master's degree. Approximately 1/3 of the degree is taken in residence at USMMA. In addition, a similar program is offered in Management with a concentration in Maritime Engineering.

The Challenge and Vision for Tomorrow

As the next century dawns, the human factor in developing and operating America’s maritime and intermodal transportation system becomes ever more crucial. A recent Department of Transportation study noted that our nation’s marine transportation system (and related intermodal systems) can expect a doubling of volume within twenty years. "We are at a crossroads in the transportation field. Much the nation’s seasoned workforce is retiring. Meanwhile the demand for both traditional and new skills is expanding. America must develop the human resources needed to design, deploy, operate, and maintain an integrated and seamless national transportation system."

It is clear that the role of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, both within the undergraduate program and within GMATS will become increasingly vital to America’s strategic and economic transportation interests. To help meet the challenge of training America’s transportation professionals, the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School has developed partnership arrangements with nearly twenty prominent transportation associations and organizations, including:

GMATS has also formed a Board of Advisors that includes more than thirty of America’s top leaders in the intermodal transportation industry.

With its many partner associations in the transportation industry and guidance from its Board of Advisors, the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School is committed "to being a world leader in providing professional education in maritime activities, intermodal transportation, and logistics."

Funding

The USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School is a "non-appropriated fund instrumentality" (NAFI) of the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy, Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. As such, USMMA GMATS is a wholly owned government entity that is funded without direct federal revenues. Funds to operate USMMA GMATS are generated through tuition, meal, and lodging fees.

Although the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School operates with non-appropriated funds, GMATS is part of the United States Merchant Marine Academy. By providing innovative education and training programs, the School is designed to support the mission of the Academy, the Maritime Administration, and the Department of Transportation.
As a Non-Appropriated Fund, USMMA GMATS is authorized to enter into contractual agreements with private-sector organizations that wish to utilize its consulting, education, and training service

Hammer Award

GMATS was recently presented the prestigious "Hammer Award" to the USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School. The Award is presented to Federal employees and partner organizations whose work has resulted in a government that works better and costs less. The Hammer Award is presented to teams, not individuals; real accomplishments, not plans; innovative reinvention, not day to day business. To be awarded a Hammer, the team must be able to demonstrate measurable, observable results of its accomplishments in one or more areas: putting customers first, cutting red tape, empowering employees to get results, cutting back to basics or getting results Americans care about. The award is an acknowledgement of work characterized by excellence and new exemplary ways of doing government business.

The Hammer Award presented to USMMA GMATS noted:

"The USMMA GMATS team reinvented a small, limited continuing education program by leveraging the existing federal investment in USMMA's well-respected undergraduate program. The result is a new non-appropriated fund, U.S. government education and training resource that provides over 140 leading-edge, cost-effective programs that are designed to improve America's economic and strategic intermodal transportation system. Today's USMMA GMATS offers the most extensive maritime and transportation professional education program in the United States. It is notable that in the early 1990's, the NPR reviewed the value of USMMA to the taxpayer and considered closure of the Academy. In 1999, the NPR is offering USMMA the presitigious Hammer Award for reinventing government."

Teaching Philosophy

USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School instructors include dozens outstanding faculty from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and other leading academic institutions. In addition, USMMA GMATS utilizes hundreds of guest lecturers and experts from the maritime and transportation industry including those from government, military, and private-sector organizations. Classroom lecture and discussion are augmented as much as possible by practice "hands-on" experiential training. Whether using the Academy's excellent nautical science and engineering simulators, laboratories, waterfront vessels and equipment, or visiting intermodal transportation facilities in the Port of New York/New Jersey, USMMA Global Maritime and Transportation School students are exposed to the Best Education and Training Available.

Undergraduate Program - United States Merchant Marine Academy

Ever since its founding in 1943, the United States Merchant Marine Academy has been preparing young men and women for leadership roles. The undergraduate mission of Kings Point is to "educate and graduate officers and leaders of honor and integrity who are dedicated to serving the economic and defense interests of the United States in our armed forces and Merchant Marine, and who will contribute to an intermodal transportation system that effectively ties America together. A federal institution of higher learning, the Academy is operated by the Maritime Administration, U.S. Department of Transportation. The undergraduate enrollment includes 950 students from all fifty states and several foreign nations.

Midshipmen at the United States Merchant Marine Academy enjoy a unique learning experience. At the Academy, midshipmen engage in rigorous academic studies focusing in either marine transportation or marine engineering related fields. Additionally, all students are required to pursue studies and examinations leading to a U.S. Coast Guard license as a third mate or third assistant engineer. In addition to Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering, academic majors also include Intermodal Transportation and Logistics, Shipyard Management, and Systems Engineering.

Student life at the Academy is demanding. Along with the exacting academic program, discipline and leadership are instilled through a regimental system. Further, midshipmen spend nearly one of their four years at sea, aboard commercial vessels engaged in worldwide trade. Students also participate in an extensive athletic and sailing program that boasts over twenty varsity sports. With its 83 acre waterside campus, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy has some of the finest waterfront facilities for competitive and recreational sailing in the country.

Midshipmen graduate with a Bachelor of Science Degree, a U.S. Coast Guard license, and a commission in the Naval Reserve. Midshipmen may elect a commission in any branch of the Armed Forces. As a result, USMMA is the only federal service academy that places graduates into each service nearly every year.

To fulfill their service obligation, graduates may elect a variety of options, including, active duty in the military or five years of civilian service in the maritime industry coupled with an eight-year Naval Reserve commitment.

A recent Standard and Poor's survey ranked the United States Merchant Marine Academy 16th among all colleges and universities in the nation in percentage of graduates holding senior level executive positions in corporate America. U.S. News and World Report recently honored the technical achievements of Kings Point by ranking the Academy 18th among the best undergraduate engineering colleges and universities in the country.