afloat serve as either deck watch officers or student engineers. Professional maritime studies courses help prepare cadets in piloting, voyage planning, deck seamanship, and all aspects of ship-handling, as well as Coast Guard leadership and administrative duties.
=== Majors ===
Academics at the USCGA stress the sciences and engineering, but different courses of study are available. In addition, several of the majors offer tracks of specialization (for example, marine and environmental science majors can choose to focus on biology, chemistry, or geophysics). Cadets sometimes opt to take elective courses with Connecticut College (adjacent the academy's campus) as part of an open exchange agreement.
=== Military training ===
Each summer, cadets participate in training programs according to their class. The summers are organized as follows:
Swab Summer: The new class of freshmen report in to the academy, and are sworn into the military. They undergo a seven-week basic training program that culminates on a …
