COURSE CURRICULUM

This program in marine resource sustainability is structured to build both scientific understanding and policy-oriented decision-making skills focused on marine and coastal systems. The curriculum begins with a strong interdisciplinary core that integrates human dimensions of marine ecosystems (MPMA 6604), marine and coastal law (MPMA 6602), ecological science with laboratory experience (ENVS 6605), environmental and natural resource economics (MPMA 6606), and research-oriented training in marine social science methods (MPMA 6600). Additional core work in data analysis and presentation (MPMA 6614), marine coastal resource management (MPMA 6608), GIS applications (ENVS 6640), and marine fisheries policy (MPMA 6609) ensures that students develop both quantitative and spatial analytical skills alongside policy literacy. Together, these courses prepare students to understand complex marine systems from ecological, economic, legal, and governance perspectives. The program then offers a structured pathway through either a thesis track or a non-thesis capstone track. The thesis option requires six credits of supervised research across two terms (MPMA 6698 and MPMA 6699), emphasizing original scholarly contribution and preparation for research-intensive or doctoral pathways. The non-thesis track instead requires a capstone project (MPMA 6688) plus additional applied coursework, focusing on professional practice and problem-solving in real-world marine policy or management contexts. Students also select electives such as marine policy and management practicum, global change, human ecology of coastal systems, GIS techniques, science communication, environmental education, or environmental and social justice, allowing specialization aligned with career goals. Overall, the program outcomes emphasize understanding human dimensions of marine ecosystems, applying policy and management strategies to sustainability challenges, conducting social science research, and analyzing both quantitative and qualitative data to inform marine decision-making. The program is designed to produce graduates capable of synthesizing scientific evidence and policy frameworks to address pressing coastal and ocean sustainability issues in government, research, and environmental management sectors.