Korea Maritime and Ocean University to offer tailored master's program for coast guard officers

Korea Maritime and Ocean University announced Wednesday that it has been selected for the Korea Coast Guard's "2026 Graduate Contract Department Project." The university will partner with the Korea Coast Guard to operate a tailored master's program for serving coast guard officers.

The graduate contract department project is a curriculum jointly run by universities and public institutions to enhance the job competencies of employees in industry and the public sector and to develop specialized talent. It aims to cultivate advanced professionals based on field-driven demand.

The program is designed for serving coast guard officers and will offer an interdisciplinary curriculum covering maritime security policy, maritime safety management, maritime law enforcement, maritime accident response, marine pollution control, digital-based maritime surveillance technology, AI, big data and unmanned systems. The curriculum is designed to equip officers to adapt to a changing future maritime security environment. Through project-based education linking hands-on field experience with academic research, the program aims to strengthen problem-solving capabilities and develop core talent to lead policy development and innovation within the coast guard.

The program is set to launch in the second semester of the 2026 academic year, with enrollment open to serving Korea Coast Guard officers.

The two institutions plan to jointly develop a curriculum that reflects field needs and build an integrated professional education framework combining practical operations, policy and advanced technology, with the goal of strengthening the coast guard's capacity to respond to future challenges in maritime safety and sovereignty.

"We will nurture future maritime security professionals who combine field experience with advanced technological capabilities, contributing to the nation's maritime safety and the protection of its maritime sovereignty," university President Ryu Dong-geun said. "As the country's leading maritime-specialized comprehensive university, we will continue to expand our cooperation with the Korea Coast Guard."