Maritime Transportation Guide - Summer 2022

PURSUE YOUR

maritime

FIELD OF PASSION

Howdy!

The Maritime Transportation (MART) program at Texas A&M University at Galveston has opportunities as vast and varied as the seas and intercoastal waterways you’ll learn to sail. Pursue a career in the oil and gas industry, shipping, tourism via the cruise industry, and much more. MART is the ideal fit for those looking to drive the Blue Economy and chart their own course to adventure and success.

CAPT. & DR. AUGUSTA D. ROTH Department Head & Full Professor of the Practice, Maritime Transportation

Students who choose to pursue an education in the exciting world of MART will enjoy being educated at the only maritime academy located along the Gulf of Mexico. At the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, it’s our mission to provide the highest quality of education and leadership training necessary to produce professional U. S. Coast Guard licensed Merchant Marine deck and engine officers.

Cadets can work toward a U.S. Merchant Marine license option (LO), wherein there is no military obligation, or pursue a commission in the U.S. Navy through the Navy ROTC. They may also request active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps (Platoon Leaders Course – PLC), or a direct commission in the U.S. Coast Guard.

Students will learn all the crucial skills of ship handling and piloting with the help of our four ship simulators, including three interactive full-bridge simulators, as well as experience sailing aboard our training vessel. Additionally, we are the only institution to offer a certification program in Dynamic Positioning, a special system now widely used throughout the industry to maintain a vessel’s heading and position. We also offer a variety of courses which will improve your resume upon graduation: Fast Rescue Craft, Liquefied Gas, Welding, Marine Survey, Cybersecurity, and more.

MART is comprised of faculty who are industry veterans, passionate mariners, and dedicated knowledge experts.

We all look forward to welcoming you as an Aggie by the Sea.

MARITIME TRANSPORTATION @ GALVESTON The Maritime Transportation Department offers an extraordinary real-world experience that includes high impact learning and practical education techniques. The Deck License program is immersed in the heart of maritime industry. Having multiple ports within a glance of our campus brings opportunities to our cadets. Our cadets tour local port facilities, sea going vessels within the port, and often have maritime industry leader guest lecturers within our classrooms.

90%

CAREER PLACEMENT

The MART Department offers multiple directed electives to enhance our graduate’s resume. Maritime Transportation cadets must take four directed electives. These can be Marine Survey, Liquified Gas Cargo, Fast Rescue Craft, Dynamic Positioning, and multiple Maritime Business Administration courses. Upon graduation, Deck License Option cadets receive multiple applied United States Coast Guard certifications reinforcing multiple disciplines that relate to various fields: Lifesaving, Medical, Fire Fighting, Management, and more!

The Ocean is our Classroom! We have multiple opportunities to engage our students on the high seas. With the three required sea terms, our students transit the world to learn about various port operations and see the diversity of the world. Each sea term brings new levels of understanding of the previous year’s knowledge. Each student is required to demonstrate their proficiency in real time aboard a working vessel.

In addition to the curriculum, MART supports various student organizations. Our faculty lead maritime industry driven student organizations. The increases the networking and interaction with the maritime professionals locally and nationally. Cadets participate in local and national meetings for Council of American Master Mariners, Propeller Club, Women on the Water, and more in the works.

If you are adventurous and want exciting global career, make sure to visit us at tamug.edu.

$80K STARTING SALARY

PURSUE

FIELD OF PASSION ABOUT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT GALVESTON

If the ocean is your inspiration, then Texas A&M University at Galveston is where you can dive deep into your field of passion.

See the world and support our global economy by learning to sail the ships that transport the world’s good and products. Study the effects of climate change on coastal wetlands and the species that call them home.

Learn the migration patterns or behavioral characteristics of your favorite marine animal to understand how to conserve them for generations to come. Capture crucial data to help low-lying or coastal populations learn why they flood and how to mitigate future weather events. Work in ports to help run and secure the global maritime industry and its commerce.

Whether your interests take you above, below or on the water, we have the resources you need to succeed. Chart the course to your future today. www.tamug.edu

BACHELOR OF S CIENCE

MARINE TRANSPORTATION

The world moves by water. The vast majority of trade utilizes the oceans as a set of highways, and ports around the world continue to expand, both in size and in revenue. This degree utilizes expert faculty and industry experts to deliver a top quality classroom education in all things pertaining to maritime transportation. A heavy exposure to hands-on training helps to forge graduates that are ready to step seamlessly into this exciting industry. Students pursuing this degree must also apply and be accepted into the Texas A&M Maritime Academy.

ENGAGING & UNIQUE CURRICULUM Combining studies in the humanities and sciences, with instruction and training in maritime disciplines, the Marine Transportation degree offers a broad-based education, with courses including: Vessel Operations & Shiphandling Maritime Security Marine Cargo Operations & Stability Celestial Navigation Terrestrial Navigation

Integrated Electronic Navigation Basic Safety & Lifeboat Training Maritime Medical Care Naval Science & Merchant Marine Leadership for Officers

PURSUE YOUR PROFESSIONAL LICENSE Students who successfully complete this license program will be qualified to sit for the U.S. Coast Guard license examination as a Third Mate of any gross tonnage upon oceans, steam, or motor vessels and issuance of Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) credentials. Cadets are also provided with solid fundamentals in business topics related to the maritime industry, ashore and afloat. Cadets who enroll in and apply to graduate in this program must successfully complete the license examination for Third Mate in order to graduate from the university.

CAREER PATHS • Officer Aboard Sea Going Vessels • Shipping Companies • Pilots Associations • Ports & Waterways Management • Shipping Management • U.S. Military • Local, State & Federal Government

tamug.edu/mart

3

TEXAS A&M MARITIME ACADEMY

SUMMERS @ SEA Embedded within the university is the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, a highly specialized maritime training and education program. It is one of six maritime academies in the United States and the only one located on the Gulf of Mexico. The academy’s mission is to provide the maritime industries of the State of Texas and the nation with highly trained and professional U.S. Coast Guard licensed deck and engine Merchant Officers to serve on ocean-going and inland waterways vessels. To meet this mission, the Texas A&M Maritime Academy includes a Corps of Cadets.

Cadets pursuing a US Merchant Marine Licensing Option (LO) do not have a military obligation. Cadets do have the option to pursue a commission in the US Navy through the Navy ROTC, can request active duty in the U.S. Marine Corps (Platoon Leaders Course – PLC), or a direct commission in the U.S. Coast Guard. tamug.edu/corps.

1 OF 6

STATE MARITIME

ACADEMIES

IN THE U.S.

Capt. Ryan Vechan ‘07 is the quick moving, fast-talking type of professor you get when you combine the mind of a lawyer and the soul of a sailor.

The Texas A&M University at Galveston assistant head of the Department of Maritime Transportation and assistant professor of the practice has worked in nearly every aspect of the maritime industry, and now finds himself at the front of the classroom with the Texas A&M Maritime Academy (TAMMA).

I really enjoy being out on the water. Doesn’t matter what you’re loading, where you’re going. There’s something about the blackness of the night that comes and provides you with a view that you can’t have just about anywhere else.

This morning he has stood a 4 – 8 a.m. watch shift, and then taught a class until 11:30 a.m. He is planning to visit the ship’s gym afterward; maybe he’ll catch a nap this afternoon.

“You know, I choose that watch because you get to see the sun rise. I get to watch the sunrise each day we’re at sea, over the water. I love it, always have,” says Vechan. “This isn’t the aggressive sailing of my youth; now it’s pretty fun for me.”

Vechan’s youth was largely spent in lake-locked Austin, but he made it to the coast in a few ways.

Vechan recalls his grandparents inviting the immediate family aboard an Alaska to Vancouver cruise to celebrate the couple’s 50th anniversary. His family members enjoyed the shows, shopping, the buffet.

“But I’d just hang out on the deck watching the water.

That was definitely the best part for me.”

The same grandparents used to visit Galveston every summer for an extended vacation, as it was his grandfather’s birthplace.

The couple happened upon the Galveston Campus one day and decided to take a tour.

“They back

came with

F RO M

CLIPPER

some ‘hype’ video on a VHS tape. I was probably 16 at the time. I played it and I said, ‘You know, that seems cool. I’ll go there.’”

He excelled at the Galveston Campus. Serving as the TAMMA Corps of Cadets executive officer, a teaching assistant for celestial navigation class, and as a United States Merchant Marine reserve officer; Vechan was sailing.

When he took to the water in earnest for summer cruises alongside California Maritime Academy cadets, he visited ports in Corpus Christi, Ft. Lauderdale, and further abroad in Cork, Ireland; Falmouth, England; San Juan, Puerto Rico; Mexico; Peru; Chile, and more.

He remembers the T/S Texas Clipper II for one iconic cruise, but he also went commercial and sailed aboard the now-familiar California Maritime Academy’s T/S Golden Bear alongside a number of California cadets.

Even before graduating, Vechan had multiple job offers. He accepted a third mate position with SeaRiver Maritime, Inc., a subsidiary of Exxon-Mobil. He went from Valdez, Alaska to the West Coast transporting huge loads of crude oil. Vechan estimates the ship would carry north of three million gallons of oil, the value of such a load equaling likely somewhere around $50 - 65 million of product.

The position worked well for Vechan, but he still found himself interested in broader opportunities. Thus, he went to work for U.S. Shipping Corp, now under Crowley Marine.

TO

Since the move, he has ridden a tanker shipping grain from Houston to Darfur for the World Food Programme. He’s been through the Suez Canal and Panama Canal both ways, even moving up to a second mate position and obtaining his chief mate license.

But it still wasn’t quite the right fit for Vechan.

“I was only home two weeks and nine months, working 75-day on and off hitches. It was a lot. So I started thinking about what was next. I knew I couldn’t do it forever.”

Vechan started thinking about the most strategic ways in which to marry his maritime experience with his future goals. Was a captain’s license the optimal move for him at this point?

“With a JD [juris doctor] or an MBA [master of business administration], your options are much broader. There are different opportunities out there, and the ceiling for potential earnings is higher,” Vechan says. “It was the right move for me.”

Visit tamug.edu/ newsroom or scan the code to learn more about Ryan’s transition to law an back to campus.

COURT ROOM

SAY HOWDY! TO THE

LONE STAR

STATE

@AggiesByTheSea

The Texas A&M Maritime Academy on the Galveston Campus of Texas A&M University has received notification from the U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) that the National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) expected to arrive on campus in 2025 will be named the Lone Star State.

The ship is the fourth in a new class series of vessels specifically designed to support both maritime training needs and disaster response capabilities.

“The Galveston Campus is fulfilling critical components of Texas A&M University’s sea-grant mission and is perfectly

positioned both strategically and geographically to provide the instruction and training necessary for the state to foster growth of the blue economy in the Gulf Coast region,” said Dr. John L. Junkins, interim president of Texas A&M University in College Station.

“It is only fitting that one of our most visible assets prominently feature our state motto.”

Congress approved $325 million in funding to construct the NSMV in December 2020. The 524-foot state-of-the-art ship represents a significant investment by the federal government in supporting the future of the maritime industry and future merchant mariners in Texas. The NSMVs are designated as State-class vessels and each are named for the state in which a state maritime academy operates.

“The naming of the NSMV reinforces Texas’ strong commitment to the U.S. Merchant Marine and maritime industry and we are proud to be able to represent that commitment with the aptly named Lone Star State. We are grateful to both the state and MARAD for their support in training the future merchant mariners of Texas and this nation,” said Col. Michael E. Fossum, superintendent of the Texas A&M Maritime Academy and chief operating officer of the Galveston Campus.

The NSMV series replaces the aging fleet of training ships currently in use by the six state maritime academies in the United States. The vessels are equipped with numerous training spaces that can support up to 600 cadets at sea and also include critical disaster response

capabilities in the Gulf of Mexico.

“The Texas A&M University System is vested in supporting the state as we lead efforts to transform disaster response and relief nationwide,” said John Sharp, chancellor of the Texas A&M System. “Federal and state support in securing the Lone Star State as an asset ensures rapid response capabilities in our own backyard, which happens to also be the most hurricane-prone region in the United States.”

Each year over 300 Texas A&M Maritime Academy cadets live, work, learn and train alongside one another during a two-month summer sea term that provides hands-on at-sea training and instruction. Cadets currently train aboard Massachusetts State Maritime Academy’s training ship, Kennedy, through a shipsharing agreement with MARAD established in 2018.

The Kennedy is expected to transfer to the Texas A&M Maritime Academy in 2023 to serve in place of the Lone Star State until its arrival in 2025.

The academy’s previous training vessel, Texas Clipper II, was reassigned in 2005 by the federal government after serving in disaster response efforts for Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. The General Rudder, a 224-foot training vessel with a maximum capacity of 50 cadets, is currently docked at campus and provides supplemental training year-round.

State academy training vessels are federally owned and available to support federal response efforts to national and international disasters. The Lone Star State is the fourth in a series of five NSMVs. The first three were assigned to the State University of New York Maritime Academy, Massachusetts Maritime Academy and Maine Maritime Academy. Philly Shipyard holds the exclusive contract for the five-ship deal. ■

tamug.edu/mart

9

FIRST STEPS TO

PURSUE YOUR PASSION HOW TO APPLY FOR: MARINE TRANSPORTATION, B.S. Freshmen Applicants 1. Submit an ApplyTexas application. goapplytexas.org 2. Complete Essay A. 3. Pay a nonrefundable processing fee or submit a fee waiver ($75 for domestic applicants, $90 for international applicants).

4. Submit an official high school transcript.

5. For information on submission of official SAT and ACT scores, please visit https://admissions.tamu.edu/resources/future-students/college-readiness.

Transfer Applicants 1. Submit an ApplyTexas application. goapplytexas.org 2. Complete Essay A. 3. Pay a nonrefundable processing fee or submit a fee waiver ($75 for domestic applicants, $90 for international applicants).

4. Submit official college transcript(s) from all previously attended colleges and universities.

For additional information regarding undergraduate applications, including international, non-degree seeking, and re-admissions, please visit https://tamug.edu/admissions/ProspectiveStudents.html.

ADDITIONAL STEPS TO APPLY FOR LICENSE OPTION Students can elect for the License Option, which entails the required coursework for a U.S. Coast Guard 3rd Mate deck or engine officer. This is conferred to a student when they have completed all their academic requirements (including summer sea terms), as well as successful completion of the U.S. Coast Guard 3rd Mate exam.

1. After the university application is submitted, applicants may submit an application for the Texas A&M Maritime Academy. tamug.edu/corps 2. Submit the Texas A&M Maritime Academy application to the Office of Admissions via upload to the Applicant Information System (AIS), emailing it to admissions@tamug.edu or mailing it to: Texas A&M University of Galveston Office of Admissions P.O. Box 1675 Galveston, Texas 77553 Additional information regarding the Texas A&M Maritime Academy is available at tamug.edu/corps.

EXPLORE AGGIELAND BY THE SEA Aggieland doesn’t stop at the water’s edge! Take our virtual tour and explore campus, including stops in our ship simulator, boat basin, academic buildings and residence halls. If you’d prefer to stop by and say “Howdy,” you can register for an in-person tour with one of a student ambassador. tamug.edu/admissions/visit

CONNECT WITH ADMISSIONS STAFF Students can call to schedule a virtual appointment with one of our recruiters.

Students can also connect via email with any questions or for additional information. tamug.edu/admissions/contactus.html

ADMITTED STUDENTS NEXT STEPS GUIDE If you’ve already been accepted, congratulations and welcome to the newest class or Fightin’ Texas Aggies! But what next? Check out our Admitted Student Checklist. From accepting your offer, registering for housing and New Student Conference, transcripts and tuition, we’ve got you covered. tamug.edu/admissions/admittedstudents.html

DOWNLOAD THE GALVESTON CAMPUS APP Download the official campus app to access campus news, event calendars, clubs, student message boards and more. You can also create to-do lists and set reminders to help you stay on top of your classes. The Texas A&M-Galveston app is a great way to get connected to the campus community. Available for download on the App Store and Google Play.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES TO GET STARTED Get access to what you need to start pursuing your field of passion.

We have you covered from tours, admitted students next steps, campus contacts, transfer and international student information and more.

Undergraduate: tamug.edu/admissions/resources.html Graduate: tamug.edu/grad tamug.edu/mart

11

DON’T MISS YOUR

CHANCE FOR ADVENTURE

Texas A&M University at Galveston has the salt air, warm sand, Gulf Coast sun, and so much more! Situated in a coastal urban environment that blends access to natural ecosystems with one of the largest international hubs of maritime industry, the campus draws world-renown scientists, thinkers and leaders to a campus perfectly positioned to challenge our students. When the time comes for our students to take their knowledge and skills into the world, it is not the end... but the beginning of a journey down the road of long-traveled Aggie excellence and tradition.

apply

Application Opens: 8/1 Undergraduate: goapplytexas.org Graduate tamug.edu/grad

fafsa

Available: 10/1 Recommended: 12/15 Priority: 1/15 studentaid.gov

DEPARTMENT OF MARITIME TRANSPORTATION

deadlines

Application and all required documents are due: Freshman: 5/1 Transfer: 6/30 Texas A&M Maritime Academy: 5/1 Graduate: 5/1

TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY AT GALVESTON

www.tamug.edu/mart

www.tamug.edu/admissions www.tamug.edu/grad

Capt. & Dr. Augusta D. Roth Department Head & Full Professor of the Practice rotha@tamug.edu 409.740.4471

admissions@tamug.edu gradstudies@tamug.edu Undergrad: 409.740.4414 877.322.4443 Graduate: 409.740.4704 @AggiesByTheSea

NEW ADVENTURES AWAIT. START YOURS TODAY.

MAJORS & MINORS UNDERGR A DUA T E D E GR E E S Coastal Environmental Science & Society 5-Year Degree Program Available with Master of Marine Resources Management

Marine Biology Marine Fisheries Marine Sciences Maritime Business Administration

5-Year Degree Program Available with Master of Maritime Business & Logistics

Marine Engineering Technology Marine Transportation Maritime Studies

University Studies with a Concentration in: Marine Environmental Law & Policy Oceans & One Health

Option to Earn an M.S. in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from the University of Texas Medical Branch

Tourism & Coastal Community Development Offered by Texas A&M University College of Engineering at Galveston Computer Science Environmental Engineering Interdisciplinary Engineering Multidisciplinary Engineering Technology, Electro Marine Engineering Technology Track Ocean Engineering

GRADU ATE DE GR E E S

MI N O R S & C E R T I F I C A T E S

Marine Biology, M.S. & Ph.D.

Clinical Laboratory Sciences

Marine Resources Management, Masters Marine & Coastal Management & Science, Ph.D. Maritime Business Administration & Logistics, Masters Offered by Texas A&M University College of Engineering at Galveston M.S. Ocean Engineering

Offered Jointly with University of Texas Medical Branch

Coastal Environmental Science & Society Diving Technology & Methods Entrepreneurship - Marine & Maritime Marine Biology Maritime Business Administration, Minor & Graduate Certificate Maritime Cybersecurity Maritime Studies

Deck License Option Available Required for Marine Transportation Engine License Option Available

SEED Secondary Education Teaching, Minor & Certificate Offered by TAMU College of Education