The Academy consists of two campuses, one in San Francisco, on Earth, the other on Starbase 1, in orbit around Earth. There are several other training sites, including a flight training area near Saturn's orbit.
All students who apply must have a certain level of learning prior to admission. This includes being able to speak, read, and write Federation Standard, and having good mathematics skills. Starfleet Academy is very selective, and only has a limited number of spaces available for prospective Cadets. Students may wish to have already studied a variety of subjects in order to increase their chances of acceptance.
After admission, Cadets begin the standard four-year program to train for their roles in Starfleet. During the first two years at the Academy, Cadets gain a solid background in the skills important to all Starfleet officers in the Academy's General Studies program.
All Cadets are required to take a core set of courses used to teach a number of skills. All Cadets are required to take these courses, regardless of their fields of study. If any of these courses are in a cadet's Major or Minor field of study, the higher requirement takes precedence.
The skills obtained from these core courses are as follows: Administration Weapons: Phasers, Unarmed Combat (or specialized unarmed combat type) Computer Operation, Computer Programming Electronics Operations: Sensors, Transporters First Aid History of the Federation Language: Federation Standard and any non-native Federation Law Mathematics Physics Pilot: Shuttlecraft Starfleet Protocol Vacuum Suit Operations Xenobiology: General Xenology: General Zero-G Operations
The fields to Major and Minor in are as follows.
Communications Counseling Engineering Helm/Navigation Medical Operations Science Security
At the end of the second year of Academy training, Cadets should choose a Major and Minor course of study from the above list.
After completing class work at the Academy, Cadets are usually sent on a one-year cruise in space, where officers in the field evaluate their performance. During that cruise, the officer-in-training carries the rank of Cadet (Cdt) or Officer Cadet (OCdt) for the Marines. This rank is considered to be one below Ensign, but still an officer's grade and rank. Sometimes, due to extremely good performance of duties, a Cadet will be promoted to Acting Ensign (with an increase in pay and rank) in the field.
Cadet Cruise Assignments may include: Special Assignment, Starship Division, Exploration Division, Military Division, Colonization Division, Marines Division, Starbase Division.
Cadets who want to become Department Heads or Top Command personnel are usually required to attend Command School for two years following their Cadet Cruise. At Command School, they will obtain the following skills important for holding positions of responsibility and authority over other officers.
Department Heads are defined as the persons holding the following positions: Chief Engineer Chief Medical Officer Tactical Officer Chief Science Officer Helm Officer
Top Command personnel are: Captain First Officer Chief of Operations
Training includes: Administration Astrogation: Warp Drive, Computer Operations, Computer Programming and Diplomacy. Electronics Operations: Sensors. History: Federation Law: Federation and Leadership. Psychology: non-native and non-Terran. Strategy: Space Tactics: Small Units, Space, and Teaching Xenology: Romulan or Borg
Civilian personnel join Starfleet for a career, but do not aspire to achieve commissioned rank. They fill the jobs of the day-to-day operations of the ship. They usually join Starfleet at age 18 and go through a shorter education than Cadets. They may choose a career in one of these fields: Engineering, Science, Security, or Services.