Starfleet Acadamy..................

[Mark]

Since we only ever got VERY brief glimpses at Starfleet Acadamy, how do you guys imagine it? At one point, I saw it, day to day similar to the US's Westpoint, but now I'm not so sure anymore. What kind of courses can you guys imagine being offered there? Also, if YOUR were a cadet, what classload would you like to take?

[Teaos]

I picture it as something like a university but a little more regimented.

[Mark]

In that case, I wonder if ONLY Starfleet Cadets are allowed to attend classes. Obviously, in some areas only they could, but like various science or basic engineering classes, I wonder they'd allow others to attend as well?

[Captain Seafort]

I doubt it. As you say, it's effectively a university with a military aspect to it in the style of West Point, rather than a pure military academy in the mold of Sandhurst, Dartmouth or Cranwell.

[kostmayer]

Well, it seems pretty much every Officer can fly a shuttle at least in Trek, I'd but basic piloting skills as a required class. I'd reckon on a Shuttlecraft being as easy to fly as a car is to drive - at least at the basic level.

I'd hope Federation history was a required class as well. And of course the Prime Directive (with a good dosage of ethics as well).

[Sionnach Glic]

Where did you get the idea everyone could fly one? We only ever saw Starfleet officers using them.

[kostmayer]

I thought only Officers went to the academy?

Sorry, should have been clearer in my first post.

[Sionnach Glic]

O'Brien talked about being in the academy, IIRC. It seems like everyone goes there.

[shran]

Let's see. It seems that as soon as secondary education is complete, you're fit for the academy. You know whatever you learned there. Considering a ten-year ld was seen doing calculus, people may be overall more intelligent due to proabably better education programmes.
1. Whatever a normal military academy might have, yet in a far more pacifist and downgraded way.
2. Introduction into how the academy works, explanation of the educational system, as far as that wasn't aready explained before, since they seem to be selecting at the gate.
3. Courses on how to use LCARS. (I don't get it, so I don't expect them either)
4. basic piloting skills, first in a simulator, then in real shuttles, and so on.
5. Warp mechanics.
6. History of the federation.
7. military tactics in case of the neccessity of self defence (clearly not always attended)
8. Proper use of firearms
9. Managing a crew, so probably loads of psychology.
10. Engineering (one of the various specialisations, basic courses should be mandatory)
11. specialisation in command.
12. Specialisation in science.
13. Loads of introductory courses on astronomy, biology, physics, chemistry, maths, and other exact sciences and sciences studying nature, and even more courses elaborating on the various subdivisions of them.

[Mark]

Toss in some basic medical training (everyone seems to be able to use a dermal re generator or administer a hypo spray)
Maybe even a secondary language
Field equipment use
Basic hand to hand combat (consisting of the double hammerfirst, it seems)

[Graham Kennedy]

There have been LOTS of times during Trek when it's been mentioned that somebody studied some subject or other at the academy. I once made an attempt to compile a list, but it's really difficult to search for keywords on things like that because of course all the course titles are different. You'd have to actually read through all the scripts to do it, which would be a hell of a task.

[Deepcrush]

Starfleet Acadamy just seemed like a boys & girls after school program to me. These people are meant to have IQ in the upper 30,000's yet are unable too do the most simple things. I'd guess they'd teach them about engines, technobabble and how to lose battles in the most bloody way possible.

[Mark]

You sound cynical, Crushman

[Deepcrush]

Am I wrong? Whats the ratio of good officers to retarded officers out of SFA? 1 in 20 at best...

[Tsukiyumi]

Am I wrong? Whats the ratio of good officers to retarded officers out of SFA? 1 in 20 at best...

Just look at Red Squad, the supposed "best and brightest"...