U.S. Coast Guard License

U.S. Coast Guard License Examination

The U.S. Coast Guard will issue a license as Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer to graduates of Cal Maritime who:

• are U.S. citizens,
• meet the minimum physical standards established by the Coast Guard, and pass the license examination.

To be eligible to take the license examination, a student must do the following:

• pay the evaluation and examination fee,
• have all sea time requirements fulfilled, and
• complete all Cal Maritime academic requirements at the completion of the year that the examination is taken.

Sea Training Requirements

Three 60-day training cruises, established by the U.S. Coast Guard, are required of all students seeking a license as Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer. The cruises will be accomplished in the following order on the following vessels: training ship, training or commercial ship, and training ship. This program is part of the academic curriculum and carries credit for graduation.

Transfers from other state maritime academies may receive credit for each cruise completed within the same program, as long as the sea training was of 60 days or more. Transfers from the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy (USMMA) will receive credit for only 60 days of sea time. Because the USMMA’s training is on a commercial ship, a transfer from the USMMA will have to complete two cruises on board Cal Maritime’s training ship. Navy or unlicensed merchant marine sea time does not meet the sea training requirements of Cal Maritime as required by the U.S. Coast Guard.