AB TO MATE PROGRAM

For Able Seafarers who have 1080 days or more of sea service.  This program  meets all of the STCW-2010 training requirements needed to attain an STCW Officer In Charge of a Navigation Watch (OICNW) and a USCG Mate’s License.

Moving from the deck to the wheelhouse is one of the biggest steps in your career. When you report to the bridge to stand your first watch, you want to know you are ready to face whatever the traffic, sea conditions and weather may bring.  At MITAGS, we teach you more than how to pass tests.  You learn from seasoned mariner-instructors, who leverage state-of-the-art high-fidelity simulation technology and training facilities.  As a MARAD-designated Center of Excellence, MITAGS delivers a curriculum that focuses on capability beyond mere certification.

Trust MITAGS to provide you with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to take on the duties and responsibilities required of a deck officer.

The courses in the AB to Mate program may be taken in any order, except:

  • Radar Observer Unlimited must be taken before ARPA and Watchkeeping
  • Terrestrial & Coastal Navigation must be taken before ECDIS, Watchkeeping, and Celestial Navigation
  • Basic Stability should be taken before the Cargo Handling & Stowage, but this is not a requirement
  • The optional License Advancement Preparation is the final course

Optional courses are available to obtain Tankerman Person In Charge (TPIC), Medical Person In Charge (Med-PIC), and other endorsements for candidates with the requisite sea service.

2026 AB to Mate Program Dates

Baltimore

  • April 6 – September 13, 2026
  • June 8 – November 15, 2026

Seattle

  • July 13 – December 18, 2026
AB to Mate Flyer 2025

“MITAGS has a special group of people.  We as members of the Masters, Mates & Pilots are truly lucky to be able to work with the instructors and staff at MITAGS.  I will forever support, promote and champion MITAGS and the AB to Mate Program.  I look forward to the Chief Mate / Master Program”

Gregory Ferris

Able Seaman to Mate Graduate, IOMMP

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE AB TO MATE PROGRAM COURSES