U.S. Coast Guard

Looking to serve as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard? Norwich has you covered.

In the United States Coast Guard, you’ll find five main missions: Maritime Security, Maritime Mobility, Maritime Safety, Protection of Natural Resources and National Defense. Within each mission, the Coast Guard offers officer commissions in a host of fields including engineering, law, intelligence and more. Depending on your skills and the Coast Guard's needs, you can train to be an officer in anything from law to avionics electronics to intelligence to computer and information technologies to command, control and communications.

From the get-go, you'll be in take-charge situations, where your decisions can make the difference between life and death. It's the kind of experience that no entry-level civilian job can match.

The Norwich Path to Commissioning as a U.S. Coast Guard Officer

Norwich University’s U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary University Program (AUP) prepares both cadets and civilian students for U.S. Coast Guard careers. Membership in the Auxiliary and the AUP program offers a pathway to a U.S. Coast Guard commission as upwards of 70% of graduates of the program nationally commission into the U.S. Coast Guard.

Cadets can join the AUP unit at Norwich by first joining an Auxiliary unit (Flotilla) in their hometown, or in Burlington, VT which is located in close proximity to Norwich. Once enrolled in the Flotilla, students then join the university’s AUP unit.

The AUP’s course of study provides similar training and requirements of the Coast Guard active duty and reserve. Cadets are involved in online training and testing, classroom workshops, unit meetings, and physical fitness training. You’ll learn from guest speakers and participate in field trips to Coast Guard stations. AUP cadets can qualify for Coast Guard internships to gain real world experience at small boat stations, safety detachments, air stations, and command centers.

At home, AUP cadets engage with their Flotilla to hone their skills and qualifications across multiple mission areas. You’ll participate in hands on training exercises and engage with the recreational boating public and active-duty Coast Guard units.

At Norwich, cadets lead the AUP unit, honing their individual leadership skills, with the support of an active-duty Coast Guard officer, a local Auxiliary member, and a Norwich faculty/academic advisor. U.S. Coast Guard Recruiting Office Boston supports Norwich cadets interested in applying to Direct Commissioning or Officer Candidate School.

AUP Program Highlights

LEAD labs: Weekly, 90-minute classroom sessions cover all aspects of U.S. Coast Guard, assess physical fitness aptitude and learning progress. Enlisted members assist in labs as instructors/assistant instructors to teach and mentor uniformed enlisted and auxiliary members.

Progressive learning: Students build in foundational courses in water basics and safe boating with electives in incident management, boat operations, telecommunications, marine safety, vessel examination, public affairs, and aviation. Capstone projects focus on small boat operations, leadership, homeland security, and other topics.