Mariner Credentialing Department

Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping

The Mariner Credentialing Department features the office of the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW). The STCW Licensing Office ensures that the policies established by the USCG are implemented and followed through by students in the Marine Engineering and Marine Transportation undergraduate programs. Students in each program must exhibit competence in the areas of medical first aid, firefighting, survival craft and rescue boats.

The students' records in the areas of the required competencies are tracked and maintained to ensure that the license candidate can qualify to test for his/her third assistant engineer (engineering officer) or third mate (deck officer) exam administered by the USCG first class year in order to obtain their license as a merchant marine officer.

This office serves currently enrolled students and graduates of Massachusetts Maritime Academy.  Professional courses for members of the general public are offered through the Center for Maritime Professional Training.

Career information regarding licensing and credentials is available to non-student mariners at the U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center website (http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/).