Home > Graduate Program

An Overview of the Master of Science (M.S.) Degree Program in International Transportation Management at State University of New York (S.U.N.Y.) Maritime College

Mission Statement of the Program:

The purpose of the M.S. degree in International Transportation Management at S.U.N.Y. Maritime College is to provide comprehensive graduate education in the field of international transportation management through three essential areas:

• Enhancing the continued development of original and creative thought

• Developing skills in critical evaluation and problem solving

• Identifying and engaging the vital issues confronting the international transportation industry

On basis of the foregoing essentials, the program’s faculty anticipates that among many of its graduates will be the future executives and leaders of the shipping industry.

Brief Description of the Program:

The M.S. program at SUNY Maritime College was originally established in 1968 to offer a graduate level degree in Transportation Management, based on the specialized, extensive expertise of the College in maritime and intermodal affairs. The main purpose was to serve the needs of the professional transportation community by comprehensively educating on a graduate level those already working in the transportation community, or those seeking entry to it.

In the transition to the twenty-first century, the graduate faculty advocated that it was logical and desirable that the name of the program be changed to reflect the development of the strong international flavor that had come to characterize the curriculum.

Coincidentally, a new, Trustee-approved mission of SUNY Maritime College was adopted stating that the college is to provide “quality … graduate programs in international business…”

Another part of the College mission stated that the purpose of the College is to help create “a quality workforce and prospective leaders for the state, nation, and maritime and international business community…” Lastly the new mission called for the College to be a “nationally and internationally recognized resource of expertise in its specialized disciplines as they relate to the maritime field.”

In fact, over the past few years since academic year 2005-2006, about 33% of our graduate student body has been made up of students who are citizens of other countries. The program has developed a strong market brand as having one of the world’s best programs in international transportation management.

A consensus developed between faculty and administration that ultimately resulted in the application to S.U.N.Y. system for a name change to “M. S. degree in International Transportation Management,” which was officially approved in the spring semester of 2010.

The general curriculum of the M.S. program in International Transportation Management is divided into four categories of courses: a) Program Prerequisite Courses, b) Core Courses, c) Elective Courses, and d) the culmination methods of the program, a choice made by the student to take either the team-oriented Capstone Course or the individual study Thesis. A student must complete 33 master level credits with a cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 to earn the degree. Students enrolled in the program’s Supply Chain Management professional certificate option must take two additional courses for 39 credits; they, too must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. As a condition of acceptance into the M.S. program, a student may also be required to complete some or all of the program prerequisite courses depending upon his/her undergraduate experience. A typical full-time student load, determined by Maritime College and measured on Federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) requirements, is at least 9 credits; in order to take 14 credits or more, a student must get approval from the academic head of the program. It is not impossible for a brilliant student to complete the M.S. program in two academic semesters, but typically students would take three to four semesters. A student must have at least 24 credits within the program and a cumulative GPA of 3.0 in order to exercise either the thesis or capstone method of completing the M.S. degree program.

Currently, the M.S. degree program has three options that students can pursue in addition to the standard 33-credit curriculum:

• The license program is based on a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States Coast Guard (USCG), and educates students to become Merchant Marine deck officers. The memorandum with the USCG links awarding the Master of Science diploma with a student successfully passing the USCG exam for the 3rd Mate License.

• Since 1972 the M.S. degree program has issued a joint certificate with the Association of Ship Brokers and Agents (ASBA) in international ship chartering; the certificate is widely acclaimed within the chartering industry and gives graduates of the program a strong competitive edge in the job market.

• Since the fall semester, 2007, a Supply Chain Management certificate program has been in place, and full official approval of the program by S.U.N.Y. system, and the New York State Department of Education, occurred during spring semester 2010.

The program has shown and continues to show resilience, dedication to the needs of its students, and full appreciation of the needs of the wider transportation community in which most of its graduates find work.

For more information about the graduate program and to download the application click here.

For more information regarding the GBAT Industry Advisory Board, please click here.