Majors at the USMMA - What determines your path?

KPparent2020

KPparent2020

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Mar 6, 2016
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What determines "Deck" or "Engine"? Can the incoming students pick what major they want or is that given to them?
 
The way it works is you have a preliminary major which means essentially nothing. except if you're deck you take physics first rather than chemistry. After first trimester you lock your major in (Deck or Engine).
 
@MMA19kid - Do you take a deck and engine class in the first tri so you get a taste of each? Back in the days of quarters we took one quarter engine and then one quarter deck. Major was locked in for the 3rd quarter after Christmas.
 
KP Eng said:
@MMA19kid - Do you take a deck and engine class in the first tri so you get a taste of each? Back in the days of quarters we took one quarter engine and then one quarter deck. Major was locked in for the 3rd quarter after Christmas.
Click to expand...

Yes. There are two classes for engine and deck. The engine one is probably closer to actual engine classes. The deck class is just a compilation of facts and tying some knots that doesn't foreshadow actual deck classes that much. The engine one is also similarly a compilation of facts about engines with no mathematical applications.
 
The engine class was probably more exciting because of the labs that we did, taking apart an engine, etc. I was strongly considering majoring in engineering, but I'm not the best with machinery, so I went Deck.
 
KP Eng said:
@MMA19kid - Do you take a deck and engine class in the first tri so you get a taste of each? Back in the days of quarters we took one quarter engine and then one quarter deck. Major was locked in for the 3rd quarter after Christmas.
Click to expand...

Yeah, and whatever your initial choice was, the first quarter was in the opposite track, i.e. potential engine majors took basic seamanship (deck operations, line splicing, knot tying, etc.). This way, whatever your choice was, if you didn't change, it was a smooth transition from the second quarter to the third. . . it was my experience that very few changed.
 
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