United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland, is a degree-granting undergraduate college that prepares young men and women to become officers in the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The academy is supported by the federal government and is supervised by the Department of the Navy. George Bancroft, secretary of the Navy under President James K. Polk, founded the academy in 1845.
Students at the Naval Academy are called midshipmen. Their training takes four years. Those who complete the work are awarded a Bachelor of Science degree and are commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or as second lieutenants in the Marine Corps.
Entrance requirements.
Each year, about 1,200 young men and women are selected for admission to the plebe (first-year) class at the Naval Academy. A candidate for the school must be at least 17 years old, and not older than 23, on July 1 of the year of admission. A candidate must be unmarried, not pregnant, of good moral character, and a U.S. citizen.
To be considered for admission to the U.S. Naval Academy, a candidate must obtain a nomination from an official source. A majority of the vacancies at the academy are filled by nominations from United States senators and representatives and certain other government officials. At any time, each United States senator and representative, the vice president of the United States, the congressional delegate from the District of Columbia, and the resident commissioner of Puerto Rico may have five midshipmen attending the academy. The congressional delegates from Guam and the Virgin Islands may have three midshipmen each at the academy. The delegate from American Samoa may have two midshipmen. The delegate from the Northern Mariana Islands and the governor of Puerto Rico may have one midshipman each.
The remaining nominations to the Naval Academy are based on previous military service by the applicants themselves or their parents. The president of the United States may nominate an unlimited number of children of career military personnel, including members of the Coast Guard. Enlisted personnel in the regular and reserve Navy and Marine Corps receive 170 nominations per year. Up to 65 midshipmen may attend the academy who were nominated as children of veterans killed or disabled in action and children of prisoners of war or personnel missing in action. Another 20 nominations are available for students in the Reserve Officers Training Corps. The academy may enroll an unlimited number of children of Medal of Honor winners. The academy admits about 1,200 plebes each year.
An admissions board at the academy examines each candidate’s school records and college entrance examination scores. The board also studies the results of a candidate’s medical and physical aptitude tests and other evidence of character, leadership potential, academic aptitude, and physical fitness. Most young people who are accepted by the academy rank academically in the top 20 percent of their high school class.
After the midshipmen have been admitted, the U.S. government pays for their tuition, room and board, and medical and dental care. Each midshipman receives a monthly salary. From this salary, midshipmen must pay for their books, uniforms, equipment, and personal services. The academy’s website at https://www.usna.edu/ provides complete entrance information.
The life of a midshipman.
The program at Annapolis seeks to develop students for positions of military leadership. The academy emphasizes both academic training and the development of leadership, physical, and professional skills. During the academic year, midshipmen devote their major efforts to academic studies. But they also must participate in a varsity sport, a club sport, or the intramural sports program. For extracurricular activity, students at the academy may choose from dozens of clubs and organizations, ranging from dramatics and glee clubs to scuba diving.
During the midshipmen’s first summer, they learn the basics of military life, including how to shoot and sail. The academy requires physical tests, drills, and athletics for physical fitness. During their remaining summers, the midshipmen spend time at sea and at various naval installations. There, they learn about ships, submarines, and aircraft.
Graduates receive their diplomas and Navy or Marine Corps commissions at the end of Commissioning Week in May. They then proceed as Navy or Marine Corps officers to specialized training before reporting to their first fleet assignment.
The academic program.
The academy offers a four-year undergraduate program. The curriculum includes mathematics, science, engineering, and the social sciences and humanities. It also supplies a background in leadership, navigation, weaponry, and other professional areas. Each midshipman chooses an academic major that provides in-depth study in a field of interest. These fields consist of aerospace engineering, oceanography, political science, and a variety of other areas.
History.
Midshipmen were trained at sea before the academy was founded as the Naval School in 1845. George Bancroft established the school in Annapolis on the site of Fort Severn, a former U.S. Army post. In 1850 and 1851, the school was reorganized as the U.S. Naval Academy.
During the American Civil War (1861-1865), Annapolis was considered too close to the battle lines, so the midshipmen were moved to Newport, Rhode Island. In 1865, midshipmen returned to Annapolis. At about the same time, the academy began adding athletics and more recreation to the program.
The Spanish-American War, in 1898, demonstrated the school’s importance to the Navy, and the course of study was greatly expanded. The school constructed several buildings between 1899 and 1907, and some of them are still used. New facilities at the academy include the multipurpose Alumni Hall, the Nimitz Library, the Rickover Engineering Complex, and the Hendrix Oceanography Laboratory. Women midshipmen were first admitted to the United States Naval Academy in 1976.
