2024-2025 Catalog
Department of Marine Transportation
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The Department of Marine Transportation offers two majors: Marine Transportation and Maritime Logistics & Security. These majors share a common nautical science and business core.
In addition to satisfying traditional higher education accreditation requirements, these programs must also comply with both federal guidelines and international standards related to maritime education. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), 1978, as amended, (to which the United States is a signatory) sets qualification standards for masters, officers and watch- keeping personnel on seagoing merchant ships. STCW was adopted in 1978 by conference at the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in London, and entered into force in 1984. The Convention was significantly amended in 1995 and again in 2010. The STCW Code and the U.S. Code of Federal Regulations establish the standards that the U.S. Coast Guard uses to license U.S. Merchant Mariners.
Nautical science courses prepare Midshipmen specifically for their shipboard responsibilities and the USCG third mate’s license examination. The Nautical Science core also provides broad marine-oriented education to produce a well-trained and informed ship’s officer. This program of study includes general as well as specific maritime subjects which familiarize Midshipmen with a ship as a system, its equipment and its operation. Specifically, Midshipmen will study terrestrial and celestial navigation; the rules for collision avoidance; vessel stability and trim; marine materials handling aboard ship and in port; safety of life at sea; pollution control and prevention; marlinspike seamanship; meteorology; maritime communications; integrated electronic navigation systems such as radar, ARPA, and ECDIS; bridge resource management; and the various domestic and international rules and regulations that govern these activities.
Maritime business courses give Midshipmen a broad understanding of management issues and specific skills required for critical thinking and decision making in business. These skills complement the professional education of Midshipmen and strengthen their performance as shipboard officers. Midshipmen also gain a basic foundation in business administration allowing them to pursue shore-side opportunities in the maritime field. The curriculum recognizes that marine transportation is part of the total transportation system, which is crucial to both domestic and international commerce and the nation’s defense. The specific courses in this area include The Business of Transportation, Principles of Economics, Principles of Management, Marketing, Fundamentals of Business Law, Admiralty and International Law, Accounting and Finance, Maritime Economics, Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties, International Business, Principles of Leadership and Maritime Leadership and Management.
Both Marine Transportation majors have been designed to give the students a greater understanding of the business aspects of the maritime industry. But the courses offered are not general business courses such as might be offered in a typical business school. Kings Point is in a unique position to offer a program that teaches business skills as they relate to and within the context of the maritime industry. It therefore represents a program that is both academically sound and related to the career goals of our students.
The department administers the Marine Transportation program which includes the nautical science and business components of the Deck License curriculum for Midshipmen. It is also responsible for the curriculum offered through the Maritime Logistics & Security Program. The department offers courses in the disciplines of Nautical Science, Maritime Business, Maritime Security, and Logistics and Intermodal Transportation.
Courses are given in the core curriculum to provide Midshipmen with nautical science and management skills, as well as knowledge of the transportation processes necessary for successful careers in the maritime industry. The core includes courses in navigation, seamanship, marine safety, dry and liquid cargo operations, integrated navigation systems, meteorology, management, law, economics, transportation, logistics, and intermodal and port operations.
In addition, the department offers advanced elective courses in relevant areas. These courses can be grouped to give Midshipmen a more in-depth exposure to a particular subject area. Students interested in concentrating their electives are advised to contact faculty advisors for specific information and advice.
The department’s administrative and faculty offices, classrooms and most of its laboratories are located in Bowditch Hall. These include interactive integrated navigation and maritime communications simulators; tanker, container, and port loading simulators; and navigation laboratories. The simulators offer numerous ship models and geographic areas complete with visual presentations. Students interact with up to 50 contacts and maneuver through simulated land databases utilizing fully integrated bridge electronics and Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (ECDIS). All labs have the same fully integrated navigation simulation software package installed. Each lab is designed to run any combination of interacting ownships, depending on the exercise design. The system provides a realistic display of all weather conditions, various atmospheric phenomena, and time of day, visibility and illumination effects, reflection, and glare on the water. Tides and currents can also be adjusted, as needed, and programmed to change during the simulation with buoys generating current feathers. In addition to the overall condition parameters, environmental zones can also be set-up to create such conditions as fog banks, local wind, current effects, and local wave effects.
A seamanship laboratory in Bowditch Hall is maintained and operated by departmental faculty for instruction in splicing rope and traditional marlinspike seamanship. The department also provides hands-on training in ship operations utilizing the vessels and dockside facilities of the Waterfront Training & Operations Department. An important component of deck officer training is achieved through the use of a Full Mission Visual Bridge Ship-handling Simulator (VBSS), located in the Computer Aided Operations Research Facility (CAORF) in Samuels Hall. VBSS provides the bridge watch team with a visual representation of various harbors as seen from the bridge of a vessel, including landmasses, navigational aids, traffic ships and miscellaneous buildings and structures. Realistic radar images, fathometer readings, and audio cues (depicting ship sounds, buoy sounds, and environmental and weather-related sounds) aid in completing the scene. The system is capable of introducing malfunctions and or failures to any of the equipment including the engine and steering systems. The system realistically presents the total marine scene and is primarily used for the training of Bridge Resource principals. It is also used to support other ship handling and navigation courses offered at the Academy.
Department of Marine Transportation Faculty
Business
Deck Sea Year Courses
Maritime Logistics & Security
Nautical Science
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