Program Overview

Marine Conservation and Policy, MA

School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)

Degree Awarded: Master of Arts in Marine Conservation and Policy

Dean: Paul Shepson, Endeavour Hall 1

Graduate Program Director: Jackie Collier, Discovery Hall 1

Faculty Director: Ellen Pikitch, Discovery Hall 169

Graduate Admissions Coordinator: Christina Fink, Endeavour Hall 107

Graduate Program Coordinator: Ginny Clancy, Endeavour Hall 1

Department Website

The Graduate Program in Marine Conservation and Policy at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences provides students with an understanding of contemporary marine conservation and policy issues and helps them develop the necessary skills to apply this knowledge in marine conservation positions that require advanced training and a broad skill-set, but are not research-based. Graduates of this program should be able to compete effectively for positions in government, environmental consultancy, and non-governmental organizations, and to apply marine conservation and policy knowledge in other fields such as law, teaching, communications, or business.

This program is designed to be completed in 12 months of full-time study, and requires a minimum of 30 credits of coursework, although due to the elective nature of the curriculum, many students will complete additional credits for their degree. Students wishing to complete a more comprehensive capstone project or internship, or also complete an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Science Communication or Geospatial Science may elect to stay on for a third semester. The program can also be completed part-time but is not designed for students who may only be able to enroll in night classes.

Admission Requirements

• Completion of a B.A. or B.S. with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (B)
• Acceptable scores on the TOEFL (paper: 600, computer: 230, iBT: 90) or IELTS (6.5) for foreign students
• Three letters of recommendation
• Official transcript(s)
• All applications should be submitted electronically through the Graduate School.

For admissions to the MCP M.A. Program, students must have:

1. A minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate coursework.
2. One semester of college-level biology
3. Three additional semester courses in college-level mathematics or science.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the MCP M.A. program.

For their personal statement, all students should state why they want to earn a Master of Arts in Marine Conservation and Policy at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. How would their time in the program help to get them from their previous experiences to where they hope to be in 5 years? Applicants should describe how any prior experiences (such as internships, advocacy, education [their own and/or teaching others], and research has prepared them for graduate school or their intended career path. Additionally, discuss other life experiences that have prepared them for graduate work by building transferable skills (such as writing, project management, web design, social media, budgeting, work ethic, ability to work in a team, ability to work independently, etc.). Applicants should describe what about the field of Marine Conservation and Policy most interests them and what area in this broad field they would like to focus on during their graduate studies. The MCP M.A. program embraces and supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); students should describe if and how their experiences and goals are connected to DEI. Personal statements should be no more than 2 pages in length.

Degree Requirements

• Credits Required: 30
• GPA Requirement: 3.0

Required Courses

• MAR 507 - Marine Conservation (3 credits)
• MAR 557 - Case Study and Project Planning Seminar (1 credit)

Electives

Marine Science Electives (2 courses)

• One course must be in a basic biological field (listed below). The second course can be any other MAR graduate level course (MAR 500-699).
  • MAR 502 - Biological Oceanography (3 credits)
  • MAR 508 - Found Mar Sci 1:Biogeochemical (3 credits)
  • MAR 511 - Benthic Ecology (2 credits)
  • MAR 515 - Phytoplankton Ecology (3 credits)
  • MAR 523 - Marine Mammal Biology and Conservation (3 credits)
  • MAR 540 - Marine Microbial Ecology (3 credits)
  • MAR 550 - Topics in Marine Sciences (1-3 credits)
  • MAR 553 - Fishery Management (3 credits)
  • MAR 554 - Aquatic Animal Diseases (3 credits)
  • MAR 561 - Quantitative Fisheries Ecology (3 credits)
  • MAR 578 - Bio & Conservation/Seabirds (3 credits)
  • MAR 600 - Fisheries Stock Assessment (3 credits)

Conservation Electives (2 courses)

• MAR 507 - Marine Conservation (3 credits) (required)
• And one of the following:
  • MAR 512 - Marine Pollution (3 credits)
  • MAR 523 - Marine Mammal Biology and Conservation (3 credits)
  • MAR 554 - Aquatic Animal Diseases (3 credits)
  • MAR 578 - Bio & Conservation/Seabirds (3 credits)

Communications Electives (2 courses)

• MAR 557 - Case Study and Project Planning Seminar (1 credit) (required)
• And one of the following:
  • COM 522 - Communicating Science to Policy Makers (3 credits)
  • COM 550 - Climate Communication (3 credits)
  • COM 565 - Foundations of Science Communication (3 credits)
  • COM 605 - Environmental Communication (3 credits)
  • MAR 556 - Conservation’s 3 Rs: Reading, Writing, Raising Money (2 credits)

Policy/Law/Economics/Management Elective (1 course)

• MAR 514 - Environmental Management (3 credits)
• MAR 536 - Environmental Law and Regulation (3 credits)
• MAR 553 - Fishery Management (3 credits)
• MAR 600 - Fisheries Stock Assessment (3 credits)
• SUS 506 - Coastal Housing Resilience (3 credits)
• SUS 548 - Urban Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation (3 credits)

Quantitative Assessment Elective (1 course)

• MAR 538 - Methods of Univariate Statistics in Atmospheric and Ocean Sciences (3 credits)
• MAR 558 - Remote Sensing (3 credits)
• MAR 561 - Quantitative Fisheries Ecology (3 credits)
• MAR 569 - Statistics With R (3 credits)
• MAR 587 - GIS: Display and Analysis of Environmental Data (3 credits)
• GSS 513 - GIS Fundamentals I (3 credits)
• GSS 525 - GIS Fundamentals II (3 credits)
• GSS 555 - GIS and Remote Sensing (3 credits)

Field Biology Elective (1 course)

• MAR 531 - Long Island Marine Habitats (3 credits)
• MAR 532 - Marine Protected Areas (3 credits)
• MAR 537 - Tropical Marine Ecology (4 credits)

Capstone Project Or Internship (1 course)

• MAR 589 - Capstone Project in Marine Conservation and Policy (1-6 credits)
• OR
• MAR 592 - Internship in Marine Conservation and Policy (1-6 credits)