UPDATED 6/24/2009

Student Life

MAINE MARITIME ACADEMY is committed to the belief that learning takes place both in and out of the classroom. Accordingly, the college is structured to maximize the potential for such learning.

Maine Maritime Academy has an average student population on its Castine campus of 850 full-time undergraduate students and 10 – 15 graduate students in residence. In addition to these students, approximately 100 students are enrolled in the A.S. degree program at Bath Iron Works.

A special feature of student life at Maine Maritime is the mix of students who live a traditional college lifestyle and those who participate in the Regiment of Midshipmen. Although students who become midshipmen wear military-style uniforms, Maine Maritime is not a military academy, and there is no military obligation after graduation. Traditional and regimented students live in the same residence hall, attend many of the same classes, and are eligible to participate in all campus clubs, activities, and athletics.

Students often participate in the Castine community. MMA students have opportunities to volunteer for the local fire department, rescue squad, Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the Adams (Elementary) School, and daycare. The local churches, clubs, and historical society welcome students and provide an opportunity to become a part of a small but vibrant community. Bangor and Ellsworth, both about 55 minutes away by automobile, are the closest cities. Acadia National Park is just over an hour’s drive away, and ski areas are two hours distant.

The Regiment of Midshipmen

All candidates for a U.S. Coast Guard unlimited license as a Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer are required to be members of the Regiment of Midshipmen. The majors leading to an unlimited license, and thus requiring regimental participation, are Marine Transportation Operations, Marine Systems Engineering (License Track), Marine Engineering Technology, and Marine Engineering Operations. Marine Systems Engineering (Non-License Track) requires first-year students to participate in the Regiment, including the first-year cruise. For all other majors, membership in the Regiment is an optional but valuable experience that can help students to build job-related skills regardless of career path.

Although modeled after Navy and Coast Guard traditions, the purpose of the Regiment is not to produce military officers, but to provide leadership and management training for students desiring careers in the U.S. Merchant Marine and in science, engineering, and business. The Regiment does this by providing a structured training environment where students develop time management skills and self-confidence, enhance their personal value system, and are instilled with the Regiment's core values of honor, loyalty, and devotion to duty. Applicants for a U.S. Coast Guard unlimited license must meet the requirements governing physical condition, citizenship, and prior preparation, as outlined in the Admissions section.

The Regiment is a leadership program with a disciplined lifestyle designed to positively affect all aspects of a student's life at Maine Maritime Academy. Members wear military style uniforms, learn professional courtesies, and become familiar with shipboard life within a few days of reporting for first-year orientation. This rigorous lifestyle is challenging and rewarding; in particular, while learning how to follow in order to better lead, the student makes new lifelong friends. Over the four years, midshipmen are given more and more responsibility until, as seniors, they become the regimental leadership.

During the academic year, studies receive first priority. Midshipmen have ample time for personal study and research, as well as time to engage in recreational activities, such as varsity sports, after class. Weekends are usually free, unless the student is assigned to a watch or a maintenance responsibility aboard the training ship. Immediately following the first- and third-year spring terms, midshipmen in the license programs participate in a 60-day training cruise* aboard the training ship, State of Maine. These are exciting times as the students cruise the Caribbean or European waters, making several ports of call while receiving hands-on training in all aspects of ship operation. During the summer following the sophomore year, midshipmen in these programs are assigned to merchant vessels as cadets* to further familiarize them with shipboard procedures. 

*Students not in good academic standing (Academic Probation or Warning status) may be required to delay their assignments to the freshmen or junior cruises aboard the T.S. State of Maine, or as cadets aboard merchant vessels, until they are in good academic standing.

Extracurricular Activities

Many campus events take place throughout the year, including films, lectures, concerts, and plays, providing a full range of cultural involvement for the entire community. More than 30 organizations operate on campus, under the jurisdiction of Student Government. Some of these groups include:

Student Housing

MMA has a residency requirement. All undergraduate students at MMA are required to live on campus with certain exceptions. Students who are married, have lived on campus for six semesters or more, are 22 years of age or older by the end of the corresponding calendar year, or are military veterans with two years of service and an honorable discharge, are eligible to apply to live off campus. Exceptions to this residential policy require the approval of the Dean of Student Services. Housing in and around Castine is limited.

Students provide their own telephone, computer, pillows, towels, and linen. Card-operated washers and dryers are available on each floor of the Curtis Hall residence complex. Residents are expected to have their own insurance (see section on Personal Property). Deductions from a deposit are made for damages beyond normal wear and tear, if deemed appropriate. See the catalog section entitled "Affording MMA" for more information regarding security deposits.

Non-degree students are not normally eligible to live on-campus unless enrolled in at least twelve credit hours of study.

Student Health

Student Health Services on the MMA campus is located in Curtis Hall (207-326-2295, or ext. 295). A registered nurse is on campus Monday through Friday from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The Academy physician is available to see students between 6:45 a.m. and 7:45 a.m. from Monday to Friday. There is no fee for students to see the doctor or the nurse in Health Services. A fee may be charged to the student account for some supplies and medications that are provided to the student. After hours and on weekends, emergency care can be initiated by calling the MMA Security Office (207-326-2479, or ext. 479). Ambulance service is available and healthcare providers are located in emergency rooms in local hospitals. During the training cruise, a physician and nurse are aboard the ship.

All students are required to show proof of medical insurance coverage upon admission to the college, and each subsequent fall. Students must maintain insurance coverage throughout their stay at MMA and are responsible for informing the college of any changes in coverage. Students who are not covered by family medical insurance will be required to purchase the Academy's medical insurance (see section on Affording MMA).

Maine Maritime Academy requires that all students be immunized in accordance with 20-A MRSA Chapt. 223 Sub. Chapt. 2 § 6359. This Maine law states that any person born after 1956 who attends school full time or who is a candidate for a degree, diploma, or graduate certificate must be immunized against the following diseases:

In addition to the above State requirements, Maine Maritime Academy also requires entering students to have proof of the following immunizations and tests:

Students may also provide copies of laboratory evidence of immunity (titers) to satisfy their immunization requirements for MMR, Hep A, Hep B and varicella. A student is exempt from immunizations if he/she has documentation from a physician that immunization against one or more diseases is medically inadvisable, or the student/guardian states in writing an opposition to immunization because of a sincere religious belief or philosophical reason. Students who choose one of these exemptions and do not provide proof of immunity will be excluded from taking classes or participating in activities during the danger period (15-23 days) if an outbreak of one of the above infectious diseases occurs.

To demonstrate adequate immunization against each disease, a student must present a certificate of immunization from the physician, nurse, public health official, or school provider who administered the immunization. The proof must specify the immunizing agent and the date it was administered. School health records are usually accepted to meet these requirements. A letter from a doctor is not acceptable. If immunization cannot be determined, re-immunization is required.

Before a student can register at MMA, he or she must have a physical exam on file on MMA's physical exam form. The student's personal healthcare provider can perform the exam.

The Academy Counselor (207-326-2419, or ext. 419) provides professional personal counseling for students and serves as the Substance Abuse Prevention Education Coordinator. Prevention Education involves teaching students healthy lifestyle skills with the aim that these skills become habits. Other topics covered include personal responsibility, legal consequences, and social awareness. Services of the Academy Counselor are provided free of charge to students.

Disabled Students

Special facilities and services available to students with disabilities are limited. The campus is not barrier free. Nevertheless, the Academy seeks to comply with relevant provisions of Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, and the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. Students who have concerns regarding accommodations should contact the Office of the Associate Academic Dean. Individuals who are not MMA students should contact the Office of the Director of Human Resources Management with concerns regarding this legislation.

Orientation and Regimental Training Program

Prior to the start of classes, all new students to MMA are required to attend an orientation session, a program designed to familiarize students with the facilities, programs, and organization of the college and to ease the transition into college life. For members of the Regiment the program includes a period of training in the traditions of the Academy, as a preparation for the rigorous life of a midshipman.