M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy

Program Description

The Graduate Program in Marine Conservation and Policy 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.

The program consists of advanced coursework in six key areas:

1. Marine science
2. Marine conservation biology
3. Marine management, economics, policy and law
4. Communications
5. Quantitative data analysis
6. Field biology

Under the supervision of a coordinating committee, each degree candidate will choose elective coursework within all of these areas to best suit their specific postgraduate career objectives. In addition, each student will conduct an in depth capstone study or internship involving analysis of available data and produce an original synthesis paper based on a committee-approved, consequential topic in marine conservation and policy.  

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.   Designed for one year of full time study, the program could also be completed one semester at a time over a longer period. This program is not designed for part time students who may only be able to enroll in night classes.

Requirements

Course Offerings

Who Should Apply

Students with a B.A. or B.S. in a natural science field, economics, mathematics or journalism are encouraged to apply. Students could be admitted with degrees in any field provided they have the qualifications listed below.

Qualifications for Admission

• Minimum 3.00 G.P.A. in undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate coursework
• One semester of college level biology, and three additional semester courses in college level math or science
• The general Graduate Record Exam (GRE).

Admission Application Deadlines

Application review will begin in early February. Students will be accepted on a space available basis until the class is filled

To Apply

1. Fill out the online application to the Stony Brook University Graduate School. In your personal staement, please state why you are interested in the degree and indicate your career goals.
2. Identify 3 people to provide letters of reference, and make sure they submit them when prompted by Apply Yourself.
3. Have ETS send Stony Brook University your official Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores (Stony Brook's code for score reporting is 2548).
4. Arrange to have one official transcript mailed to:
   
   Christina Fink
   Educational Programs Office
   Endeavour Hall, Room 107
   School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences
   Stony Brook University
   Stony Brook, NY 11794-5000
   fax: 631-632-2677
   e-mail: Carol.Dovi@stonybrook.edu

* Note: Item 4 applies to all transcripts other than Stony Brook University transcripts. SBU transcripts do not need to be mailed in.

For more information, contact: