Marine Affairs

Degree

Bachelor of Arts with a major in Marine Affairs
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
School of Marine Programs

Contact

Dr. Charles Tilburg
ctilburg@une.edu

Mission

The mission of the School of Marine Programs at the University of New England is to enable students to understand the real-world relevance of the marine sciences, foster scientific literacy, and critical thinking skills and lay the foundation for lifelong learning and meaningful, productive contributions to society.

The Marine Sciences encompass a wide variety of disciplines that seek to understand the way the ocean functions, and how it is related to earth systems science, as well as to human interactions with the environment. Students will learn the theoretical underpinnings and applications of disciplines from biology, to chemistry, geology and physics. These disciplines are critical to life as we know it on the planet, and beyond. Students will be able to apply these disciplines to solving real problems, not only in ocean sciences, but in fields as far ranging as meteorology and space exploration

Major Description

The School of Marine Programs offers a baccalaureate education to students interested in all facets of the marine environment. The classroom curriculum provides a strong background in the marine sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics and geology of the oceans and their surroundings. The program focuses on hands-on activities, internships and research experiences in addition to classroom work.

The Marine Affairs major is aimed at providing future student leaders a solid grounding in the vital fields of coastal and marine science, as well as resource use, marine governance systems, management, policy, ecosystems ecology, conservation, and sustainable development. This major is suitable for students who are concerned about the marine environment, and are interested in careers in ecosystem and human health interactions, ocean management and political decision making, and marine sustainability science and policies.

The Marine Living Learning Community (MLC)

All entering first-year Marine Science, Marine Affairs, and Marine Entrepreneurship majors are invited to participate in a year-long living learning community focused on developing the skills needed to be a successful student, discovery of their majors and associated learning opportunities, and building relationships with peers, faculty, and professional staff.

The MLC integrates classroom learning, student success programming, experiential opportunities, as well as team-building and leadership development programs designed to assist Marine majors in their transitions from High School to College to Career.

Learning Community courses and events allows students an opportunity to expand their interests and grow personally, as well as professionally. A dedicated team comprised of faculty, professional staff, and peer leaders supports the MLC. This community of learning enriches classroom content and allows an opportunity to apply learning in context.

Students who participate in the MLC expected to:

  • Live together in a Residence Hall Community designed by the Office of Housing and Resident/Commuter Life.
  • Take two (2) or more designated courses in common over the course of their first year.
  • Participate in required experiential learning opportunities and community programs.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core Requirements* Credits
Total 42-26

*Must take MAR 105/105L as Lab Science Course and MAT 150 or MAT 170 as Math Course

Program Requirements Credits
MAR 105/105L - Introduction to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms (credits included in Core)
MAR 106/106L - Introduction to Cellular/Molecular of Marine Organisms 4
MAR 150/150L - Discovering the Ocean Environment or MAR 270/270L - Oceanography 4
MAR 250/250L - Marine Biology or MAR 350/350L - Marine Ecology 4
MAR 316 - Science in Society 3
MAF 200 - Introduction to Marine Pollution 3
MAF 210 - Introduction to U.S. Ocean Governance 3
MAF 310 - Ocean and Coastal Law 3
MAF 320 - Internship 3–12
MAF 400 - Marine Affairs Capstone 3
Total 30
Program Required Cognate Courses Credits
CHE 110/110L - General Chemistry I or CHE 130/130L Principles of Chemistry 4
PSC 125 - Understanding Law or PSC 210 Constitutional Law 3
MAT 150 - Statistics for Life Sciences or MAT 170 Applications of Functions (credits included in Core)
GIS 161 - Fundamentals of Geographic Information Systems 3
BUEC 390 - Environmental Economics or BUEC 395 Ecological Economics 3
Total 13
Communication and Outreach Group (1 course) Credits
SPC 100 - Effective Public Speaking 3
CMM 210 - Understanding Media 3
CMM 240 - Social Media: Theory and Practice 3
CMM 305 - Public Relations in the Digital Age 3
ENV 321 - Environmental Communications 3
EDU 202 - Curriculum Theory and Design 3
Total 3
Organization Management Group (1 course) Credits
BUMG 301 - Organizational Behavior 3
BUMG 303 - Management of Non-profit Organizations 3
BUMG 311 - Business and Society Relations 3
BUMK 200 - Marketing 3
BUMK 310 - Advertising 3
ORM 335 - Outdoor Recreation Planning and Policy 3
SOC 226 - Environmental Sociology 3
Total 3
Open Electives Credits
Variable As needed to reach 120 credits

Graduation Requirements

Graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Marine Sciences. A 2.00 cumulative average in sciences is a requirement for graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Marine Sciences.

Program Completion Timeline

Students have a maximum of seven years to complete the graduation requirements

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will demonstrate a strong content-knowledge foundation in their specific field of study (Marine Biology, Oceanography, Marine Entrepreneurship, or Marine Affairs).
  2. Students will communicate effectively in both oral and written format to convey their scientific knowledge, interdisciplinary training, and findings to peers, professional audiences, decision-makers, and/or the public.
  3. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their specific field of study by designing, carrying out, and interpreting the results of their experiments, by evaluating the literature published by professionals, by making recommendations to policy makers and/or by creating and innovating in their field.

Minor

Minor Requirements 20

MAR 105/105L - Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms

OR

BIO 105/105L- Bio I: Ecology/Evolution

AND

BIO 106/106L - Biology II: Cellular/Molecular

OR

MAR 106/106L- Cellular/Molecular of Marine Organisms)

8
OR  

BIO 104- General Biology

AND

Any 4 credit Lab Science Course

(can't double count with other requirements)

8
   
Four from the list below: 12
BUEC 390 - Environmental Economics 3
MAF 200 - Introduction to Marine Pollution 3
MAF 210 - Introduction to US Ocean Governance 3
MAR 316 - Science and Society 3
MAF 310 - Ocean and Coastal Law 3

MAF 300 - Climate Change, Oceans, and the Law

3

ENV 321 - Environmental Communications

3

BUMG 303 - Management of Non-profit Organizations

3

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their major advisor. 

Transfer Credit

Courses previously completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the marine sciences courses offered at UNE in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they will transfer as general electives. All Science/Math courses previously completed must be no older than five years. Other options and restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Admissions

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2020-2021 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of date of publication May 1, 2020.

The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.