U.S. Naval Academy Developing Tomorrow’s Shipbuilding Leaders
by U.S. Naval Academy
September 11, 2026

To answer the President’s and Acting Secretary of the Navy’s call to revitalize American shipbuilding and strengthen the maritime industrial base, the U.S. Naval Academy is executing shipbuilding initiatives of its own.

This summer, the Naval Academy selected five midshipmen to participate in its inaugural shipbuilding summer internship program that immersed rising first-class and second-class midshipmen in a multi-shipyard, multi-platform environment in both commercial shipyards and within Naval Sea Systems Command.

Midshipmen not only gained exposure to the maritime industrial base and shipbuilding programs, but they also had the opportunity to conduct academic and operational research alongside experts in the field. During the internships, initial midshipmen research on a submarine concept design proved so impactful that their findings were accepted for presentation at a major industry conference. The midshipmen will build upon their internship experience by bringing forth their newly gained knowledge into their senior capstone projects.

“At the Naval Academy, we have an extraordinary opportunity to connect what midshipmen learn in our classrooms directly to the urgent needs of the fleet,” said U.S. Naval Academy Provost, Dr. Samara Firebaugh. “By pairing rigorous coursework in naval architecture, economics, history, and operations research with hands-on research in active shipyards and command centers, our midshipmen aren't just studying defense production; they are actively delivering solutions that strengthen America’s maritime industrial base before they even graduate.”

Founded in 1845 during the U.S. Navy’s transition from sail to steam propulsion, the U.S. Naval Academy is uniquely suited to address technical revolutions in naval engineering. Having adapted through every major conflict since the Civil War, the U.S. Naval Academy remains one of the new undergraduate institutions offering accredited degree programs in both Naval Architecture and Operations Research, alongside a robust liberal arts and STEM curriculum.

By embedding shipbuilding priorities across both military and academic training, the Academy is ensuring every midshipman steps into the fleet prepared to sustain American sea power.

“Restoring American shipbuilding capacity is a warfighting imperative, and our graduates must step into the fleet ready to fight the most formidable naval force the world has ever known,” said U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Mike Borgschulte. “Giving midshipmen the opportunity to gain real-world insight into how America builds and sustains that force is not an experience you can get at many other colleges and universities, that is an experience unique to the Naval Academy and our focus on graduating leaders prepared for the demands of naval service.”

In addition to summer training opportunities, the U.S. Naval Academy has also updated portions of its curriculum to emphasize the importance of the maritime industrial base and address the technical, analytical, and economic dimensions of defense production.

For example, Professor Marcus Jones is developing a dedicated History of Shipbuilding course for the History Department while Professor Brenda Boultwood currently leads a course of instruction, titled the Economics of National Defense within the Economics Department. Additionally, Interdisciplinary capstones and experimental classes now pair Naval Architecture and Operations Research midshipmen and faculty to tackle the generation of complex requirements.

“Maintaining, modernizing, and expanding the battle fleet depends not only on industrial capacity, but on the technical and strategic competence of the officers who lead, manage, and sustain that capacity throughout their careers,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Li Sung, a Permanent Military Professor within the Naval Architecture and Ocean Engineering Department. “At the U.S. Naval Academy, we graduate leaders who need to understand the necessity for a strong American maritime industrial base and that education and appreciation starts here on the Yard.”

----------------------

The U.S. Naval Academy is a prestigious four-year service academy that prepares midshipmen morally, mentally, and physically to become professional officers in the naval service. More than 4,400 men and women representing every state in the U.S. and several foreign countries make up the student body known as the Brigade of Midshipmen. U.S. News and World Reports has recognized the Naval Academy as the #1 top public school, #3 national liberal arts college, and #5 best undergraduate engineering programs. Upon graduation, midshipmen earn a Bachelor of Science degree in a choice of 26 different subject majors and go on to serve at least five years of exciting and rewarding service as commissioned officers in the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps.

U.S. Navy | Naval Academy | Navy Recruit Training Command (NROTC) | U.S. Navy Gifts | U.S. Department of War

Our Valiant Troops | I Am The One | Veterans | Citizens Like Us