Program Information
Could you see yourself working on the water? Are you looking for a career outside of the office? Do you enjoy new challenges every day? If so, pursuing a degree in Maritime Transportation might be right for you! The San Jacinto College Maritime Transportation associate degree program offers United States Coast Guard (USCG)-approved and internationally recognized Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) maritime training and deck level course work for all professional mariners. Training ranges from the entry-level deckhand on an inland towboat to Unlimited Tonnage Masters on the world’s largest ships and everything in between.
Our staff consists of USCG-approved Vessel Captains, ship officers, Chief Engineers, former US Navy, US Coast Guard, Merchant Marine Officers, and skilled technicians with more than a century of combined experience who make the learning experience both effective and enjoyable.
The San Jacinto College associate degree Maritime Transportation program:
- Provides students with USCG-approved instruction to be capable, knowledgeable mariners;
- Provides instruction, actual experience, and course work to become a professional mariner; and
- Effectively balances hands-on maritime courses and general academic courses.
Career Opportunities
Texas ranks first in the nation for both domestic and international freight with its waterways, handling almost 50 million tons of freight shipments each year and has been the top exporting state for 13 years.
In Houston, more than 200,000 barge transits occur in and out of the Port of Houston each year. The Houston Ship Channel remains the nation's No. 1 waterway in waterborne tonnage. In 2022, 293.8 million tons moved along the Houston Ship Channel, a 10% increase over 2021 and a record for the port. There is a gap of 67 million tons in annual tonnage between the Houston channel and the country's No. 2 port. The 67-million-ton difference is larger than 94% of all US ports.
Texas waterways and ports support approximately 1,170,000 jobs and contribute $264 billion to the state’s economy. These lucrative jobs hold great potential for professional growth and advancement in the maritime transportation industry.
Earning Potential
Note: Below are starting salaries in the Texas Gulf Coast region. Salaries for these positions greatly increase within the Houston region, where there is high vessel traffic.
Sailors and Marine Oilers: $58,533 per year1
Captains, Mates, and Pilots: $121,587 per year1
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Source: Texas Wages, median salary, Gulf Coast Region
For more information, students may contact 281-459-5483 or sanjacinto.maritime@sjcd.edu.
Campus
Maritime Campus
Information
Students enrolling into San Jacinto College programs with external learning experiences (i.e., clinical, practicum, externship, cooperative, etc.) will be required to comply with the immunization requirements and policies of the clinical/external learning sites to engage in all clinical/external learning experiences. Vaccination requirements at clinical/external learning sites are implemented pursuant to the independent authority of such facilities and are not mandated by San Jacinto College. Failure to meet the immunization requirements mandated by clinical/external learning sites may limit a student’s ability to complete the program and/or may delay the student’s graduation date. San Jacinto College does not process exemptions, and students should address potential vaccination exemptions directly with the clinical/external learning site.
Admission
Students interested in pursuing an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) in Maritime Transportation must follow the College's admissions guidelines and attend an information session prior to registering for maritime courses. It is important to note that all students must complete internships on commercial vessels to complete the program and graduate. This may require students to live aboard vessels for extended periods. Students and graduates of the Maritime program who apply for a US Coast Guard credential and/or license must meet professional requirements that include drug testing.
In accordance with Texas House Bill 1508, the College informs all students in this program who may have a criminal background that a criminal history could keep graduates from being licensed by the state of Texas. Students with any questions about their background and licensure may speak with the Director of the Maritime Credit Program.
More information about applying for the Merchant Mariner Credential can be found here: https://www.dco.uscg.mil/nmc/merchant_mariner_credential/
Employers often have additional requirements and stricter standards. The medical standards can be found at: https://media.defense.gov/2019/Sep/11/2002181050/-1/-1/0/CIM_16721_48.PDF
For more information, students may contact Maritime Center staff sanjacinto.maritime@sjcd.edu or call 281-459-5483.
Plan of Study
3MARITIME
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| First Term | Credits | |
| NAUT 1305 | Introduction to Ships and Shipping | 3 |
| NAUT 1315 | Basic Safety | 3 |
| NAUT 1320 | Seamanship I | 3 |
| PHED 1142 | Fitness Swimming | 1 |
| ENGL 1301 | Composition I | 3 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Second Term | ||
| NAUT 1230 | Marine Engineering Familiarization | 2 |
| NAUT 1345 | Marine Cargo Operations | 3 |
| NAUT 2310 | Seamanship II | 3 |
| Mathematics 1 | 3 | |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences | 3 | |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Summer Year One Term | ||
| NAUT 2364 | Practicum 2 | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Second Year | ||
| First Term | ||
| NAUT 2415 | Terrestrial Navigation | 4 |
| NAUT 1255 | Maritime Law and Regulations | 2 |
| NAUT 2205 | Basic Stability and Vessel Construction | 2 |
| ENGL 2311 | Technical and Business Writing | 3 |
| BCIS 1305 or ITSC 1309 | Business Computer Applications or Integrated Software Applications I | 3 |
| Credits | 14 | |
| Second Term | ||
| NAUT 2330 | Radar Observer Unlimited | 3 |
| NAUT 2301 | Able Bodied Seaman and Lifeboatman | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| NAUT 2475 | Master 100 ton | 4 |
| Credits | 13 | |
| Summer Year Two Term | ||
| NAUT 2365 | Practicum 2 | 3 |
| Credits | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 60 | |
Capstone Experience: NAUT 2365 Practicum
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Students who plan to pursue a bachelor's degree should take MATH 1314.
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Practicums are internships on commercial vessels offered during the Post Yr1 and Post Yr2 summer terms of the program.