Maritime - Deck Officer, Bachelor of Science
This is an archived copy of the 2020-2021 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit https://catalog.nmc.edu.
Great Lakes Maritime Academy
NMC Code 850
The Great Lakes Maritime Academy prepares students for the challenge of operating commercial ships of unlimited tonnage on the Great Lakes and oceans as merchant marine officers and business professionals. Deck officers train to become pilots and mates, navigating ships through open waters and narrow harbors — ships which may stretch to one thousand feet in length. Deck Officers manage the deck department and oversee loading and discharging of cargo, and are responsible for the ship’s business.
All qualified deck cadets write the U.S. Coast Guard examination for licensing as a Third Mate Great Lakes and any Oceans Unlimited Tonnage and First Class Great Lakes Pilot. Graduates are fully compliant with STCW International Quality Standards. The four-year curriculum awards a Bachelor of Science Degree in Maritime Technology. For those entering with a bachelor's degree, an accelerated three-year program also awards the bachelor's degree.
Major Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| ENG 111 | English Composition | 4 |
| ENG 112 | English Composition | 4 |
| PHL 202 | Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas | 3 |
| Any Group 1 Humanities course | 3 | |
| Math Competency 1 | 7 | |
| ENV 117 | Meteorology & Climatology | 4 |
| PHY 105 | Physics of the World Around Us | 4 |
| ECO 201 | Principles of Macroeconomics | 3 |
| ECO 202 | Principles of Microeconomics | 3 |
| Maritime Requirements | ||
| MDK 100 | Survival at Sea | 1 |
| MDK 104 | Rigging & Ship Maintenance Lab | 1 |
| MDK 106 | Watchstanding I | 1 |
| MDK 112 | Rules of the Nautical Road | 2 |
| MDK 121 | Navigation I | 3 |
| MDK 122 | Navigation I Lab | 1 |
| MDK 149 | Damage Control & Safety | 2 |
| MDK 200 | Ship Business & Labor Relation | 3 |
| MDK 206 | Watchstanding II | 1 |
| MDK 210 | Deck Sea Project I | 6 |
| MDK 221 | Lakes Piloting | 2 |
| MDK 222 | River Piloting | 3 |
| MDK 242 | Ship Stability | 3 |
| MDK 311 | Deck Sea Project II | 6 |
| MDK 312 | Deck Sea Project III | 6 |
| MDK 324 | Navigation III | 3 |
| MDK 330 | Medical First Aid Provider | 2 |
| MDK 331 | Electronic Navigation | 3 |
| MDK 332 | Electronic Navigation Lab | 1 |
| MDK 333 | Automatic Radar Plotting Aids | 1 |
| MDK 341 | Ship Construction | 2 |
| MDK 345 | Dry Cargo Stowage | 3 |
| MDK 404 | Marine Supervisory Lab | 1 |
| MDK 411 | Marine Communications | 2 |
| MDK 431 | ECDIS | 3 |
| MDK 444 | Cargo Systems | 2 |
| MDK 445 | Liquid Cargo Stowage | 2 |
| MDK 446 | Bridge Resource Management | 3 |
| MDK 448 | Pilot/Mate License Prep | 4 |
| MDK 454 | GMDSS | 3 |
| MNG 100 | Intro to Vessel Operations | 1 |
| MNG 105 | Shipboard Information Systems | 3 |
| MNS 100 | Naval Science | 2 |
| Occupational Specialty Requirements | ||
| MGT 241 | Principles of Management | 3 |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| 1 | Placement into MTH 141 Calculus I or higher, or completion of MTH 121 College Algebra and MTH 122 Trigonometry |
3 Year Deck Officer
For those entering with a bachelor's degree
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Fall | Credits | |
| MDK 100 | Survival at Sea | 1 |
| MNG 100 | Intro to Vessel Operations | 1 |
| Credits | 2 | |
| Fall | ||
| MNS 100 | Naval Science | 2 |
| MDK 104 | Rigging & Ship Maintenance Lab | 1 |
| MNG 105 | Shipboard Information Systems | 3 |
| MDK 106 | Watchstanding I | 1 |
| MDK 149 | Damage Control & Safety | 2 |
| ENG 111 | English Composition 1 | 4 |
| MTH 121 | College Algebra 1 | 4 |
| MGT 241 | Principles of Management 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 20 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 112 | Rules of the Nautical Road | 2 |
| MDK 121 | Navigation I | 3 |
| MDK 122 | Navigation I Lab | 1 |
| MDK 206 | Watchstanding II | 1 |
| MDK 341 | Ship Construction | 2 |
| ENG 112 | English Composition 1 | 4 |
| MTH 122 | Trigonometry 1 | 3 |
| PHY 105 | Physics of the World Around Us 1 | 4 |
| Credits | 20 | |
| Summer | ||
| MDK 210 | Deck Sea Project I 2 | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MDK 200 | Ship Business & Labor Relation | 3 |
| MDK 221 | Lakes Piloting (Nav II) | 2 |
| MDK 242 | Ship Stability | 3 |
| MDK 404 | Marine Supervisory Lab | 1 |
| MDK 411 | Marine Communications | 2 |
| ENV 117 | Meteorology & Climatology 1 | 4 |
| NMC Humanties Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Credits | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 222 | River Piloting | 3 |
| MDK 324 | Navigation III | 3 |
| MDK 331 | Electronic Navigation | 3 |
| MDK 332 | Electronic Navigation Lab | 1 |
| MDK 333 | Automatic Radar Plotting Aids | 1 |
| MDK 345 | Dry Cargo Stowage | 3 |
| MDK 444 | Cargo Systems | 2 |
| MDK 445 | Liquid Cargo Stowage | 2 |
| MDK 454 | GMDSS | 3 |
| Credits | 21 | |
| Summer | ||
| MDK 311 | Deck Sea Project II 2 | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MDK 330 | Medical First Aid Provider | 2 |
| MDK 431 | ECDIS | 3 |
| MDK 446 | Bridge Resource Management | 3 |
| MDK 448 | Pilot/Mate License Prep | 4 |
| PHL 202 | Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 312 | Deck Sea Project III 2 | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Total Credits | 114 | |
| 1 | General education classes |
| 2 | Sailing projects on training or commercial ships |
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GLMA approved transfer credits | 6 | |
| Maritime/Sea Projects Credit Hours | 82 | |
| NMC Credit Hours | 32 | |
| BSMT Degree requires 120 credit hours. Classes indicated as tested out (TO) or waived (W) must be replaced with classes approved by department head. | ||
| Cadets must earn a minimum of 2.0 grade in all Maritime, NMC and transfer classes. | ||
| Total Credits | 120 | |
Requirements/Certifications
- First Aid/CPR/AED
- MARAD Firefighting
- Alcohol & Substance Abuse Seminar
- Avoiding & Dealing w/ Sexual Harassment
- Supervisory Alcohol & Substance Abuse
- Completed Sea Days (300 required)
- In Port Sea Days (24 required)
- MDK 100 Survival at Sea completion date
4 Year Deck Officer
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Pre-Fall | Credits | |
| MDK 100 | Survival at Sea | 1 |
| MNG 100 | Intro to Vessel Operations | 1 |
| Credits | 2 | |
| Fall | ||
| MNS 100 | Naval Science | 2 |
| MDK 104 | Rigging & Ship Maintenance Lab | 1 |
| MNG 105 | Shipboard Information Systems | 3 |
| MDK 106 | Watchstanding I | 1 |
| ENG 111 | English Composition 1 | 4 |
| MTH 121 | College Algebra 1 | 4 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 112 | Rules of the Nautical Road | 2 |
| MDK 121 | Navigation I | 3 |
| MDK 122 | Navigation I Lab | 1 |
| MDK 149 | Damage Control & Safety | 2 |
| ENG 112 | English Composition 1 | 4 |
| MTH 122 | Trigonometry 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| MDK 210 | Deck Sea Project I 2 | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MDK 200 | Ship Business & Labor Relation | 3 |
| MDK 221 | Lakes Piloting (Nav II) | 2 |
| MDK 242 | Ship Stability | 3 |
| MDK 404 | Marine Supervisory Lab | 1 |
| PHY 105 | Physics of the World Around Us 1 | 4 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 222 | River Piloting | 3 |
| MDK 330 | Medical First Aid Provider | 2 |
| MDK 331 | Electronic Navigation | 3 |
| MDK 332 | Electronic Navigation Lab | 1 |
| MDK 333 | Automatic Radar Plotting Aids | 1 |
| MDK 345 | Dry Cargo Stowage | 3 |
| MDK 445 | Liquid Cargo Stowage | 2 |
| Credits | 15 | |
| Summer | ||
| No classes | ||
| Credits | 0 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MDK 311 | Deck Sea Project II 2 | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 206 | Watchstanding II | 1 |
| MDK 341 | Ship Construction | 2 |
| MDK 324 | Navigation III | 3 |
| ENV 117 | Meteorology & Climatology 1 | 4 |
| ECO 201 | Principles of Macroeconomics 1 | 3 |
| NMC Humanities Elective 1 | 3 | |
| Credits | 16 | |
| Summer | ||
| MDK 312 | Deck Sea Project III 2 | 6 |
| Credits | 6 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MDK 411 | Marine Communications | 2 |
| MDK 431 | ECDIS | 3 |
| MDK 446 | Bridge Resource Management | 3 |
| MDK 448 | Pilot/Mate License Prep | 4 |
| Credits | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| MDK 444 | Cargo Systems | 2 |
| MDK 454 | GMDSS | 3 |
| ECO 202 | Principles of Microeconomics 1 | 3 |
| PHL 202 | Contemporary Ethical Dilemmas 1 | 3 |
| MGT 241 | Principles of Management 1 | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
| 1 | General education classes |
| 2 | Sailing projects on training of commercial ships |
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Maritime/Sea Projects Credit Hours | 82 | |
| NMC Credit Hours | 38 | |
| BSMT Degree requires 120 credit hours. Classes indicated as tested out (TO) or waived (W) must be replaced with classes approved by department head. | ||
| Cadets must earn a minimum of 2.0 grade in all Maritime, NMC and transfer classes. | ||
| Total Credits | 120 | |
REQUIREMENTS/CERTIFICATIONS
- First Aid/CPR/AED
- MARAD Firefighting
- Alcohol & Substance Abuse Seminar
- Avoiding & Dealing w/ Sexual Harassment
- Supervisory Alcohol & Substance Abuse
- Completed Sea Days (300 required)
- In Port Sea Days (24 required)
- MDK 100 Survival at Sea completion date