Starfleet Academy

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"I am a graduate of Starfleet Academy. I know many things."

Worf, (2373)

Starfleet Academy (also referred to as the Space Academy) was the primary service academy of the Federation Starfleet. It was officially established in 2161 with the motto Ex Astris, Scientia, to serve as a training facility for Starfleet officers. The headquarters of Starfleet Academy are located in the Presidio in San Francisco while the Academy training facility itself is located in Marin County across the Golden Gate Bridge just south of Saulsalito, CA (Star Trek). The Academy program typically lasted four years, though certain programs have lasted five, six or eight years. (TNG: "The First Duty", "Conundrum", TOS: "Bread and Circuses")

Preparation for admission

Academy application — Application of Admission

Admission into Starfleet Academy begins with the acceptance of the candidate's application. Once the application is accepted, the candidate undergoes the Academy entrance competition exams, which determines those admitted by the best scores among a group of candidates competing to gain admission. In 2364, one such location for these competitions was on Relva VII. The exam contains sections on hyperspace physics and dynamic relationships, among others. Along with the infamous "psych test", where the prospective cadet must face their greatest fear, unannounced tests can take place at any time during the exam period. (VOY: "Imperfection"; TNG: "Coming of Age")

Not all candidates make entry into Starfleet Academy their first attempt; however, if their scores are high enough in the competition they may be eligible to reapply the following year. If the results of the reapplication are sufficiently high they will be accepted into the Academy. (TNG: "Ménage à Troi") It is possible to "wash out" of the Academy; this may have happened to Miles O'Brien and happened to R.M. Merik. (TOS: "Bread and Circuses")

For non-Federation citizens, a candidate may attend the Academy if they can be sponsored and have a letter of reference written on their behalf by a command level officer. Once this is accomplished the candidate is eligible for the Academy Preparatory Exam. (DS9: "Heart of Stone")

Starfleet Academy Preparatory Program is the next stage for consideration of admission, which consists of six weeks of summer classes. By passing the Preparatory Program, a candidate's admission is ensured, as they have now proved to the admissions committee that they are prepared, or determined, to become a cadet. Once this has been accomplished, the candidate is then eligible for Academy entrance exam. (DS9: "Facets")

Once the former candidate is accepted, they may enroll in Academy courses.

Attending the Academy

Extra curricular

Starfleet Academy training bases and annexes

Program for enlisted crewmen

The Academy has some connection to a separate and specific program for the training of enlisted crewpeople, which does not culminate in a commission as an officer. Simon Tarses attended the program. (TNG: "The Drumhead")

Non-commissioned officers, such as Alfonse Pacelli, have been graduated from the Starfleet Technical Services Academy on Mars. (TNG: "Eye of the Beholder")

In "Trials and Tribble-ations", Bashir referred to O'Brien's Academy temporal mechanics course. Ronald D. Moore commented, "This is a mistake, plain and simple. If you want to rationalize it, I suppose we could say that the enlisted training program also takes place at the Academy." (AOL chat, 1998) However, in "Starship Down", O'Brien specifically mentions to Worf that Stevens and Muniz didn't attend the Academy, implying that enlisted crewmen trained at a different campus.

For the elite cadets

Training vessels

Training vessels:

The final exam

Kobayashi Maru test

Graduation

In 2368, Captain Jean-Luc Picard was asked to deliver the commencement address for that year's Academy graduates. The occasion was marred by the loss of a cadet in an accident shortly before commencement. (TNG: "The First Duty")

The Lost Era book Deny Thy Father noted that the commencement address at William T. Riker's graduation from the Academy was given by Dr. Leonard McCoy.

Alumni

Starfleet Academy alumni

Post-graduate options

Background

The Academy emblem was based on a design by Joe Sena. (Star Trek Encyclopedia)
The Academy motto is "Ex Astris, Scientia", meaning "from the stars, knowledge" in Latin. The ancient Romans usually did not use verbs in inscriptions, so it would be better supplemented to "knowledge comes from the stars". According to Michael Okuda, the motto was inspired by a quotation on the Apollo 13 mission patch, "Ex luna, scientia". (Star Trek Encyclopedia; Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
The Apollo 13 quote was itself a paraphrase of the motto of the United States Naval Academy, "Ex Scientia Tridens," which means "from knowledge, seapower."
The initially shown version "Ex Astra, Scientia" was grammatically wrong, as the preposition "ex" requires the ablative case "Astris". According to Michael Okuda, six months after "The First Duty" aired he received a letter from a Latin Professor at Brown University pointing this out. This error was corrected for later appearances. (Memorable Missions, TNG Season 5 DVD special features)
A Starfleet Academy TV series has been proposed several times, but has never made it past the discussion stage. ^{(citation needed • edit)}
According to the novel The Kobayashi Maru, Starfleet Academy has a curfew.