Difference between pages "User:Woozamagoo" and "Starfleet Academy"

From Bravo Fleet
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{{icons|bfc}}{{Specifications
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{{Icons|bfc|sf|fed}}
| image = [[Image:Sutherland class aftb.png|275px]]
+
{{Organisation
| name = Sutherland
+
|name= Starfleet Academy
| affiliation = Starfleet
+
|image= [[File:StarfleetAcademyLogo.png]]
| role = Heavy Cruiser
+
|founded=2161
| dateEntered = 2398
+
|affiliation=*United Federation of Planets
| expectedLife = 100 Years
+
*Starfleet
| expectedRefit = 10 Years
+
|headquarters=San Francisco, Earth
| timeResupply = 3 Years
+
|primary mission=Starfleet Officer Training
| crewComplement = 900
+
|location=
| emergencyCap = 12,800
+
|leadership=Rear Admiral T'rirrik (Vulcan Female)
| length = 580 meters
+
|flagship=
| width = 520 meters
+
|motto=''ex astris, scientia''
| height = 180 meters
+
|status=Active
| decks = 45
+
}}'''Starfleet Academy''' is Starfleet’s in-house university, intended to train officers to join Starfleet. A part of [[Starfleet Training Command]], this institution spans multiple campuses across Federation space, educating tens of thousands of cadets each year. The original flagship campus is located on Earth in San Francisco, within walking distance of Starfleet Command.
| propulsionSystem = Matter/Antimatter powered warp drive
 
| cruiseSpeed = Warp 7
 
| maxSpeed = Warp 9
 
| emergencySpeed = Warp 9.8 (12 hours)
 
| energyWeapons =*4x Type-XII Phaser Arrays
 
| torpLaunchers =  
 
Pod mounted: 
 
*2 forward
 
*2 aft
 
| torpPayload =*150 Photon Torpedoes
 
*150 Quantum Torpedoes
 
| shields =Multi-Layered Shielding System
 
| shuttleBays =2
 
| shuttles =14
 
| runabouts =4
 
}}
 
  
The ''Sutherland''-class research cruiser is a large science vessel derived from the Nebula-class heavy cruiser. It is intended to carry large scale instruments into the field with large crews of scientific personnel; it is by far the largest dedicated science vessel in service. Compared to the ''Nebula'', many of its exterior features have been simplified and it is more lightly armed. These vessels can mainly be found making use of their vast scientific and research capabilities to perform extremely detailed studies of planets, celestial phenomena, anomalies and entire regions of space.
+
== Admissions ==
 +
{{For|article=[[ma:Starfleet Academy entrance exam|Starfleet Academy Entrance Examination]]}}
 +
{{For|article=[[ma:Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program|Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program]]}}
  
=== Science and Exploration ===
+
Admission to Starfleet Academy is exceptionally competitive, with academics, physical fitness, life experience, aptitude, and character references all being considered in the initial application process. Even after an applicant is selected, they must go through an entrance examination, which includes intense psychological scrutiny, exams covering a wide range of subject areas, and in-person interviews. Applicants not scoring high enough to attain admission but above a certain range are allowed to take the exam again after twelve months have passed.  
While rarely being deployed at a long enough range to be on the truly cutting edge of space exploration, the ''Sutherland''-class excels at the follow up. Fully customisable sensor palettes are designed to house a comprehensive suite of Starfleet’s most advanced particle detection technology. From quarks to chronitons, photons to quantum filaments; if it’s there, the ''Sutherland''-class will sniff it out. As a result, the geo-imaging, cartographic and data collection capabilities of this class of ship are second to none.   
 
  
Like its predecessor, the large internal volume of the ''Sutherland''-class makes it something of a “mobile starbase” in terms of scientific output. Extensive laboratory complexes and specialist analytical facilities are networked with bio-neural computing power measuring in yottaFLOPS. Again, like the ''Nebula''-class, there exists a large amount of vacant internal space available for upgrades, mission specific equipment and anything else that might be considered necessary for the wide variety of missions a ''Sutherland''-class vessel might find itself assigned to.
+
Non-Federation citizens are allowed to apply to the academy with the sponsorship of a command-grade officer. Unlike citizens, however, they were required to complete the Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program (SAPP), which was six weeks of classes set between the San Francisco campus's spring and fall semesters. This is an intensive, grueling experience with a high attrition rate. If the applicant successfully completes the program, they are then able to take the entrance examination itself.  
  
With a detachment of five runabouts and fourteen shuttlecraft, the ''Sutherland''-class has all it needs to act as a temporary base of operations for smaller manned missions. These range from observation of stellar phenomena from different vantage points to collection and cataloguing of bio-specimens during planetary surveys. Resources also exist aboard the Sutherland-class for the transportation of industrial replimat components planetside. While large, these replimats are limited to the production of field hospitals, emergency shelters, “duck blinds” and research outposts. The construction of any larger structures remains beyond the scope of a single vessel.  
+
Some secondary schools within the Federation also offer the Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program, allowing students to prepare themselves for the entrance examination while still in high school or its equivalent.
  
The sheer size and complexity of the scientific systems aboard the ''Sutherland''-class have limited its ability to carry out long range independent operations. Although internal space and mission pods can be used for extra deuterium storage, the colossal energy requirements of maintaining the Sutherland’s scientific and computational prowess make its deployment to very far-flung regions of the galaxy both unlikely and inefficient. Starfleet has instead commissioned these ships to operate as massive mobile data collection platforms, regularly returning to starbase to disseminate information and take on new mission critical modules, materiel and personnel.  
+
'''In-Play'''  
  
=== Diplomatic ===
+
* Delinquents don't get into Starfleet Academy. It's for the best-of-the-best, as evidenced through the application process. If your character had a troubled adolescence or found academic success late, the only way they'd be likely to gain admittance is raw talent.
The size of the ''Sutherland''-class makes it a viable option for hosting diplomatic functions, conferences and transporting large groups of dignitaries between destinations within Federation space. Such meetings and events often form part of Starfleet’s obligations under research sharing agreements negotiated between the Federation and other galactic powers. In such cases, the Sutherland-class may well find itself traveling beyond Federation borders in the name of scientific cooperation.  
+
* Traditional academic experience is not the only route into Starfleet Academy. In fact, as long as you've reached the age of majority for your species, you're welcome to apply regardless of what your background is, with your profile being evaluated holistically.
 +
* Unless your character is a savant or went through rigorous preparation, the admissions process was likely a stressful experience.  
  
Humanitarian aid is an area in which the ''Sutherland''-class excels. Reconfigurable space throughout the ship, along with mission pods containing hospital facilities, storage and emergency shelters, allow the Sutherland-class to assist with a whole host of mission types in this arena. Planetary evacuations, contagions, natural disaster and famine relief are all scenarios in which the ''Sutherland''-class would be a crucial responder.  
+
== Campuses ==
 +
{{For|article=[[ma:Starfleet Academy|Starfleet Academy]]}}
 +
{{For|article=[[Starfleet Academy—Mellstoxx III]]}}
 +
[[File:FourthFleetAcademyLogo.png|thumb]]
 +
Starfleet Academy’s main campus is located in San Francisco, California on Earth. Originally formed to serve the nascent Earth Starfleet in the 22nd century, it became the primary training facility for the Federation Starfleet in 2161. To this day, the vast majority of cadets across the Starfleet Academy system spent at least a few weeks here, and many spend at least a year on its perfectly-manicured grounds.  
  
It is uncommon, but not unheard of for ships of the Sutherland-class to engage in first contact missions. The most likely scenario here would be following on from initial discoveries made by scout ships without the means to establish meaningful diplomatic connections alone, such as ''Nova'' or ''Rhode'' ''Island''-class vessels. More likely would be the involvement of the ''Sutherland''-class with second contact missions with civilisations known to be peaceful, possessing similar cultural interests to the Federation. In this situation, the Sutherland-class acts as an ideal showcase of Federation science and research technology.
+
On Earth and within the Sol system there are dozens of subsidiary facilities, ranging from flight ranges, to zero gee training grounds, to faculties specializing in particular areas of academia. In addition to these local facilities, nearly every Federation member world has a campus of some size, as do older colonies. This allows the Academy to handle its massive student population, which is steady between a quarter million and a half million students at any one time, depending on Starfleet's recruitment and staffing needs. While this is massive when it comes to the scope of an academic institution, but it is miniscule compared to the hundreds of billions of beings living on Federation worlds.
  
=== Engineering ===
+
While all Starfleet Academy campuses follow a single, unified curriculum, they can differ in terms of how long it takes to complete a program based on the cultural traditions concerning academics of their host planet: for example, ‘summer breaks’ are a North American tradition in higher education, so some planets do not have them. Others break the academic year into three or four parts, rather than into two parts. This variation is considered desirable, both to offer different schedules for individuals’ preferences, but also because it results in new officers being commissioned at many different dates throughout the year, keeping a constant stream of new officers flowing into the fleet.  
The ''Sutherland''’s similar configuration to the ''Nebula''-class is where the similarities end. The matching profiles of the two classes belie the fact that every major component of the ''Sutherland'' has been designed from scratch. The ship is outfitted with state-of-the-art systems ready for service well into, and potentially even beyond the 25<sup>th</sup> Century.  
 
  
The warp core aboard the ''Sutherland''-class is robust; powerful enough to provide for the needs of sprawling bio-neural computing nodes, subatomic spectral analysis modules and other starbase-level tools. This has, however, limited the ship’s cruising speed to warp 7. A sprinting speed of warp 9 also means that the ''Sutherland'' might not be the first ship in a given region to reach the site of an incident.  
+
All of the numbered fleets have a subsidiary campus that funnels new officers to its stations and starships. Cadets are often transferred to these academies in their second or third year from the main campus, when their talents are identified to align with that fleet's staffing needs. The Fourth Fleet's primary training facility is located at Mellstoxx III, and this is the subsidiary campus that provides this fleet with the majority of its new officers. In fact, officers earmarked to join this fleet invariably spend at least a few months here, or go through command school here.
  
Extensive hangar space provides ample space for the ''Sutherland''’s compliment of shuttles and runabouts. The largest of these, housing the majority of the support craft, can be found at the stern of the ship. A second auxiliary bay is located to the rear of the saucer section beneath the mission pod’s overhang. Cargo space also abounds, further highlighting the ship’s usefulness in emergency supply or evacuation missions. Twenty cargo bays can also be found lining either side of the rear ventral saucer section and twenty more are positioned on the underside of the secondary hull. All cargo bays have doors opening directly into space for direct resupply of bulky goods while docked.
+
'''In-Play'''
  
Like the ''Nebula'' before it, the ''Sutherland''-class is able to saucer separate. Unlike its predecessor, however, the Sutherland saucer section is furnished with two small integral warp nacelles located directly under the impulse engines. These allow the saucer section to independently achieve a cruising speed of warp six. As a result, the ''Sutherland'' has a considerable advantage in the study of large stellar bodies such as nebulae or subspace rifts, which may stretch for light years across multiple sectors of space. Data triangulation, sample collection and signal testing can all be achieved to a far more comprehensive degree than if undertaken with probes and support craft. Saucer separation may also be considered before proceeding toward areas of space or stellar phenomena that pose a risk to the ship's safety. Of course, captains may also wish to evacuate civilians and families via saucer separation in anticipation of tactical engagement.  
+
* In the various shows, it's clear that the vast majority of Starfleet officers have at least a passing familiarity with Starfleet Academy's main campus. Give the size of the Federation and of Starfleet itself, though, it's unlikely that just this one campus would be able to train all of the fleet's officers, hence the subsidiary campuses mentioned here. Your character might have been in San Francisco for their entire degree, for just a year, or for a training program of a few weeks.
 +
* If your character is a cadet, they're enrolled at the academy on Mellstoxx III, i.e. the Fourth Fleet Academy.
 +
* If your character is a junior officer, they might take additional coursework or specialized training at the Fourth Fleet Academy before being posted to one of our ships.
 +
* If your character is a senior officer and needs to go to command school, they would do that at the Fourth Fleet Academy.
 +
* Because of the Academy system's size, there are as diverse a set of campuses as you could imagine, allowing for some interesting character possibilities. We know that [[ma:Benzite|Benzites]] need breathing apparatus on standard M-Class worlds, but how would a Human handle a term on [[ma:Benzar|Benzar]]?
  
=== Tactical ===
+
== Academic Programs ==
When placed into a combat situation, the ''Sutherland''-class might be considered somewhat cumbersome from a tactical perspective. Nevertheless, four type XII phaser arrays allow the ship to defend itself adequately from potential harassment by smaller hostile vessels. In case of attack by a more threatening foe, one forward and one aft torpedo launcher can provide defensive cover as the ship beats a hasty retreat.
+
The time it takes to complete a particular program at Starfleet Academy depends on several factors, ranging from the individual’s age and prior experience to which campus it’s being taken on to the program itself. Generally, it takes four years to graduate from most programs as an Ensign with a bachelor’s degree. Specialized programs such as medicine and counseling take an additional two or four years. In addition, individuals may opt to spend longer at the academy to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree, especially in the sciences.  
  
If deployed as part of a Starfleet battle group the ''Sutherland''-class is often placed in a forward reconnaissance position, taking advantage of its long-range sensor capabilities. In such a situation, group commanders would be careful not to position the ''Sutherland'' too far beyond friendly forces as to risk the ship becoming cut off by a rapidly advancing enemy. A ''Sutherland'' might also be positioned towards the centre of a task group so as to be well defended on all sides.  
+
While cadets wear the branch color of either Command, Engineering, or Sciences during their time at the academy based on their intended career path, they receive degrees in an academic area during their time there. All cadets receive training in starship operations and self-defense, alongside a rigorous core curriculum of science, history, mathematics, and the arts, to become well-rounded critical thinkers. Cadets declare both a major (and possibly a minor or additional major(s)) and a career path, which informs how they pass through the academy.  
  
Surveillance activities are also a potential tactical use of the ''Sutherland''-class’ powerful long range sensor suite. Captains may select mission pods equipped with subspace telemetry and signal interception hardware, enabling early threat detection and monitoring of poorly encrypted subspace communications.  
+
=== Degrees and Subject Areas ===
 +
Everyone graduating through Starfleet Academy’s traditional four-year program earns a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. These degrees are always in an academic discipline, rather than just in a branch of Starfleet or in a position. Starfleet Academy also offers masters and doctoral programs in most of its academic areas.
 +
{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible mw-collapsed"
 +
|Social Sciences
 +
|Natural Sciences
 +
|Formal Sciences
 +
|Applied Sciences
 +
|Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|(Xeno)Anthropology
 +
|Astronautics
 +
|Computer Science
 +
|Agriculture
 +
|Aerospace Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|(Xeno)Archaeology
 +
|Astronomy
 +
|Logic
 +
|Architecture
 +
|Bio-Electronic Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|Art History
 +
|Astrophysics
 +
|Mathematics
 +
|Archival Science
 +
|Mechanical Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|Criminal Justice
 +
|(Xeno)Biology
 +
|Statistics
 +
|Astronautical Tactics
 +
|Quantum Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|Cultural Studies
 +
|Chemistry
 +
|Systems Science
 +
|Counseling
 +
|Structural Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|Economics
 +
|Cosmology
 +
|
 +
|Cybernetics
 +
|Warp Systems Engineering
 +
|-
 +
|Geography
 +
|Geology
 +
|
 +
|Education
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|History
 +
|Meteorology
 +
|
 +
|Exology
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Xeno/Linguistics
 +
|Minerology
 +
|
 +
|Forensics
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Philosophy
 +
|Planetology
 +
|
 +
|Interstellar Relations
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Political Science
 +
|Physics
 +
|
 +
|Nursing
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Xeno/Psychology
 +
|Stellar Cartography
 +
|
 +
|Public Health
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Xeno/Sociology
 +
|Vulcanology
 +
|
 +
|Small-Group Tactics
 +
|
 +
|-
 +
|Rhetoric
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|
 +
|}
 +
Starfleet Legal Academy offers the degree of Juris Doctor (JD), which is a four-year program covering interstellar law, Federation law, the Starfleet Uniform Code of Justice, and legal history.
  
=== Sensor Pod ===
+
Starfleet Medical Academy offers medical doctorates, research doctorates in medical fields, and advanced degrees in fields like public health and nursing. Many new MDs also complete residencies, which do not earn a further degree but do grant additional qualifications.
  
This is the default [[Mission Pods|mission pod]] loadout for most ''Sutherland-''class starships and can be switched out when docked at an appropriate starbase. The sensor pod contains Starfleet's highest acuity long range scanning array capable of being starship deployed. This powerful and highly sensitive piece of technology can be configured to monitor subspace distortions up to five light years away. Inbuilt quantum spectrometers and neutron pulse resonance scanners are able to image and analyse compositions of celestial bodies down to the nanoatomic level. 
+
'''In-Play'''
  
The sensor pod is what gives the Sutherland the best eyes and ears of any Starfleet vessel. Without it, the tactical advantages of communications monitoring and ultra long range scanning power are lost.
+
* One does not graduate with a degree in Command or Security, but rather with a degree in a relevant academic area.
=== Shipboard Life ===
+
* This is not an all-inclusive list; you could drill down much more specifically in almost every scientific area.
''Sutherland''-class ships can be incredibly interesting and diverse places to serve aboard. Their considerable size makes for lively communities with plenty of activities available for those who wish to spend their downtime productively, or otherwise. Ships often possess arboretums, zoological centres, and stellar cartography domes along with the usual gamut of bars, lounges and library archives.  
 
  
The huge potential for cutting edge research and specialist equipment attracts some of Starfleet’s keenest scientists. The science departments on these ships are so large that each ship becomes a self-sustaining research community. Even when no specific events taking place, sub-department leads and area specialists will often give their own lectures and present their latest research findings to each other.
+
=== 4-year Bridge Officer Track ===
 +
Cadets in a traditional four-year program will spend most of their first two years going through the core curriculum, with their second two years spent specializing. Interspersed throughout classroom studies are practical excursions, such as survival training, zero-gee training, and the all-important cadet cruises performed on actual starships. Ensigns who graduate in this manner are qualified to serve as bridge officers immediately upon their commissioning without taking the Bridge Officer’s Exam, as this is built into the program.
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|+4-year Bridge Officer Track
 +
!Years 1 & 2
 +
! colspan="2" |Years 3 & 4
 +
!Graduation
 +
|-
 +
|General Education
 +
Basic Starship Operations
 +
| colspan="2" |Specialization in major content area
 +
Advanced Starship Operations
 +
|Bachelor's Degree
 +
Ensign
  
Engineers make up the second largest department on board the ''Sutherland''-class. Keeping computer systems running optimally, fine tuning finicky scientific apparatus, transporting and building pre-replicated planetary structures are all potential situations an engineering officer may encounter. This environment favours officers who are jacks of all trades and who appreciate the fact that no two assignments will ever be the same.
+
Bridge-Qualified
 +
|}
 +
'''In-Play'''
  
Commanding such a large ship is no easy task. This assignment involves a great deal of management skill when it comes to inter-departmental rivalries and egos that are liable to develop on a science vessel of this size. Captains must learn to balance the research needs of the scientific community with the practicalities of the engineers who make things happen. Friendly rivalries may develop into serious confrontations if not kept in check by a commanding officer with their ear firmly to the ground regarding shipboard goings on. Pilots and command personnel might feel detached from these conflicts and must themselves be careful to avoid appearing aloof.  
+
* Generally, if your character wants to become a bridge officer, they’ll spend four years at Starfleet Academy, earning a content degree (astrophysics, interstellar relations, engineering, etc.) and robust training in starship operations, resulting in a commission as an ensign.
 +
* Someone who wants to be both bridge-qualified and earn a Ph.D. might spend eight or ten years between Starfleet Academy and their graduate program, possibly even earning a commission as a full lieutenant in the process.
 +
* This is the standard academy experience.
  
== Class History ==
+
=== 4-year Specialist Officer Track ===
In 2384, the Advanced Starship Design Bureau received instructions from Starfleet Command to draw up plans for a new type of science vessel. Growing tensions in the Beta Quadrant caused concern within Starfleet over its ability to continue its exploration mandate should large portions of its fleet need to be repurposed for conflict with the rapidly destabilising Romulan Star Empire. After two years of sifting through numerous design proposals, the ''Sutherland''-class was the Bureau’s eventual response.
+
Some programs, including nursing, and interstellar relations where the academic requirements are too rigorous to allow for completion of both advanced starship operations and their discipline's requirements within four years. Cadets in these programs take just one year of general education and basic starship operations, followed by three intensive years in their discipline. This is also an option for cadets in other areas who wish to add another major or minor while completing their degree. Cadets who take this path must take the Bridge Officer’s Exam later in their career to qualify for bridge duty and be eligible for promotion beyond the rank of lieutenant commander.
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|+4-year Specialist Officer Track (Nursing, Interstellar Relations, Counseling, etc.)
 +
!Year 1
 +
!Years 2, 3, & 4
 +
!Graduation
 +
|-
 +
|General Education
 +
Basic Starship Operations
 +
|Specialization in major content area
 +
|Bachelor's Degree
 +
Ensign
 +
|}
 +
In-Play
  
The design was favoured above all because of its versatility. The chosen spaceframe borrowed heavily from the proven Nebula-class design concept. However, where the ''Nebula'' had been a generalist, involved in the full spectrum of combat operations, first contact missions and diplomacy, the ''Sutherland'' would become a specialist. Indeed, the ''Sutherland'' was expected to be a “Swiss army knife” of Starfleet’s scientific operations. The ship is larger than its predecessor with even more internal modularity. This provides room for the kind of specialised science laboratories and research facilities that up until now has only been found on static Starfleet installations.  
+
* This track represents spending more time on one's specialty at the expense of being an expert in starship operations like the ensigns graduating from the traditional four-year track would.  
 +
* What would be considered "Staff Officers" in many modern militaries, such as nurses, diplomatic aids, intelligence specialists, and so on are represented here. Each of these fields, especially nursing, requires extensive academic training, meaning that they have less time to spend on starship operations. This is why they must take the bridge officer's exam to be eligible for command and for promotion past Lieutenant Commander.
 +
* Scientists and engineers also have the option of an abbreviated general studies program, with three years in the specialized study of their content area. This is the track that researchers who don’t intend on becoming bridge officers initially might take. They would also graduate as ensigns and then need to eventually take the bridge officer’s exam if they wanted to progress past lieutenant commander.
 +
* Counselors undergoing this track would complete on-the-job training as Ensigns before being promoted to Lieutenant J.G. upon being qualified as counselors, the example being [[ma:Ezri Dax|Ezri Dax]].
  
A wide range of large, customisable mission pods would be made available, further boosting the ''Sutherland''’s ability to step into various logistical support roles throughout the fleet. Additions like the tactical pod provide captains with some limited combat capability should the need arise. As of 2400, however, the ''Sutherland''’s main role remains as a scientific follow up vessel for points of interest identified by initial surveys undertaken by Starfleet’s scouts and explorers. The ship has lived up to its design brief of being a one stop shop for identifying, analysing and disseminating research findings while remaining adaptable to the needs of the mission at hand.  
+
=== Medical, Counseling, and Law Tracks ===
 +
{{For|article=[[ma:Starfleet Medical Academy|Starfleet Medical Academy]]}}
 +
Medicine, counseling, and the law have two options: an accelerated six-year track which allows them to earn a bachelor's degree and a master's or professional doctorate at the same time without bridge officer qualification, and an eight-year track with the two degrees earned separately, with or without bridge officer qualification, depending on their career path. A law student, for instance, might find it useful in their future role advocating for Starfleet officers to be fully qualified for bridge duty, while a physician might take on a xenobiology major alongside their pre-medical studies in preparation for studying xeno-medicine. A counselor would take the eight year path to become a psychiatrist, and thus a medical doctor. Counselors, Judge-Advocates, and Doctors end their studies as Lieutenants Junior Grade, with the eight year track including an initial commission as an Ensign before professional school.
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|+6-year Specialist Officer Track (Medicine, Counseling, Law)
 +
!Year 1
 +
!Years 2 & 3
 +
!Years 4, 5, & 6
 +
!Graduation
 +
|-
 +
|General Education
 +
Basic Starship Operations
 +
|Specialization in pre-professional area
 +
|Professional studies
 +
|Bachelor's Degree
 +
M.D., J.D., or M.S.
  
== In Play ==
+
Lieutenant Junior Grade
 +
|}
 +
{| class="wikitable"
 +
|+8-year Specialist Officer Track (Medicine, Counseling, Law)
 +
!Year 1
 +
!Years 2, 3, & 4
 +
!Graduation
 +
!Years 5, 6, 7, & 8
 +
!Graduation
 +
|-
 +
|General Education
 +
Basic Starship Operations
 +
|Specialization in major content area
 +
|Bachelor's Degree
 +
Ensign
 +
|Professional Studies
 +
|M.D. or J.D.
 +
Lieutenant Junior Grade
 +
|-
 +
!Years 1 & 2
 +
!Years 3 & 4
 +
!Graduation
 +
!Years 5, 6, 7, & 8
 +
!Graduation
 +
|-
 +
|General Education
 +
Basic Starship Operations
 +
|Specialization in major content area
 +
Advanced Starship Operations
 +
|Bachelor's Degree
 +
Ensign
  
* The ''Sutherland''-class is a very large ship. There are lively communities of scientists, engineers and support personnel on board. Much like the ''Galaxy''-class, the ''Sutherland'' has the feeling of being a “city in space”.
+
Bridge-Qualified
* While larger and more modern than the ''Nebula''-class, the ''Sutherland'' is not as equipped for combat situations. Manoeuvring such a bulky ship is not easy, and often a captain’s best course of action is often to retreat. Tactical pods can level the playing field somewhat, and it is not unheard of for ''Sutherlands'' so equipped to act as intelligence gathering units or reconnaissance patrols.
+
|Professional Studies
* Mission pods give the ''Sutherland'' a great deal of flexibility in the kinds of missions it can participate in. These allow the ship to instantly specialise to meet the needs of your story.
+
|M.D. or J.D.
* A ''Sutherland'' is not an explorer in the strictest sense of the designation. Despite this, it is still a prestigious an interesting assignment for any captain, scientist or engineer looking to further develop the galaxy’s knowledge of new life and new civilisations.
+
Lieutenant Junior Grade
 +
|}
  
[[Category:Federation starship classes]]
+
'''In-Play'''
[[Category:Heavy Cruisers]]
+
 
 +
* We know from the ''Deep Space 9'' that medical officers and fully-trained counselors enter their service as Lieutenants Junior Grade. It is logical that Judge-Advocates would also enter at this level, given that law school is a professional doctorate like medicine. These two different tracks, an accelerated program which combines the professional and undergraduate credentialing process, and a more standard program where candidates earn their bachelor's degree separately from their secondary degree, provide multiple options for your character's backstory.
 +
* Counselor's could either be psychologists or psychiatrists, the latter of which would require a medical doctorate.
 +
 
 +
== General Training ==
 +
Whether you're meant to be a records officer or a captain, every graduate of Starfleet Academy receives at least basic training in starship operations. No one graduates from the academy without ever having been in space, and graduates of traditional four-year bridge officer programs are among the most capable starship crew members of any power in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants. This training includes wilderness survival, zero-gee training, basic flight control, and self-defense training, all of which is expected beyond any academic program a cadet might be engaged in. 
 +
 
 +
=== Training Squadrons ===
 +
All cadets are part of a training squadron while at Starfleet Academy. Despite the name, this is not a reference to them needing to be pilots necessarily, but is a hold-over from earlier Academy structures on a number of Federation worlds. Typically, a cadet will remain with the same squadron for their entire tenure at Starfleet Academy, and squadrons generally include members of all four cadet ranks. Squadrons are typically made up of between 48 and 64 cadets, overseen by a senior cadet who is mentored by a command-grade officer ranked between Lieutenant Commander and Captain.
 +
 
 +
Training squadrons are the locus of most of the training in survival, self-defense, leadership, and discipline at Starfleet Academy. These units function as self-contained residential groups as well, with cadets in the same squadron living, working, and eating together. Mentorships naturally occur and more senior cadets are encouraged to take more junior ones under their wings, which is meant to set up that same behavior within the fleet itself.
 +
 
 +
There are a number of elite training squadrons for cadets in different areas:
 +
 
 +
* Red Squadron is Starfleet Academy's most elite squadron. Dominated by command cadets and tactical, this unit is often given extended cadet cruises. All members of this squadron are seen as future captains. Between 2374 and 2384, this unit was disbanded after the ignominious fate of the USS ''Valiant''.
 +
* Gold Squadron is Starfleet Academy's dedicated elite technical squadron, made up of cadets destined for a future in engineering and operations. Cadets in this squadron often see significant secondments to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers during their tenure at the academy.
 +
* Blue Squadron is Starfleet Academy's dedicated elite scientific squadron, made up of cadets destined for a future in the sciences. They receive additional field training assisting with scientific projects in the Sol system.
 +
* White Squadron is Starfleet Academy's dedicate elite medical and nursing squadron, with cadets both from the nursing program and those intending to enter Starfleet Medical Academy. They receive additional hands-on experience at Starfleet Medical's main facility.
 +
* Nova Squadron was an elite training squadron that was disbanded following a disastrous accident in 2368. Unlike other squadrons, it was a dedicated flight team. It was also much smaller than other squadrons, at only 5 members.
 +
 
 +
In addition, numbered fleets maintain training squadrons at the academies that service them. Notably:
 +
 
 +
* The Fourth Fleet's training squadron is known as Cadet Squadron Bravo. It prepares cadets for the unique burden of being placed with Starfleet's premiere rapid-response fleet. It is based out of the Mellstox III campus.
 +
 
 +
'''In-Play'''
 +
 
 +
* Most of your characters will belong to a random cadet squadron, like Cadet Squadron Seven or Cadet Squadron Thirty, rather than one of the elite squadrons noted here. That is, they will unless you assign them to the Fourth Fleet Academy, where they'd be a member of Cadet Squadron Bravo!
 +
* The colored squadrons would be a great placement for someone who truly shines in their disciplinary area. Someone used to getting special treatment and extra opportunities might chafe at the realities of being a junior officer, though.
 +
* Your squadron at the academy would be your Hogwarts House, your tribe, your clan, etc. This is the team that you would belong to, which would celebrate your successes and punish misbehavior.
 +
=== Training Vessels and Cadet Cruises ===
 +
Every cadet at Starfleet Academy undergoes at lease one cadet cruise on one of the Academy's training vessels, either following their third or fourth year. While aboard a training vessel, cadets are known as midshipmen and stand in the place of regular officers. The most advanced cadets serve as department heads, while the rest of their class fill in roles all over the ship, with commissioned officers overseeing them the entire time. These cruises last for several weeks at a time, as cadets get accustomed to life aboard a starship and practice practical skills that can't be simulated in a classroom. Without exception, training cruises are commanded by Starfleet captains.
 +
 
 +
Starfleet Academy employs a number of different training vessels, the most famous being the [[ma:USS Republic|USS ''Republic'']]. Subsidiary campuses either have their own training vessel or have active service starships stand in temporarily. The Mellstoxx III campus which serves the Fourth Fleet, for example, has the [[USS Exeter|USS ''Exeter'']] at its disposal.
 +
 
 +
Members of specialized training squadrons or who demonstrate particular promise might spend a cadet cruise aboard an active service starship.
 +
 
 +
'''In-Play'''
 +
 
 +
* The cadet cruise is an integral part of the Starfleet Academy experience. It's something cadets look forward to (and possibly dread?) and serves as the culmination of their training in starship operations.
 +
* If your character wasn't trained as some sort of bridge officer or specialist (like a doctor or nurse), they might have served in roles like records officer or yeoman during their cruise.
 +
* Cadets are never in command of the cruise itself, but might have a stint on the bridge. This is evidenced by Nog's shock that the ''Valiant'' was in command of a cadet, given that cadets ''never'' had commands of anything larger than a runabout.
 +
 
 +
== Officer Candidate School ==
 +
The Federation has tens of thousands of colleges and universities. For Federation citizens interested in joining Starfleet after completing a degree elsewhere, they can either enlist directly or go through Officer Training School, which is a one-year program offered at most academy campuses. This program prepares candidates for spaceflight, through a combination of the basic survival and emergency procedures training offered by Basic Training and some of the leadership training that cadets get. Completion of this program would allow a member to enter the fleet as an Ensign or Lieutenant Junior Grade, depending on their prior experience and education. (Generally speaking, physicians and lawyers would enter at the higher rank.)
 +
 
 +
Entry to this program has the same standards as entry to Starfleet Academy itself, with rigorous expectations for physical fitness and intellectual capability, to ensure that officers entering the fleet via this route are just as well-prepared as those going through the Academy itself. Generally, this route is most common for scientists, physicians, lawyers, and diplomats, and the officers who graduate from Officer Candidate School are usually not bridge qualified, but individuals with degrees in astronautics, small group tactics, or similar fields can become flight control, security, or operations officers.
 +
 
 +
'''In-Play'''
 +
 
 +
* Just because of how big the Federation is, it's difficult to imagine Starfleet Academy being the ''only'' source of officers in Starfleet.
 +
* Going this route would be a way of giving a character a different academic experience than most, while still having them be an officer.

Latest revision as of 16:33, 9 March 2024

This article is official Bravo Fleet canon.

Starfleet Federation Faction








StarfleetAcademyLogo.png
Starfleet Academy
Founded

2161

Affiliation
  • United Federation of Planets
  • Starfleet
Headquarters

San Francisco, Earth

Primary Mission

Starfleet Officer Training

Leadership

Rear Admiral T'rirrik (Vulcan Female)

Motto

ex astris, scientia

Status

Active

Template:Organisation

Starfleet Academy is Starfleet’s in-house university, intended to train officers to join Starfleet. A part of Starfleet Training Command, this institution spans multiple campuses across Federation space, educating tens of thousands of cadets each year. The original flagship campus is located on Earth in San Francisco, within walking distance of Starfleet Command.

Admissions


Admission to Starfleet Academy is exceptionally competitive, with academics, physical fitness, life experience, aptitude, and character references all being considered in the initial application process. Even after an applicant is selected, they must go through an entrance examination, which includes intense psychological scrutiny, exams covering a wide range of subject areas, and in-person interviews. Applicants not scoring high enough to attain admission but above a certain range are allowed to take the exam again after twelve months have passed.

Non-Federation citizens are allowed to apply to the academy with the sponsorship of a command-grade officer. Unlike citizens, however, they were required to complete the Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program (SAPP), which was six weeks of classes set between the San Francisco campus's spring and fall semesters. This is an intensive, grueling experience with a high attrition rate. If the applicant successfully completes the program, they are then able to take the entrance examination itself.

Some secondary schools within the Federation also offer the Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program, allowing students to prepare themselves for the entrance examination while still in high school or its equivalent.

In-Play

  • Delinquents don't get into Starfleet Academy. It's for the best-of-the-best, as evidenced through the application process. If your character had a troubled adolescence or found academic success late, the only way they'd be likely to gain admittance is raw talent.
  • Traditional academic experience is not the only route into Starfleet Academy. In fact, as long as you've reached the age of majority for your species, you're welcome to apply regardless of what your background is, with your profile being evaluated holistically.
  • Unless your character is a savant or went through rigorous preparation, the admissions process was likely a stressful experience.

Campuses

For the article, see Starfleet Academy.
For the article, see Starfleet Academy—Mellstoxx III.
FourthFleetAcademyLogo.png

Starfleet Academy’s main campus is located in San Francisco, California on Earth. Originally formed to serve the nascent Earth Starfleet in the 22nd century, it became the primary training facility for the Federation Starfleet in 2161. To this day, the vast majority of cadets across the Starfleet Academy system spent at least a few weeks here, and many spend at least a year on its perfectly-manicured grounds.

On Earth and within the Sol system there are dozens of subsidiary facilities, ranging from flight ranges, to zero gee training grounds, to faculties specializing in particular areas of academia. In addition to these local facilities, nearly every Federation member world has a campus of some size, as do older colonies. This allows the Academy to handle its massive student population, which is steady between a quarter million and a half million students at any one time, depending on Starfleet's recruitment and staffing needs. While this is massive when it comes to the scope of an academic institution, but it is miniscule compared to the hundreds of billions of beings living on Federation worlds.

While all Starfleet Academy campuses follow a single, unified curriculum, they can differ in terms of how long it takes to complete a program based on the cultural traditions concerning academics of their host planet: for example, ‘summer breaks’ are a North American tradition in higher education, so some planets do not have them. Others break the academic year into three or four parts, rather than into two parts. This variation is considered desirable, both to offer different schedules for individuals’ preferences, but also because it results in new officers being commissioned at many different dates throughout the year, keeping a constant stream of new officers flowing into the fleet.

All of the numbered fleets have a subsidiary campus that funnels new officers to its stations and starships. Cadets are often transferred to these academies in their second or third year from the main campus, when their talents are identified to align with that fleet's staffing needs. The Fourth Fleet's primary training facility is located at Mellstoxx III, and this is the subsidiary campus that provides this fleet with the majority of its new officers. In fact, officers earmarked to join this fleet invariably spend at least a few months here, or go through command school here.

In-Play

  • In the various shows, it's clear that the vast majority of Starfleet officers have at least a passing familiarity with Starfleet Academy's main campus. Give the size of the Federation and of Starfleet itself, though, it's unlikely that just this one campus would be able to train all of the fleet's officers, hence the subsidiary campuses mentioned here. Your character might have been in San Francisco for their entire degree, for just a year, or for a training program of a few weeks.
  • If your character is a cadet, they're enrolled at the academy on Mellstoxx III, i.e. the Fourth Fleet Academy.
  • If your character is a junior officer, they might take additional coursework or specialized training at the Fourth Fleet Academy before being posted to one of our ships.
  • If your character is a senior officer and needs to go to command school, they would do that at the Fourth Fleet Academy.
  • Because of the Academy system's size, there are as diverse a set of campuses as you could imagine, allowing for some interesting character possibilities. We know that Benzites need breathing apparatus on standard M-Class worlds, but how would a Human handle a term on Benzar?

Academic Programs

The time it takes to complete a particular program at Starfleet Academy depends on several factors, ranging from the individual’s age and prior experience to which campus it’s being taken on to the program itself. Generally, it takes four years to graduate from most programs as an Ensign with a bachelor’s degree. Specialized programs such as medicine and counseling take an additional two or four years. In addition, individuals may opt to spend longer at the academy to pursue a master’s or doctoral degree, especially in the sciences.

While cadets wear the branch color of either Command, Engineering, or Sciences during their time at the academy based on their intended career path, they receive degrees in an academic area during their time there. All cadets receive training in starship operations and self-defense, alongside a rigorous core curriculum of science, history, mathematics, and the arts, to become well-rounded critical thinkers. Cadets declare both a major (and possibly a minor or additional major(s)) and a career path, which informs how they pass through the academy.

Degrees and Subject Areas

Everyone graduating through Starfleet Academy’s traditional four-year program earns a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree. These degrees are always in an academic discipline, rather than just in a branch of Starfleet or in a position. Starfleet Academy also offers masters and doctoral programs in most of its academic areas.

Social Sciences Natural Sciences Formal Sciences Applied Sciences Engineering
(Xeno)Anthropology Astronautics Computer Science Agriculture Aerospace Engineering
(Xeno)Archaeology Astronomy Logic Architecture Bio-Electronic Engineering
Art History Astrophysics Mathematics Archival Science Mechanical Engineering
Criminal Justice (Xeno)Biology Statistics Astronautical Tactics Quantum Engineering
Cultural Studies Chemistry Systems Science Counseling Structural Engineering
Economics Cosmology Cybernetics Warp Systems Engineering
Geography Geology Education
History Meteorology Exology
Xeno/Linguistics Minerology Forensics
Philosophy Planetology Interstellar Relations
Political Science Physics Nursing
Xeno/Psychology Stellar Cartography Public Health
Xeno/Sociology Vulcanology Small-Group Tactics
Rhetoric

Starfleet Legal Academy offers the degree of Juris Doctor (JD), which is a four-year program covering interstellar law, Federation law, the Starfleet Uniform Code of Justice, and legal history.

Starfleet Medical Academy offers medical doctorates, research doctorates in medical fields, and advanced degrees in fields like public health and nursing. Many new MDs also complete residencies, which do not earn a further degree but do grant additional qualifications.

In-Play

  • One does not graduate with a degree in Command or Security, but rather with a degree in a relevant academic area.
  • This is not an all-inclusive list; you could drill down much more specifically in almost every scientific area.

4-year Bridge Officer Track

Cadets in a traditional four-year program will spend most of their first two years going through the core curriculum, with their second two years spent specializing. Interspersed throughout classroom studies are practical excursions, such as survival training, zero-gee training, and the all-important cadet cruises performed on actual starships. Ensigns who graduate in this manner are qualified to serve as bridge officers immediately upon their commissioning without taking the Bridge Officer’s Exam, as this is built into the program.

4-year Bridge Officer Track
Years 1 & 2 Years 3 & 4 Graduation
General Education

Basic Starship Operations

Specialization in major content area

Advanced Starship Operations

Bachelor's Degree

Ensign

Bridge-Qualified

In-Play

  • Generally, if your character wants to become a bridge officer, they’ll spend four years at Starfleet Academy, earning a content degree (astrophysics, interstellar relations, engineering, etc.) and robust training in starship operations, resulting in a commission as an ensign.
  • Someone who wants to be both bridge-qualified and earn a Ph.D. might spend eight or ten years between Starfleet Academy and their graduate program, possibly even earning a commission as a full lieutenant in the process.
  • This is the standard academy experience.

4-year Specialist Officer Track

Some programs, including nursing, and interstellar relations where the academic requirements are too rigorous to allow for completion of both advanced starship operations and their discipline's requirements within four years. Cadets in these programs take just one year of general education and basic starship operations, followed by three intensive years in their discipline. This is also an option for cadets in other areas who wish to add another major or minor while completing their degree. Cadets who take this path must take the Bridge Officer’s Exam later in their career to qualify for bridge duty and be eligible for promotion beyond the rank of lieutenant commander.

4-year Specialist Officer Track (Nursing, Interstellar Relations, Counseling, etc.)
Year 1 Years 2, 3, & 4 Graduation
General Education

Basic Starship Operations

Specialization in major content area Bachelor's Degree

Ensign

In-Play

  • This track represents spending more time on one's specialty at the expense of being an expert in starship operations like the ensigns graduating from the traditional four-year track would.
  • What would be considered "Staff Officers" in many modern militaries, such as nurses, diplomatic aids, intelligence specialists, and so on are represented here. Each of these fields, especially nursing, requires extensive academic training, meaning that they have less time to spend on starship operations. This is why they must take the bridge officer's exam to be eligible for command and for promotion past Lieutenant Commander.
  • Scientists and engineers also have the option of an abbreviated general studies program, with three years in the specialized study of their content area. This is the track that researchers who don’t intend on becoming bridge officers initially might take. They would also graduate as ensigns and then need to eventually take the bridge officer’s exam if they wanted to progress past lieutenant commander.
  • Counselors undergoing this track would complete on-the-job training as Ensigns before being promoted to Lieutenant J.G. upon being qualified as counselors, the example being Ezri Dax.

Medical, Counseling, and Law Tracks

For the article, see Starfleet Medical Academy.

Medicine, counseling, and the law have two options: an accelerated six-year track which allows them to earn a bachelor's degree and a master's or professional doctorate at the same time without bridge officer qualification, and an eight-year track with the two degrees earned separately, with or without bridge officer qualification, depending on their career path. A law student, for instance, might find it useful in their future role advocating for Starfleet officers to be fully qualified for bridge duty, while a physician might take on a xenobiology major alongside their pre-medical studies in preparation for studying xeno-medicine. A counselor would take the eight year path to become a psychiatrist, and thus a medical doctor. Counselors, Judge-Advocates, and Doctors end their studies as Lieutenants Junior Grade, with the eight year track including an initial commission as an Ensign before professional school.

6-year Specialist Officer Track (Medicine, Counseling, Law)
Year 1 Years 2 & 3 Years 4, 5, & 6 Graduation
General Education

Basic Starship Operations

Specialization in pre-professional area Professional studies Bachelor's Degree

M.D., J.D., or M.S.

Lieutenant Junior Grade

8-year Specialist Officer Track (Medicine, Counseling, Law)
Year 1 Years 2, 3, & 4 Graduation Years 5, 6, 7, & 8 Graduation
General Education

Basic Starship Operations

Specialization in major content area Bachelor's Degree

Ensign

Professional Studies M.D. or J.D.

Lieutenant Junior Grade

Years 1 & 2 Years 3 & 4 Graduation Years 5, 6, 7, & 8 Graduation
General Education

Basic Starship Operations

Specialization in major content area

Advanced Starship Operations

Bachelor's Degree

Ensign

Bridge-Qualified

Professional Studies M.D. or J.D.

Lieutenant Junior Grade

In-Play

  • We know from the Deep Space 9 that medical officers and fully-trained counselors enter their service as Lieutenants Junior Grade. It is logical that Judge-Advocates would also enter at this level, given that law school is a professional doctorate like medicine. These two different tracks, an accelerated program which combines the professional and undergraduate credentialing process, and a more standard program where candidates earn their bachelor's degree separately from their secondary degree, provide multiple options for your character's backstory.
  • Counselor's could either be psychologists or psychiatrists, the latter of which would require a medical doctorate.

General Training

Whether you're meant to be a records officer or a captain, every graduate of Starfleet Academy receives at least basic training in starship operations. No one graduates from the academy without ever having been in space, and graduates of traditional four-year bridge officer programs are among the most capable starship crew members of any power in the Alpha or Beta Quadrants. This training includes wilderness survival, zero-gee training, basic flight control, and self-defense training, all of which is expected beyond any academic program a cadet might be engaged in.

Training Squadrons

All cadets are part of a training squadron while at Starfleet Academy. Despite the name, this is not a reference to them needing to be pilots necessarily, but is a hold-over from earlier Academy structures on a number of Federation worlds. Typically, a cadet will remain with the same squadron for their entire tenure at Starfleet Academy, and squadrons generally include members of all four cadet ranks. Squadrons are typically made up of between 48 and 64 cadets, overseen by a senior cadet who is mentored by a command-grade officer ranked between Lieutenant Commander and Captain.

Training squadrons are the locus of most of the training in survival, self-defense, leadership, and discipline at Starfleet Academy. These units function as self-contained residential groups as well, with cadets in the same squadron living, working, and eating together. Mentorships naturally occur and more senior cadets are encouraged to take more junior ones under their wings, which is meant to set up that same behavior within the fleet itself.

There are a number of elite training squadrons for cadets in different areas:

  • Red Squadron is Starfleet Academy's most elite squadron. Dominated by command cadets and tactical, this unit is often given extended cadet cruises. All members of this squadron are seen as future captains. Between 2374 and 2384, this unit was disbanded after the ignominious fate of the USS Valiant.
  • Gold Squadron is Starfleet Academy's dedicated elite technical squadron, made up of cadets destined for a future in engineering and operations. Cadets in this squadron often see significant secondments to the Starfleet Corps of Engineers during their tenure at the academy.
  • Blue Squadron is Starfleet Academy's dedicated elite scientific squadron, made up of cadets destined for a future in the sciences. They receive additional field training assisting with scientific projects in the Sol system.
  • White Squadron is Starfleet Academy's dedicate elite medical and nursing squadron, with cadets both from the nursing program and those intending to enter Starfleet Medical Academy. They receive additional hands-on experience at Starfleet Medical's main facility.
  • Nova Squadron was an elite training squadron that was disbanded following a disastrous accident in 2368. Unlike other squadrons, it was a dedicated flight team. It was also much smaller than other squadrons, at only 5 members.

In addition, numbered fleets maintain training squadrons at the academies that service them. Notably:

  • The Fourth Fleet's training squadron is known as Cadet Squadron Bravo. It prepares cadets for the unique burden of being placed with Starfleet's premiere rapid-response fleet. It is based out of the Mellstox III campus.

In-Play

  • Most of your characters will belong to a random cadet squadron, like Cadet Squadron Seven or Cadet Squadron Thirty, rather than one of the elite squadrons noted here. That is, they will unless you assign them to the Fourth Fleet Academy, where they'd be a member of Cadet Squadron Bravo!
  • The colored squadrons would be a great placement for someone who truly shines in their disciplinary area. Someone used to getting special treatment and extra opportunities might chafe at the realities of being a junior officer, though.
  • Your squadron at the academy would be your Hogwarts House, your tribe, your clan, etc. This is the team that you would belong to, which would celebrate your successes and punish misbehavior.

Training Vessels and Cadet Cruises

Every cadet at Starfleet Academy undergoes at lease one cadet cruise on one of the Academy's training vessels, either following their third or fourth year. While aboard a training vessel, cadets are known as midshipmen and stand in the place of regular officers. The most advanced cadets serve as department heads, while the rest of their class fill in roles all over the ship, with commissioned officers overseeing them the entire time. These cruises last for several weeks at a time, as cadets get accustomed to life aboard a starship and practice practical skills that can't be simulated in a classroom. Without exception, training cruises are commanded by Starfleet captains.

Starfleet Academy employs a number of different training vessels, the most famous being the USS Republic. Subsidiary campuses either have their own training vessel or have active service starships stand in temporarily. The Mellstoxx III campus which serves the Fourth Fleet, for example, has the USS Exeter at its disposal.

Members of specialized training squadrons or who demonstrate particular promise might spend a cadet cruise aboard an active service starship.

In-Play

  • The cadet cruise is an integral part of the Starfleet Academy experience. It's something cadets look forward to (and possibly dread?) and serves as the culmination of their training in starship operations.
  • If your character wasn't trained as some sort of bridge officer or specialist (like a doctor or nurse), they might have served in roles like records officer or yeoman during their cruise.
  • Cadets are never in command of the cruise itself, but might have a stint on the bridge. This is evidenced by Nog's shock that the Valiant was in command of a cadet, given that cadets never had commands of anything larger than a runabout.

Officer Candidate School

The Federation has tens of thousands of colleges and universities. For Federation citizens interested in joining Starfleet after completing a degree elsewhere, they can either enlist directly or go through Officer Training School, which is a one-year program offered at most academy campuses. This program prepares candidates for spaceflight, through a combination of the basic survival and emergency procedures training offered by Basic Training and some of the leadership training that cadets get. Completion of this program would allow a member to enter the fleet as an Ensign or Lieutenant Junior Grade, depending on their prior experience and education. (Generally speaking, physicians and lawyers would enter at the higher rank.)

Entry to this program has the same standards as entry to Starfleet Academy itself, with rigorous expectations for physical fitness and intellectual capability, to ensure that officers entering the fleet via this route are just as well-prepared as those going through the Academy itself. Generally, this route is most common for scientists, physicians, lawyers, and diplomats, and the officers who graduate from Officer Candidate School are usually not bridge qualified, but individuals with degrees in astronautics, small group tactics, or similar fields can become flight control, security, or operations officers.

In-Play

  • Just because of how big the Federation is, it's difficult to imagine Starfleet Academy being the only source of officers in Starfleet.
  • Going this route would be a way of giving a character a different academic experience than most, while still having them be an officer.