Massachusetts Maritime Academy

Founded in 1891 by the legislature as the Massachusetts Nautical Training School, the Massachusetts Maritime Academy is the oldest continuously operating maritime academy in the United States.
The Academy began as a floating maritime trade school aboard the school ship USS Enterprise, berthed next to the USS Constitution in Boston Harbor. During its 120-year history, the Academy has grown from an entering class of 40 cadets to a fully accredited, four-year, coeducational college granting baccalaureate and Master of Science degrees and with an undergraduate enrollment of approximately 1,200.The present name was assumed in 1942 when the Academy moved from Boston to a Hyannis campus on Cape Cod. In 1946, the Academy was authorized by the legislature to grant the Bachelor of Science degree. By 1948, after utilizing a variety of different training ships during World War II, the Academy obtained the USS Charleston. The draft of the Charleston, a former U. S. Navy gunboat, exceeded the depth of Hyannis Harbor, so the campus was again moved, this time to its present location in the village of Buzzards Bay.
The present undergraduate academic programs feature six distinct majors and emphasize a blend of the liberal arts and sciences with technical and professional studies. A seventh major, Energy Systems Engineering, will begin in the Fall of 2012. Graduates of the Academy's two oldest programs, Marine Transportation and Marine Engineering, earn two-fold credentials: a fully accredited Bachelor of Science degree, and a professional license as Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer (both unlimited as to waters or vessel size). While adhering firmly to its original mission as a maritime college, the Academy has diversified its degree offerings in response to a changing environment for higher education and the needs of a dynamic maritime industry. The first degrees in Facilities and Plant Engineering (now Facilities Engineering) were awarded in 1993. The first graduates of the Marine Safety and Environmental Protection program received the degree in 1995. In 2004, the first Bachelor of Science degree in International Maritime Business was awarded. In 2008, the Academy awarded the first Bachelor of Science in Emergency Management. The inaugural graduates of the Academy's first graduate program, the Master of Science in Facilities Management, received their diplomas in 2005. In April 2007, the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education approved the Master of Science in Emergency Management, and the first cohort began in October 2007, receiving their degrees in June 2009. The Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and successfully completed a decennial reaccreditation in 2001 and again in 2011. The Master of Science in Facilities Management received NEASC accreditation in 2005. The Academy's campus and facilities are continually being upgraded to better serve its students. A campus beautification program, a multi-million dollar renovation and expansion of the dormitories and athletic facilities, an engineering laboratory addition to Bresnahan Hall, a complete renovation of Blinn Hall and a project to rebuild the pier have been completed over the past few years. The new Library/Information Commons opened on campus in September 2011, including fully networked study and research areas, meeting rooms, the Academic Resource Center, classrooms, collections, archives, and a Full Mission Bridge Simulator. The USTS Enterprise has undergone a complete rebuilding into the nation's newest and most modern maritime academy training ship and has successfully completed five Sea Term voyages.