USM’s Uncrewed Maritime Systems Tier 1 Certificate Program Recognizes Six Graduates of the Spring 2025 Cohort

Wed, 06/25/2025 - 03:46pm | By: Gabriela Shinskie

Six students received their certificates this spring after completing the Southern Miss Uncrewed Maritime Systems (UMS) Tier 1 Certificate Program. The five-week program provides students with 10 credit hours and a better understanding of UMS and the role it plays in global environmental monitoring.

Carl Szczechowski and Kevin Martin, Marine Science instructors within the School of Ocean Science and Engineering (SOSE), acknowledged the achievements of the group and their collaboration.

“The varied educational and employment backgrounds among the students allow them to learn a great deal from one another,” said Szczechowski. “In this particular group the expertise ranged from buoyancy glider operations, uncrewed vehicle testing and evaluation, mechanical engineering, ocean acoustics, ocean optics, sensor maintenance and ocean surveying to U.S. Navy submarine experience.”

Course content included basic electronics, oceanography, acoustics, communications, navigation and sensors with a focus on uncrewed undersea, surface and aerial vehicles. The program consists of four courses, including one laboratory course. The laboratory course emphasizes electronics and features the construction of underwater buoyancy gliders. The students raced their completed buoyancy gliders against one another during their final week.

Guest speakers included personnel from maritime companies such as Del Mar Oceanographic, Saildrone and FarSounder. Students were also able to tour Ocean Aero in Gulfport, Miss., and the uncrewed maritime system facilities at the Naval Oceanographic Office and the Southern Miss site at Stennis Space Center in Bay Saint Louis, Miss.

The program’s website will soon provide details for the next UMS Certificate Program offering. For questions regarding the Southern Miss UMS programs, email Szczechowski or call 228.236.6572.