The Merchant Marine Academy – EFOMM is a University of the Sea, a reference center when it comes to the graduation of highly qualified Merchant Marine Officers, not only for the Brazilians, but also for the youth whose countries have no Merchant Marine Schools, or even to the ones who join in our students’ interchange program, as Peru, Panama, Ecuador, the Dominican Republic, etc.. Brazil has turned into a reference to Southern and Central America, as well as to part of Africa. That fact certifies the capacity and good level of the Officers and crew we put in the market.

Efomm graduates students in two major areas: Deck and Engineering. In both courses students enroll in internship during 4 years, and in some periods of the course three different sea service periods on board Brazilian merchant ships are programmed. The first sea service period happens when the student is finishing the first academic year, which is basic to all first year students; it aims at giving the student conditions to choose the course of his / her preference among the existing options. That is the so called vocational service and it lasts between 3 and 4 weeks.

The second sea service period is accomplished in the first semester of the third scholar year and is denominated Sea Instruction Period (PIM in Portuguese); It lasts 180 days (six months) and aims at familiarizing the cadets with the routine on board, besides being the first big practical challenge students have to face, related to the fulfilling of the Schools’ pre – determined tasks, which are supervised by an appointed officer aboard.

The third period occurs in the second semester of the 4th year, just after graduation (which happens in the middle of the fourth year, when they are declared PRACTICIANS), and, also lasts 180 days. In this period, the practioner fills in a written work about all systems and routines of the ship, which is essential for the upgrading of the future Officer, who will be graduating in the end of that period, when he will be returning to School and will receive his Officer Certificate (Deck and Engineering).