Midshipman Life: Mental Development

Preparing our graduates to succeed as officers and leaders through a rigorous education is an essential part of the Academy's mission. The mental development of midshipmen takes place through a demanding academic and professional curriculum so that they can excel as officers in the Fleet and the Marine Corps.

Midshipmen complete a challenging core curriculum across their four-years at the Academy. The core requires professional coursework including navigation, ethics, leadership and naval law in addition to engineering, science, mathematics, humanities and social sciences. The goal is a broad-based education that qualifies graduates for any warfare specialty in the Navy or Marine Corps; a technical foundation that enables them to lead in the modern navy; and majors programs that foster critical thinking within a focused academic discipline. The workload is demanding and designed to shape leaders who can motivate teams in challenging circumstances; critical thinkers who can process information quickly; and officers who can apply fundamental principles from science, engineering, and mathematics to an increasingly complex, technical operating environment. Midshipmen learn the basics of the naval service through four years of classroom instruction combined with the practical experiences of handling 108-foot diesel powered training craft; Fleet cruises in junior officer roles; and professional programs such as the Powered Flight giving aspiring aviators the chance to solo, and “Leatherneck” training with the Marines. While at the Academy midshipmen receive a strong technical foundation. Successful officers need to understand how complex systems work to win on the 21st century battlefield and midshipmen learn how complex systems are interconnected, their strengths and limitations, and how best to leverage technology on the battlefield. Naval officers must also think critically. Midshipmen learn to discern fact from fiction, question basic assumptions, analyze vast amounts of information and assess dynamic situations with clear logic in order to make well-reasoned decisions in the most stressful situations.

The Naval Academy is but one rung in the ladder of lifelong learning. That learning will continue throughout their careers. The Academy is committed to providing our midshipmen with a rigorous academic program that will enable them to succeed in the Fleet. Our goal is to provide the Navy and Marine Corps with graduates who have the basic professional competencies of a naval officer, the technical confidence to comprehend today’s complex systems, and the critical thinking skills that allow them to develop effective solutions to tough problems. This forms the basis for our curriculum—and leads to granting all graduates a Bachelor of Science degree.

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