Work your way up. Earn while you learn. No degree required.
Hawsepiping is the path from unlicensed to licensed mariner through accumulated sea time, Coast Guard–approved training courses, and licensing exams. You work aboard ships, attend training schools between assignments, and advance rung by rung.
The term comes from sailors boarding ships via the hawsepipe — the opening in the hull where the anchor chain passes through — rather than walking up the gangway as an officer. It means learning the ship from the deck up.
Hawsepiping does not mean avoiding school. Most hawsepipers attend maritime training schools throughout their career. The difference from the academy path is that you work between courses rather than completing a four-year degree program first. You earn a paycheck from day one.
Hawsepipers are some of the most respected mariners in the industry. They know every level of the ship because they've worked every level.
TWIC card, medical certificate, Basic Safety Training (BST), and your initial MMC application. This gets you in the door.
Start as an Ordinary Seaman (deck) or Wiper (engine). Get aboard a vessel and begin accumulating sea time. You can find work through unions, direct-hire companies, or MSC.
After enough sea time, complete required courses and exams to earn AB (deck) or QMED (engine). Your pay increases and responsibilities grow.
Continue working and building documented sea days. You need 1,080 days for an unlimited Third Mate or Third A/E license.
Attend a maritime training school for STCW courses, exam prep, and other requirements. This happens between ship assignments.
Take and pass the Coast Guard exam modules for your license. This is the hardest part — the exams are comprehensive.
You are now a licensed Third Mate or Third Assistant Engineer. Continue advancing through the officer ranks with additional sea time.
Unlike academy students paying tuition for 4 years, hawsepipers earn a paycheck from their first ship assignment. Entry-level wages are modest but livable, and pay increases significantly with each credential upgrade.
STCW courses, exam prep, and upgrade training cost money and take you off the ship (meaning lost wages). Union members often get training covered or subsidized. Non-union mariners pay out of pocket or through employer sponsorship.
These are training institutions, not four-year colleges. They provide Coast Guard–approved courses, exam prep, STCW training, and license upgrades. You attend between ship assignments.
One of the largest maritime training pipelines in the U.S. The SIU Apprentice Program is a common starting point for hawsepipers — you train, earn credentials, and get placed on vessels through the union hiring hall.
STAR Center is for officer-level training and upgrades. Not an entry point — this is where you go once you have sea time and are upgrading your license.
One of the most important engineering schools in the country. If you are an engine-side hawsepiper, you will likely spend time here. Focuses exclusively on engineering credentials.
Formerly Mid-Atlantic Maritime Academy. Well-known for exam prep courses. Many MSC mariners train here due to the Norfolk location.
Despite the name, MITAGS is not a college. It is one of the most widely used upgrade schools in the industry. Two campuses — East Coast (Maryland) and West Coast (Seattle).
Strong STCW catalog. Popular outside the union ecosystem, especially for yacht and offshore sectors.
Practical, regionally focused training for the Gulf Coast maritime industry.
Highly respected in the towing sector. If you want to work tugs and barges, this is a key school for towing officer assessments.
Strong Northeast presence. Focused on workboat and limited tonnage credentials rather than unlimited deep-sea licenses.
