US COAST GUARD ACADEMY AT NEW LONDON, CONNECTICUT | NAVAL ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, OPERATIONS & MANAGEMENT EDUCATION
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE, MARINE ENGINEERING & MANAGEMENT EDUCATION AT COAST GUARD

Founded in 1876, the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in New London, Connecticut is a professional college educating future United States Coast Guard officers. It is a fully resident military cadet campus and the smallest United States federal service academy.
The Academy provides a four-year Bachelor of Science (BS) degree program, with the curriculum heavily oriented toward math, science, and engineering. Like the other U.S. federal service academies, our students receive a full scholarship and our graduates serve in the military for at least five years after graduation. However, unlike the other service academies, there are no congressional appointments — admission is based solely on nationwide competition.
The Coast Guard Academy has a proud tradition as one of the most selective colleges in America. Students come to the Academy to be challenged academically, physically, and professionally. By providing excellent academic programs, a structured military regimen, and competitive athletics, the Academy graduates competent and professional military leaders who serve their country and humanity with honor as Coast Guard officers.
Academic Programs
Every Coast Guard cadet completes core studies in sciences and liberal arts, then specializes in one of 13 programs of study:
Undergraduate Programs
- Civil Engineering (Environmental or Structural): Civil Engineering (CE) provides a solid background in mathematics and basic sciences applied toward the study and design of engineered systems. As a broad field encompassing many disciplines, Civil Engineering offers a challenging and fulfilling career to individuals with a wide variety of interests. Upper level courses in the major include study in structural analysis, geotechnical engineering, construction, water resources, and environmental engineering.
- Electrical Engineering (Computer or Systems): The Electrical Engineering major is a sound undergraduate educational program that prepares future officers to be the Coast Guard’s leaders in developing, evaluating and implementing new technologies. The two essentials for this role, understanding of a systems approach and fluency with computers, are at the core of this major. This program challenges cadets to become critical thinkers who can use computer systems and analytical methods to solve real world technical problems.
- Government (International Affairs or Public Policy): The study of Government, History, Ethics, Foreign Language, English, and Law comprise the Humanities Department; and in concert, they offer cadets a major in Government. Part of the mission of the Department is to ground all cadets, whatever their majors, in the liberal arts. For government majors, that grounding continues with a multidisciplinary selection of courses leading to either of two Government tracks: International Affairs or Public Policy. With these twin missions, Humanities offers more core courses than any other department.
- Management: The AACSB International Accredited Management Major provides high quality undergraduate degree, preparing students for their future role as stewards of public resources and global business and government leaders. The Management major at the Coast Guard Academy is built primarily on the intellectual foundations of the behavioral sciences, economics, mathematics, information technology and accounting/ finance. Students are educated in the broad array of functional skills and analytical processes required of contemporary leaders and managers.
- Marine and Environmental Sciences (Bio-Environmental, Chem-Environmental or Physical): The Marine and Environmental Sciences (MES) major stresses understanding of the complex relationships between humans and the land, oceans and atmosphere. Importantly, this program is not simply marine biology. Rather, MES provides a technical, multi-disciplinary education closely aligned with Coast Guard missions by integrating oceanography, chemistry and biology
- Mechanical Engineering: The Mechanical Engineering major provides a solid foundation for service as a Coast Guard Officer, professional engineering practice, and further study in Mechanical Engineering or many other related fields. The major requirements develop the students’ ability to apply scientific principles in the design and analysis of mechanical and energy conversion systems. Students are challenged with design problems in most of the major courses, which provide opportunities for developing creativity in solving real-world problems. The program culminates with a hands-on capstone design project in which teams of students use their acquired knowledge to design, build, and test a practical device.
- Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering: The Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering (NA&ME) major provides a strong undergraduate educational program in Engineering, Mathematics and Sciences. This program emphasizes development of the student’s ability to understand and apply engineering principles to the design and analysis of surface ships.
- Operations Research and Computer Analysis (Applied Mathematics): The Operations Research and Computer Analysis (ORCA) major provides graduates with a background in mathematics, statistics, and computers. The primary focus of the Operations Research and Computer Analysis (ORCA) major at the U. S. Coast Guard Academy is to enable cadets to conceptualize and describe reality using the tools of mathematics and statistics, develop appropriate models, derive solutions using computer technology, apply the solutions to specific Coast Guard and other real world problems and to effectively communicate solutions.