Program Overview

Coastal ecosystems are at the interface between marine and terrestrial habitats and are exposed to a wide variety of human and natural stressors. Climate change has caused novel challenges for coastal and marine habitats that are already stressed from human development, pollution, and over-harvest of natural resources.

The Coastal and Marine Science (CMS) major is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program with a broad science curriculum. The program emphasizes marine and estuarine sciences with hands-on courses that span ecological & environmental science as a whole, irrespective of habitat. The interests of biology students are diverse, but at the undergraduate level, students generally center their studies on biological interactions occurring in an ever-changing environment. Students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives by spending a semester on the SHU campus in Dingle, Ireland.