USM Uncrewed Maritime Systems

Tier 1 Certificate Program

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) will be offering the Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) Tier 1 Certificate Program during the spring semester of 2025. The Tier 1 classes will be held from 24 March through 25 April 2025, every weekday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, at the Marine Research Center located at the entrance to the Port of Gulfport, Mississippi.

The five-week program, offered annually since 2017 and created at the request of the Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command, consists of four courses for a total of ten credit hours. A compendium of the syllabi for the courses and a frequently-asked-questions document accompany this announcement. Successful completion of the UMS Tier 1 Program is required for those wishing to apply for the Tier 2 Program.

Student tuition and university fees for USM classes can be found here. Tuition and fees are subject to change. At the present time, for the ten-credit hour UMS Tier 1 Program, tuition and student university fees total $4165.90 for Mississippi residents and Department of Defense (DoD) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) employees and contractors sponsored by their agency. Tuition and student university fees total $5005.90 for non-residents of Mississippi. In addition to tuition and student university fees, there is a program fee of $1000 which covers instructional and lab expenses.

The application process is to be completed online. A link to the online application can be found at Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) Certificate Programs | School of Ocean Science and Engineering | The University of Southern Mississippi . (Note: Early in the online application process a temporary PIN will be emailed to you. That email contains some verbiage about activating your account; ignore that verbiage and just use the PIN provided.) The deadline for applications is 4:00PM CST on 3 March 2025. Tuition and fees are not due at the time of application but will be collected later

Applicants are required to submit to the USM Office of Admissions, an official transcript from their most recently attended school and immunization records showing two MMR dates (or documentation of a positive titer test). Applicants are urged to submit documentation by the application deadline. Transcripts may be submitted by using a service such as Escrip-Safe or Parchment and choosing USM Admissions. Official transcripts can also be mailed from the applicant’s most recently attended school to:

University of Southern Mississippi
Office of Admissions
118 College Drive, Box 5166
Hattiesburg, MS  39406-0001

A copy of the immunization records can be either sent to admissions@usm.edu, faxed to 601-266-5148, or mailed to the address above.  If an applicant does not have access to their shot records, Stennis Space Center (SSC) employees can contact the SSC Clinic.  An applicant could also show immunity via a titer test.

We have a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page for your convenience.

Feel free to ask any questions and direct them to Carl Szczechowski.

Carl Szczechowski
Instructor and Coordinator, UMS Certificate Programs
carl.szczechowski@usm.edu