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Nicholls State University launched its maritime management major a little over a year ago with the goal of readying more industry managers.
Approximately 80 students are currently seeking degrees in maritime management, exceeding the expectations of the local industry leaders who helped create the program.
“That is tremendous in one year,” South Central Industrial Executive Director Jane Arnette said of the interest. “It is just unbelievable.”
Nicholls’ maritime management program was funded by 18 different local entities including South Central Industrial, Bollinger Shipyards and Edison Chouest Offshore. These companies also helped design the curriculum, and the university hired outside experts in the marine industry to teach many of the courses.
The four-year management degree focuses on the oil and gas sector and the requirements of a shipowner, as well as periphery businesses.
Nicholls is the only university in Louisiana to offer the maritime management program.
“We have been getting good feedback from all of the courses. We think that is a direct result of some of these businesses having input on what goes into some of these courses,” said Dr. Ken Chadwick, head of the department of management, marketing and business administration. “We went to the leaders of the industry and asked them specifically what material should these students be exposed to. These courses directly meet the needs of the companies.”
Basic to the program is a course titled “Introduction to Maritime.” It is designed to help students become familiar with the industry’s terminology.
An economics course helps students understand the business side of the job.
“It is a little more advanced,” Chadwick said. “It looks at the driving forces of the industry pertaining to supply-and-demand.”
A course in maritime law gives students a better understanding of industry regulations.
“It is very litigious,” Chadwick said. “It exposes students to specific laws and regulation.”
Students are also exposed to preventing marine accidents in the major.
After successfully completing the degreed program, graduates are ready for hire in management positions. Locally, a number of longtime industry leaders are retiring, creating a void between the frontline workers and management teams
“Local and regional businesses came to us and stated that back in the mid-1980s that we not only lost a lot of our blue collar workers, but a lot of white collar workers,” Chadwick said. “Those that stayed are now getting ready to retire.”
To give potential hires experience, a number of companies are offering students internships after they complete the maritime program’s introduction courses. Companies participating in the internship element of the program include Bollinger Shipyards, Crescent Towing, Edison Chouest Offshore, Galliano Marine Services, Garber Brothers Towing, Oceaneering, Offshore Marine Contractors and SEACOR Marine.
“When students work for Bollinger, Edison Chouest and these other companies, it looks good on their resume,” Chadwick said.
More importantly, he said, it readies a qualified, capable workforce for the Terrebonne/Lafourche area for years to come.
“While the community and technical colleges have been doing a good job filling the blue-collar side of the industry, they needed help filling the managerial side, so we are creating value for our students,” Chadwick said. “We expect that we will be manned in the job market.”
The program itself has been heralded by those in the industry who have backed it from the outset with much-needed dollars and expertise.
Nicholls State University students (from left) Katie Dufrene, Bryan Chauvin and Chelsea Saenz, majors in the institution’s maritime management program, are pictured during their summer internship at SEACOR Marine. Also pictured is Brett Landry of SEACOR.
