All 100 students at Webb Institute are driven by two loves: engineering and ships. That鈥檚 to be expected of this Long Island institution, the oldest school devoted to naval architecture and marine engineering in the United States. It鈥檚 鈥渁 very niche school [that] is very good at what it does,鈥 and each student graduates with a dual degree in the school鈥檚 two subjects. The academic calendar runs on semesters, and also adds a highly unique Winter Work Term, which takes place during Winter break and 鈥渢remendously augments learning and professional development鈥 by letting students complete a paid internship in the maritime industry, whether that鈥檚 yacht design or time on a cruise ship or Antarctic icebreaker. Needless to say, the hands-on learning opportunities are extremely interesting, and include 鈥渁ssembling and disassembling engines, visiting the Merchant Marine Academy鈥檚 lab spaces, attending boat shows, [and] going on board ships for field trips.鈥 All students also attend a Monday Lecture Series, 鈥渨here industry leaders come to campus and give lectures on leading-edge topics like environmental science and new technologies.鈥 The two subjects taught at Webb have been 鈥渉oned to excellence through the exhaustive course of study鈥 and the invested professors 鈥渟eek to support students both academically and personally.鈥 (Says one student, 鈥渋t is normal to see several students talking with professors while waiting in line for lunch.鈥) The small student body also naturally lends itself to close-knit bonds, both in terms of the present (鈥渟o many people collaborate on homework鈥) and the future (warm relations with alumni 鈥渞esults in donations and job opportunities for Webb鈥). Brought and bonded together by their academic focus from the start of the first year, and students 鈥渒now exactly what [they] are going to accomplish from the outset.鈥 In order 鈥渢o cope with the stress students normally feel, Webb employs a psychologist,鈥 and there is a remediation program so that students can still get credit for a class if they do other work over the Winter Work or summer break.
acaliguri@webb.edu