From the USNA online course catalog:
Core Curriculum
In four years at the Naval Academy, midshipmen are required to take certain core courses to make sure they are well prepared for the principal career choices available to Navy and Marine Corps officers. Through required courses in engineering, natural sciences, social sciences, the humanities, professional military subjects and physical education, the Naval Academy gives midshipmen a balanced education for virtually any career path in the
operating forces of our country’s naval services.
During the first year at the Academy, all courses are part of the required core curriculum. These required courses form the foundation for the more advanced courses, core and major, chosen by upperclass midshipmen. Some core requirements in the upperclass years have alternative courses from which to choose, depending on your academic background, abilities and
major. Courses in your academic major also prepare you for advanced professional training and postgraduate education, which are expected of nearly all naval officers.
The typical academic schedule for plebes includes five courses in each of two semesters:
Plebe year, first semester — 16 credit hours
• Calculus I — Most begin here, some validate and are placed into later calculus
courses, and a few plebes not ready for calculus take a pre-calculus course that does
not count as part of the minimum mathematics requirement.
• Chemistry I — This foundation science course includes two hours of laboratories
each week.
• U.S. Government and Constitutional Development — The foundation of
American democracy.
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• Preparing to Lead – Baseline course for leader development; introduces basic
concepts of self-knowledge, self-leadership, and leading others.
• Rhetoric and Introduction to Literature I — Most plebes take this class; some
will start with a practical writing course that prepares for this class.
• Fundamentals of Naval Science — The basic elements of shipboard
operation, organization and propulsion.
Plebe year, second semester — 18 credit hours
• Calculus II — Continuation of the first-semester course.
• Chemistry II — Continuation of the first-semester course.
• American Naval Heritage — A history of this country’s Navy.
• Introduction to Navigation
• Rhetoric and Introduction to Literature II.
A few midshipmen who give evidence of the ability to learn a critical language (Arabic, Chinese, Japanese or Russian) may be selected to begin study of the language in plebe year. This is arranged by postponing the government and naval history courses.
