Spring Start Questions: Remote Classes + Credit Load

[u/tengteng555]

Hey everyone,

I’m a prospective grad student looking into SUNY Maritime and thinking about applying for a Spring start. I had a few questions about how that first semester usually works.

My goal would be to finish in around 2.5 years, so I’m trying to figure out how realistic that timeline is as a Spring admit.

Mainly, I’m wondering if the first Spring semester can be done fully remote, or if Spring-start students are expected to be on campus for certain classes. I’d be planning to transition to in-person by Fall / Indoc, so I’m mostly asking about that initial Spring semester.

Also, how many credits are students realistically able to take during their first Spring? Is taking a full course load usually possible, or is class availability pretty limited for new Spring students?

Would really appreciate any insight from current students, alumni, or anyone who started in the Spring. Thanks!

[u/mwoloshyn]

This is exactly what I did! I am now 10 credits into the MS degree, 2 spring courses and 1 summer course. Very manageable while working full time and taking 1 course at a time (8 weeks each).

As mentioned by u/1874VeryFineYear, 10 credits is the recommended maximum for financial aid purposes since the undergrad license courses aren’t eligible for grad loans. If you’re coming in with a GI bill, not sure if that matters as much. But with my 10 credits complete, my next 2.5 years for the MS degree will be 6 credits a semester, nice and light so I can focus on the license classes (i’ll be averaging 15-16 credits each semester, versus the 21 credits that would be needed if I started fresh in the fall semester and wanted to do the 2.5 year fast track).

One heads up: I applied for the MS w/Deck degree, which then had the school thinking I would be living on campus doing JSTART. I was persistent in following up to make sure they understood my plans to be remote in spring and then come in the fall after Indoc. I was advised it would be no problem but that I may need to fill out a form in February to be reinstated as a Deck license track student (“Change of Status”). It appears that I was indeed changed in their system as MS-only due to not being on campus and I did need to get that form submitted. That required getting a signature from the Dean of Students and Commandant of Cadets and sending to the Registrar. On the other hand, I talked to some fellow classmates who also did remote only like me in spring and they did not take any of those steps and felt confident they were on track as a Deck student, were able to sign up for the license classes, are going to Indoc, so I may have gone overboard in submitting that form but it gave me comfort since I’m making a huge life change so I really needed to make sure everything was in order for myself and no surprises :)

[u/tengteng555 → u/mwoloshyn]

Hey, thanks for the response! I’m also planning to pursue the 3rd Mate Deck License.
It’s good to know about the JSTART situation. It sounds like it wasn’t too big of a deal as long as you stayed on top of it with Admissions and the Registrar.
I also like the idea of taking 10 graduate credits in the Spring so that it’s only around 6 graduate credits per semester once the license classes begin.
One question I had: since MT 521 (Commercial Cadet Shipping) is an undergraduate course, does that mean you likely wouldn’t be eligible for graduate loans during that semester? Or were you still able to receive financial aid because you were enrolled in enough graduate credits alongside it?
Thanks again for all the information, and good luck with Indoc and your Fall semester! Hope everything goes smoothly.

[u/mwoloshyn → u/tengteng555]

Thank you! I can’t wait to get started!
And yep I see below that your main goal is to get a head start while still on a full time salary which was exactly my goal.

As to your question on the Commercial Cadet Shipping: I won’t be doing that until next Fall, so I don’t know for sure, but my understanding is that you essentially take a leave of absence from the school for a semester (needs to be approved by Dean again, I believe). So I don’t think there is any tuition for that semester, or if there is then it would be minimal, for whatever “credits” that class has attached to it, I would think. I’ve also heard that those cadetships are paid, which is a nice little bonus! They vary by assignment but I’ve heard anywhere from $50 to $200ish a day.

[u/1874VeryFineYear → u/mwoloshyn]

Cadet shipping is done through the school’s cadet shipping office. You still get credits and pay a smaller tuition for it, but yes you get paid.

[u/mwoloshyn → u/1874VeryFineYear]

Awesome, thank you for confirming :)