Diversity in Action

U.S. Coast Guard Academy preps for tech careers at sea

The diverse student body does rewarding national service in a variety of technical roles. "Our mission provides very satisfying work," says a recruiter

The U.S. Coast Guard (www.cga.edu) recently became part of the federal Department of Homeland Security. But its mission remains the same: to guard the nation's coastlines and ports and conduct maritime rescues. And that means lots of opportunities to build engineering and technical careers.

Capt Susan Bibeau: "To succeed in a technical society you need leadership."

Many of the service's engineers and technical specialists, who do everything from designing ships to managing shore facilities, are graduates of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. The four-year program offers degrees in a variety of engineering and other technical majors at no cost to students who serve in the Coast Guard for at least five years after graduation. Capt Susan Bibeau, the academy's director of admissions, calls it one of the top engineering education programs in the country. Its programs have been recognized by both the Princeton Review and US News & World Report.

"To succeed in a technical society you need leadership skills and that's what makes this program special," Bibeau says. "Leadership is part of everything that we do. Your first five years, of course, you'll spend in the Coast Guard, but if you choose to leave after that you have very strong skills in motivating and organizing people for a common purpose."

The academy welcomes graduates from community colleges and transfers from undergrad programs, though all cadets must complete its full four-year program upon enrolling. About 20 percent of cadets come to the academy with some college experience, including 5 percent from two-year programs. Unlike other military service academies, admission does not require nomination by a member of Congress. Admission is based solely on merit, Bibeau stresses. Candidates must be between seventeen and twenty-two years old.

Several of the academy's majors are technical, says Lt Christine Fern, who is in charge of diversity for the academy. Technology-related majors are naval architecture/marine engineering, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, operations research and computer analysis. Cadets can also major in marine and environmental science, government and management.

Lt Christine Fern: cadets can choose from several technical majors.

"The academy is very rigorous academically and very rigorous overall," Fern says. "One advantage of going to a community college first is that when you come to the academy you may test out of some subjects."

The Coast Guard's broad security and rescue mission translates into an array of technology-based careers. Some are at the Coast Guard research and development center in Groton, CT. Others might be at design and construction centers in Norfolk, VA and Seattle. Engineers play key roles in port and engineering support units in locations like Boston, MA; Charleston, SC; Portsmouth, VA; Miami, FL; New Orleans, LA; Honolulu, HI; Seattle, WA; and in Alaska. Civil engineers manage shore facilities, naval engineers design and upgrade ships, and other technical professionals maintain lighthouses.

"We also have ocean engineering, providing aids to navigation," says Fern. "We have IT managers and people who specialize in command, control, communications and computer systems."

About half of the academy's graduates also go on to masters degree programs or other advanced programs like flight school. The Coast Guard pays for graduate study at top engineering schools around the country, notes Fern.

Many academy grads opt to stay with the Coast Guard for the full twenty years that qualifies them for retirement, says Bibeau.

"I can say a significantly higher proportion of our grads stay for a full twenty year career than do other service academy grads," she says. "Why is that? I think it's the mission and the people. Our mission provides very satisfying work - saving lives, keeping drugs off the street. You might find yourself doing any number of things all across the country and sometimes overseas."

Those who don't stay in the service have other options, says Fern. Many go to federal law enforcement and intelligence agencies while others join defense contractors and major manufacturing firms. "Some students even go on to start their own companies," she notes.

Being in the academy is a rewarding experience in itself, says Fern. In addition to the high caliber education, students take part in a full range of extracurricular activities and sports. In addition to free tuition, cadets also receive a monthly stipend. The student-faculty ratio is eight to one.

United States Coast Guard Academy www.cga.edu Academy campus: New London, CT Enrollment: 850 cadets Academy mission: Four-year military college education for seamanship, leadership, and expertise in technical, scientific and management careers

The academy is a leader in diversity among the military colleges. About 30 percent of its cadets are women and about a third of those are engineering majors. About 20 percent are members of minority groups. International students from several countries also attend.

All graduates have full access to the service's range of careers and many will one day command their own ships. Bibeau, for example, has commanded two different ships during her Coast Guard career, which began with her graduation from the academy in 1980.

The academy actively recruits diverse candidates, says Fern. It works with SHPE, NSBE, SWE and other diversity focused engineering societies. It is in the process of launching chapters of those organizations on its own campus.

"One of our largest clubs, the Genesis Club, is multicultural. We team up with Connecticut College across the street to have an annual multi-day fair that we call our Eclipse Weekend," says Fern. "The organization is made up of minorities and non-minorities, and the cooperation between the two schools celebrates the students' diversity. It has grown quite a bit since it began nine years ago."

The academy receives about 6,000 applications annually for its 290 entering student slots. When recruiting from community colleges, the service especially seeks students who focus on math and science, particularly chemistry, physics and calculus.

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