Marine Policy and Management, M.A., Marine Education and Outreach Concentration

STEM Designation: This program is STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math)-designated by the Department of Homeland Security. For more information, please see https://www.newhaven.edu/admissions/stem-designated-programs.php

The degree requires the completion of a minimum of 34 credits. Students can choose between a thesis or non-thesis track. Students who elect the thesis track must carry out an original thesis research project, under the guidance of a thesis mentor, by taking a minimum of 6 credit hours of thesis related research courses: MPMA 6698 Thesis Research I and MPMA 6699 Thesis Research II, over a minimum of two academic terms. The thesis track can be elected after a minimum of 9 credits hours of graduate study with a minimum GPA of 3.3 and approval of the program coordinator. Thesis preparation and submission must comply with the Graduate School policy on theses as well as all requirements for the department. Students choosing a non-thesis track are required to take a minimum of 6 credit hours in lieu of the Thesis Research courses to be determined in consultation with the program coordinator. Non-thesis students will be required to produce a major paper, or another capstone project developed in consultation with the program coordinator. A 1-year accelerated non-thesis option is also available.

Marine Education and Outreach Concentration

The Marine Education and Outreach Concentration prepares students for careers in informal environmental education, and science communication and outreach with a focus on marine and coastal environments. This concentration also prepares students to conduct research or continue their studies in the fields of environmental education and outreach.

Program Outcomes

By graduation students will be able to:

1. Demonstrate knowledge of the most important theoretical approaches involving the human dimensions of marine ecosystems.
2. Apply policy and management strategies to address complex problems in marine sustainability.
3. Employ methods of scientific inquiry and research design in social science to answer research questions to inform and advance marine policy and management.
4. Analyze quantitative and qualitative human dimensions data to infer and forecast on social phenomena affecting marine policy and management.
5. Synthesize results and outcomes of relevant research to propose solutions for complex problems in marine sustainability from a human dimensions perspective.