Coastal regions are home to over 130 million Americans, where coastal communities, landforms and ecosystems interact and sustain the Blue Economy. The Department of Marine and Coastal Environmental Science (MCES) is exploring how coastal systems fundamentally operate and respond to change, while developing future leaders and innovators with the skills to promote coastal resiliency, management and resource sustainability. Different degrees achieve this goal by balancing courses in basic sciences (e.g., physical, chemical and geological sciences), technical skill development (e.g., geographical information systems, data science), and applied social sciences (e.g., environmental policy and management). Faculty expertise spans the continuum of physical and social sciences, and they conduct innovative research in coastal hazards, physical oceanography, marine chemistry, community resilience and sustainability, and marine economics. During academic development, students are transitioned from learning fundamental skills to increasing their reliance on problem solving and critical thinking through both high impact laboratory and “on the water” training opportunities. Our students are therefore actively recruited by federal and state agencies, private and public environmental or energy companies, and they often go on into graduate programs to increase their earning potential.

We offer undergraduate Bachelor of Science (BS) degrees, a Master of Marine Resources Management (MARM), and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) program in Marine and Coastal Management and Science (MCMS). The BS in Marine Sciences (MARS) has a curriculum more concentrated on the physical operational processes of coastal and marine environments. The License Option Program (MARS-LO) is also available to MARS majors to obtain a third mate’s license in the Merchant Marine upon graduation. The BS in Coastal Environmental Science and Society (CESS) includes greater emphasis on social science courses (e.g., economics, management and policy). The graduate program Master of Marine Resources Management (MARM) includes both a course-based professional track or a research, thesis-based option. Undergraduate CESS students may elect to complete the combination program, whereby students can attain a BS in CESS and the MARM graduate degree in 5 years. Students enrolled in the PhD program in Marine and Coastal Management and Science (MCMS) can choose either a Physical Science or Social Science Track, depending on student academic interest. Many MCES faculty participate and advise students in diverse MS and PhD graduate degrees on the Galveston campus, such as the graduate program in Marine Biology (MARB) and programs in conjunction with departments in College Station campus such as Oceanography (OCNG) and Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning (LAUP). 

• Master of Marine Resources Management in Marine Resources Management

• Doctor of Philosophy in Marine and Coastal Management and Science

Marine Science