Department of Maritime Business Administration
The Maritime Business Administration Department seeks to create the next generation of leaders in maritime commerce and industry. Our expert professors bring years of industry and educational experience to the classroom in order to facilitate relevant and in-depth learning. Due to the close proximity to Galveston Bay, the ports of Houston and Galveston, and the Gulf of Mexico, students are well-positioned for a thorough and exciting educational experience. Graduates are prepared to embark on a successful career in a continuously growing field. For more information on the Department of Maritime Business Administration, please visit http://www.tamug.edu/mara.
Maritime Administration
MARA 604 Marine Natural Resource Economics
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Critical evaluation of policies and procedures in the development and use of natural resources relevant to marine and maritime markets; identification of problems in resource exploration, development, and transportation; the political /economic decision-making processes; analytical tools used to make economic decisions in resource markets. Prerequisite: Graduate status or special approval.
MARA 610 Maritime Strategic Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the strategic management process, with an emphasis on the maritime industry in the domestic and international context; formulation of strategy in the context of environmental opportunities and threats, how to analyze industry competition, and how to implement strategies and build competitive advantage; selection of a company engaged in domestic or international waterborne commerce and analyze the strategic planning processes of the firm using the standard techniques such as SWOT analysis, the Five Forces model and the Value Chain analysis. Prerequisites: Approval of instructor, graduate classification or special approval.
MARA 612 Strategic Human Resource Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Leveraging the competitive value of human capital in organizations; exploration of current issues and practices associated with workforce management, legal and regulatory elements of managing employees, staffing, job analysis, performance management, discipline, compensation systems, benefits and termination; practical perspective methods of measuring the financial implications of human resource practices. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of department head.
MARA 616 Management of Port Facilities and Infrastructure
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Problems associated with the management of buildings, piers, bulkheads and associated structures and connecting waterways focusing on corrosion, adverse affects of climate, tide and current affects, dredging cycles and related facilities access issues associated with structures in the coastal zone. Particular attention is paid to the requirements of state and federal agencies regarding equipment and facilities used in the safe loading, discharge, and storage of cargoes, including hazardous materials. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 623 Maritime Economics Theory and Applications
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
The role of domestic and international shipping in the American economy; discussion of the economic characteristics of waterborne transportation, including the nature of transport demand and cost functions; economic dimension of transport service; transport market structures; and transport pricing theory and practice; emphasis on managerial implications of transport economic principles for domestic and international shipping. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 624 Port Development and Intermodal Freight
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Survey of economic and operational characteristics of intermodal transportation, rail, trucking, air, shipping, and pipelines; emphasis on the interface of surface transportation with the maritime industry; pricing strategies, cost structures, and regulatory issues. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 625 Maritime Law and Policy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Advanced topics in the maritime law and policy areas, national and international contexts; analytical and writing abilities as per practice in the maritime law; extensive use of web-based research methods within the maritime law context. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 627 Marketing of Maritime Services
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Marketing planning and analysis applicable to service firm; assessment of customer needs; quality control; competitive strategies; applications of marketing principles and practices to the maritime industry. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 636 Maritime Managerial Decision Making
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Construction of mathematical models of business environments; linear programming techniques; planning, analysis and control of operations in complex organizations through mathematical techniques. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 640 Global Logistics
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Transportation and logistic activities of multinational firms with an emphasis on transportation, customer service, inventory control facility location, global sourcing, customs documentation, and the role of government in importing and exporting. Attention is given to current events and their effects on the marketing and logistics activities of U.S. based organizations. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 641 Maritime Financial Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Management of the corporation's sources and uses of funds with emphasis on risk and return, investment valuation, the selection of risky investment projects, capital structure, dividend policy, and methods of raising long-term capital; applications to the maritime industry are made where appropriate. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 645 Maritime Cybersecurity
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Basic terminology, concepts, technology, and trends of cybersecurity; foundations of cybersecurity to include cryptography, public key infrastructure, standards and protocols, physical security, network fundamentals; workings of systems, networks, infrastructure; legal and ethical issues in cybersecurity. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 647 Law and Policy in Cybersecurity
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Law and policy issues related to cybersecurity including procurement, operations, maintenance, governance, oversight, protection, defense; analyze law, policies, and regulations domestically and globally. Prerequisite: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: CSCE 702 and CYBR 602.
MARA 650 Supply Chain Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Contemporary distribution logistics and integrated supply chain management; emphasis on customer service, transportation modes, inventory policies, warehousing, order processing and optimizing the logistics gross margin. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 652 Marine Transportation System Design and Policy
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Interaction between shipping policy and design of marine transportation and port systems; effects of market structure on economics and finance; port performance and performance measures. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 655 Cybersecurity Risk
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Risks in cybersecurity; avoidance, acceptance, mitigation or transference strategies; developing reliable cybersecurity risk assessments to include analysis, categorization and evaluation; cybersecurity risk audit frameworks. Prerequisites: Graduate classification. Cross Listing: CSCE 703 and CYBR 603.
MARA 658 Port Design, Planning and Security
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Ground-level issues, tasks, and responsibilities that must be managed by the security manager in concert with the port director and federal and local law enforcement agencies; multiuse port facilities for recreation, hospitality, and external business and commercial interests; design of marine structures for the berthing, mooring, and repair of vessels. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 660 Risk Assessment and Marine Insurance
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Theory, techniques, participants and background of risk assessment and management with emphasis given to contemporary issues in marine insurance law; marine liability coverage, cause of loss, additional perils, exclusions, warranties, duration of risk, adjustment clauses, operating clauses, civil commotions, war insurance, and project risk management techniques. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 664 Maritime Production, Operations and Logistics Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Types of decisions to be made at varying levels and where appropriate; quantitative models and techniques that can be used in decision making areas of the firm; analysis of how the operations function fits in with other functional areas of the firm; interrelationships with firms' strategies. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 665 Maritime Business Analytics
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Deep understanding of the nature of big data and business analytics; practical toolkit applicable to the Maritime and Logistics field on how to perform big data analysis; ways to generate business value from in-house and open big data sets for the purpose of increasing competitiveness in the global marketplace; provision of evidence to sustain managerial claims, applying an analytical process that covers all activities from problem formulation to result communication and reflecting on and managing potential pitfalls. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 670 Coastal and Inland Waterways Transportation
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Policy, strategy and management, port and terminal development, competition with other modes of transportation, manpower, rates, environmental concerns, the impact of waterway systems on regional economies and national economic development; commercial aspects of the inland waterways with emphasis on operations, freight rate structures and applied cash flow methods. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor, graduate status or special approval.
MARA 672 Global Maritime Trading System
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Introduction to the theory of international waterborne trade; provides a basis for examining American foreign trade policy, and regional and world trade institutions such as the WTO, ASEAN, the EU, GATT, and NAFTA; includes international trade theory and policy, open-economy macroeconomic policy, tariffs, non-tariff barriers and enhancements, multinational enterprises and foreign direct investment, global competition and integration. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 673 International Maritime Industry Graduate Management Experience
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Lecture Hours.
Combines clasroom and graduate research work with international travel and provides the student direct contact with maritime industry managers. The trip emphasizes cultural and historical aspects of the maritime industry outside of the United States providing a better understanding of differing management styles, business practices, and regulatory focus. Prerequisite: Graduate status.
MARA 675 Leadership in the Maritime Industry
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Focus on theory and real world practice of leadership; recognize components of leadership, management and labor; the basis of leadership authority, values and styles as applied to organizational vision, mission and life cycle; assess own leadership traits in preparation of entering work force. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
MARA 678 Service Operations Management
Credits 3.
3 Lecture Hours.
Case-study on the management of service operations; an overview of the role of services in the economy, the experience-oriented and service-dominant logic in the pure service sector, and the extension of service functioning of manufacturing, government, and not-for-profits. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of department head.
MARA 684 Professional Internship
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
On the job training in the field of maritime administration and logistics. Prerequisites: Graduate classification; approval of department head.
MARA 685 Directed Studies
Credits 1 to 6.
1 to 6 Lecture Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of Maritime Administration and Logistics not covered in another course curriculum. Prerequisite: Approval of instructor.
MARA 689 Special Topics in...
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Selected topics in an identified area of Maritime Business Administration. May be repeated for credit. Prerequisites: Graduate classification and approval of instructor.
MARA 690 Maritime Interdisciplinary Studies - Business, Law and Policy
Credits 2.
2 Lecture Hours.
Emphasis on cultural, economic, political, social and historical aspects of the maritime industry; coverage of different management styles, business practices and regulatory focus. Prerequisites: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
MARA 691 Research
Credits 1 to 4.
1 to 4 Other Hours.
Research methodologies and practices applicable to Maritime Business; for thesis or dissertation. Prerequisite: Graduate classification or approval of instructor.
Afenyo, Mawuli, Assistant Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 2017
Baker, Robert K, Assistant Professor of the Practice
Maritime Business Administration
MBA, University of Houston, 1983
Bomer Galvao, Cassia, Associate Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, Pontificia Universidade Catolica, 2017
Caesar, Divine, Assistant Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, University of Tasmania, 2016
Fertitta, Kelli, Instructional Assistant Professor
Maritime Business Administration
JD, South Texas College of Law, 2013
Hammady Brho, Mazen, Assistant Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, University of North Texas, 2018
Jazayrli, Amer, Assistant Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, KTH Royal Institute of Technoloy, 2020
Morrison, Robert, Professor of the Practice
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, 2015
PHD, Indiana State University, 2008
Mykoniatis, Nikolaos, Instructional Associate Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, The Pennsylvania State University, 2013
Nwabueze, Uchenna M, Instructional Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, Sheffield Hallam University, City Campus, 1995
Rodrigue, Jean-Paul, Professor
Maritime Business Administration
PHD, Université de Montréal, 1994