Program Overview

Overview of the B.A. in Marine Affairs Program

The B.A. in Marine Affairs program at the University of Miami is designed to prepare students to contribute to the policy development and management of marine resources through the integration of scientific, economic, and social perspectives. Research at the University of Miami focuses on various areas, including fisheries management, political ecology, natural resource economics, coastal zone management, marine spatial planning, and marine protected areas, as well as coastal and ocean law and marine cultural resources.

Curriculum Requirements

The curriculum for the B.A. in Marine Affairs includes a range of courses that provide students with a comprehensive understanding of marine affairs and policy. The requirements include:

• Marine Affairs Requirements:
  • MSC 111: Introduction to Marine Science (3 credits)
  • MSC 112: Introduction to Marine Science Lab (1 credit)
  • MSC 217: Physical and Chemical Processes in Coastal Ecosystems (3 credits)
  • MBE 230: Introduction to Marine Biology (3 credits)
  • MSC 313: Coastal Law (3 credits) or MSC 314: Ocean Law
  • MBE 310: Living Resources of the Ocean (3 credits) or MSC 340: Ocean Policy
  • MSC 345: Economics of Natural Resources and the Environment (3 credits)
  • MSC 460: Spatial Applications in Marine Science (3 credits)
  • 9 credits of approved Marine Affairs electives, with at least 6 credits at the 300-level or higher
• Biology Requirements:
  • BIL 150: General Biology 2 (4 credits)
  • BIL 160: Evolution and Biodiversity 2 (4 credits)
• Chemistry Requirements:
  • CHM 110: Chemical Problem Solving (3 credits)
  • CHM 121: Principles of Chemistry (4 credits)
• Geological Sciences Requirement:
  • Select one of the following: GSC 110: The Earth System, GSC 111: Earth System History, or MSC 424: Origin and Geology of the Galapagos Islands
• Microeconomics Requirement:
  • ECO 211: Principles of Microeconomics (3 credits)
• Mathematics Requirement:
  • Select one of the following: MTH 108: Precalculus Mathematics II, MTH 113: Finite Mathematics, MTH 130: Introductory Calculus, MTH 140: Calculus Concepts with Foundations A, MTH 161: Calculus I, or MTH 171: Calculus I
• Statistics or Computational Science Requirement:
  • Select one of the following: MSC 204: Environmental Statistics, MSC 203: Foundations of Computational Marine Science, or MTH 224: Introduction to Probability and Statistics
• Minor Requirement:
  • Approved People & Society Minor (15 credits)
• General Education Requirements:
  • Written Communication Skills: WRS 105: First-Year Writing I (3 credits) and WRS 107: First-Year Writing II: STEM (3 credits) or WRS 106: First-Year Writing II
  • Quantitative Skills: MTH 108 or higher (fulfilled through the major)
  • Areas of Knowledge: Arts and Humanities Cognate (9 credits), People & Society Cognate (9 credits) (fulfilled through the People & Society minor), and STEM Cognate (9 credits) (fulfilled through the STEM Major)
  • Additional Electives: 30-33 credits
• Total Credit Hours: 121-124

Suggested Plan of Study

A suggested plan of study for the B.A. in Marine Affairs program is provided, outlining the courses to be taken each semester for four years.

Mission and Goals

The mission of the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is to deepen our collective knowledge of our planet through cutting-edge scientific research and to train the next generation of scientists. The educational mission of the B.A. in Marine Affairs program is to graduate students with the ability and desire to integrate knowledge of marine affairs and policy into their future careers. The program strives to provide students with the rigor, flexibility, depth, and integration to enable them to pursue a course of study that provides both depth and breadth in marine affairs and related science and policy courses, and to prepare themselves for public and private sector employment, graduate school, and successful careers.

Student Learning Outcomes

The program aims to achieve the following student learning outcomes:

• Students will demonstrate an ability to communicate effectively.
• Students will demonstrate an overall knowledge and understanding of the core concepts in Marine Affairs.
• Students will be able to successfully integrate important concepts in marine affairs to address a real-world issue in marine policy and marine resource management.