Curriculum

The military academy curriculum does not vary much across schools as they all have focuses on engineering, mathematics and science. However, each military academy still values a well-rounded education, so there are also plenty of classes offered in humanities and behavioral and social sciences. There are a select number of majors (no more than 35 for each institution), so students looking for a wide range of programs might not find what they’re looking for at a military academy.

At West Point, there are 21 majors, with the most popular being the six engineering programs in civil, electrical, mechanical, systems, environmental, and management engineering. Along with their major, cadets are required to take 10-13 electives, write a thesis, and complete a design project. The core curriculum includes 31 courses in topics of mathematics, basic sciences, humanities, and more. Cadets are mandated to select a major by the end of their sophomore year.

There are more than 25 majors to choose from at the Naval Academy, but the programs are generally focused on STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). Other majors include chemistry, computer science, cyber operations, information technology, and oceanography.

At the United States Coast Guard Academy, students only have the choice of eight different majors for the Bachelor of Science degrees. The most popular majors are engineering; marine biology and biological oceanography; political science and government; business administration and management; and mathematics and statistics. The majority of the curriculum focuses on training in marine engineering, navigation, ship’s administration, maritime law, personnel management, international law, customs, and other related subjects.

For the United States Air Force Academy, cadets have one of the most diverse military academy curriculum and can select from one of 32 majors by the time they start their sophomore year. There are three categories of majors: divisional, disciplinary, and interdisciplinary. The main divisional category includes majors that fall into basic sciences, general engineering, humanities, and social sciences. The 24 disciplinary majors cover subjects like aeronautical engineering, computer science, legal studies, military strategic studies, and political science. The interdisciplinary majors reach across multiple disciplines, including foreign area studies, operations research, meteorology, and space operations.

US Merchant Marine Academy midshipmen must choose a major course of study from Marine Transportation, Logistics and Intermodal Transportation, Marine Engineering or Marine Engineering Systems. The school’s mission is to train its graduates for licensing as a merchant marine officer and impart the necessary military knowledge for commissioning in a reserve component of one of the Armed Forces branches.