Unknown, but it probably goes by the type of ship and what each captain excels at. The USS Pastor in the future timeline of TNG was headed by Beverly Picard (Dr. Crusher) because it was a medical ship.
A ship that is used mainly for sciences will be headed by a high ranking science officer who specializes in the field of study that ship will be used for. So say the ship is designed to scan for alloys and materials on various planets. Then a scientist who is the best in geology and astrometrics will captain that ship. But those in that field of study will still be measured by their ability to direct others. One expert might be the best at something, but if he or she can't motivate the lower ranks, then it does no good to make he or she the captain. Instead they will be the chief science officer or just a specialist.
A ship that deals in relations between worlds will likely have a captain who is trained in diplomacy, even if the ship also has an ambassador to handle such matters, the captain would still play a crucial role in facilitating such encounters.
The kinds of ships that are designed for exploration or warfare will be headed by captains who have proven records of leading teams and succeeding on missions. These captains will be well versed in various fields of expertise, and they will have to show superior skills in space combat. For example, every potential captain is put through evaluations. Deanna Troy was tasked with an emotional test to see if she had it in her to send a beloved crewmate to his death in order to save the entire ship. And every potential captain is put through the "Kobiashi Maru", which is a battle scenario design by Spock to be unwinnable. The purpose of which is to test how the applicant responds to such a dire situation.
Will Riker was asked to apply for the captain position on other ships on several occasions, which he turned down for the longest time because he wanted to serve on the Enterprise. He eventually became a captain, and by the time he did he was a certain choice based on his stellar record of commanding on the Enterprise. Jordy also won a captain role in the future, as did Harry Kim.
So they go by various models. Your record of accomplishments, your test scores, your training, your fields of study, aptitude tests, and of course whatever tasks Starfleet needs people to complete.
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Lucious-Nightingale
8 years ago
But is there any room for someone lower to rise up i.e someone who captains a tug ship for ten years and does a good job to maybe move up to an escort ship, and has that ever happened in the Star Trek world and if not why?
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dai_grepher1051
8 years ago
There is room for advancement. The transport ship captain would simply have to apply for the more prestigious position. But to be an escort ship the captain would need combat training, since the escort ship would have to protect the other it was escorting. Although the task of escorting a ship might just be left to ships like the Enterprise anyway. As for why a transport captain has never been shown moving up to an escort ship, probably because it wouldn't make for entertaining television.
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Lucious-Nightingale
8 years ago
Or maybe it just doesn't happen , maybe there's another side to Starfleet that they don't show us because it would burst the illusion that in the star trek future everything is fair and all of earths immoral problems are solve, but I believe there are still area's were earth in Star Treks future still has social discrimination.
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dai_grepher1051
8 years ago
I don't think there's prejudice, but captains are evaluated on their merits. The best of the best still excel above others, but it isn't a racial or gender thing.
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Lucious-Nightingale
8 years ago
WOW I never said anything about racism or gender discrimination, I was talking more from the aspect of social mobility, that for all the supposed progress and inspiration of a better tomorrow that star trek promotes, there are still social structures in place that prevent certain people from moving up in the starfleet hierarchy.
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dai_grepher1051
8 years ago
I don't think that's the case. Anyone can apply, and everyone is welcomed with a smile. The people then succeed or fail based on their own merits.
There might be certain admirals and captains who collude or form clicks, but I think most of them can put personal feelings and biasness aside when Starfleet principles demand that the best be rewarded.
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dai_grepher1051
8 years ago
Oh, and apparently to be a captain you had to have known Boothby the gardener at Starfleet Academy.
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Lucious-Nightingale
8 years ago
It's easy enough to see why the officers want their jobs, but why the low level transporter operators etc.? Presumably, they hope to get promoted to the better jobs, but if that's not possible why not leave the humdrum jobs to be handled by the ship's computers.
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