St. Clair County Community College in Port Huron and the Great Lakes Maritime Academy in Traverse City have created an articulation agreement that gives local students a chance to work aboard the giant freighters that pass by the Blue Water Area.

Training Ship State of Michigan on the St. Clair River, May 2006

The academy is a division of Northwestern Michigan College and is the nation’s only freshwater academy. Students can choose from either a deck officer program or engineering officer program. Students beginning in fall 2006 can take one year of core classes at SC4, then transfer to the academy in Traverse City. The programs take on average at least two years to complete and involve classroom teaching and hands-on learning aboard the 225-foot Training Ship State of Michigan.

Upon graduation from the academy, students are qualified to sail the Great Lakes or oceans and are granted both an associate degree in maritime technology from Northwestern Michigan College and a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Ferris State University.

Click here to read a program profile on the academy and SC4's articulation agreement.