The Master of Maritime Business Administration and Logistics is a professional graduate management degree offered on the Galveston Campus that helps the student develop an integrated understanding of the centrality of ports and interconnected transportation systems to the international and domestic commerce of the United States and to the general global trading system. Coursework in international trade, economics, finance, marketing, management, logistics, port and shipping management will prepare graduates for senior management positions in a wide variety of industries associated with logistics and, most specifically, waterborne commerce. The program's ultimate goal is to prepare professionals to develop and support the Blue Economy. For more information on the TAMUG Strategic Plan, please visit the Galveston Campus Strategic Plan webpage.

Southeast Texas, from the Louisiana border to Freeport, contains the important ports of Beaumont-Port Arthur, Galveston, Houston, and Freeport, an important segment of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway (GIWW), and a significant portion of the oil refining capacity of the United States. This maritime complex contains a rich diversity of cargo handling facilities that connect to the main east-west and north-south rail and road arteries of the nation. Port activity in the region is steadily expanding as world trade and the general globalization of business increases. The opening of the new locks of the Panama Canal has dramatically increased regional port and logistics activity and the associated need for professionals with advanced degrees. Additionally, increased energy exploration and recovery activities in the Gulf of Mexico are expected to stimulate 2-3 trillion dollars of economic investment in the coastal zone of Texas in the next few decades. This investment will sustain continued economic growth for the foreseeable future. The combination of these two circumstances—the general increase in world trade and the expanding energy industry in the Gulf of Mexico—will provide exciting and challenging opportunities throughout the energy, maritime, and all other transportation industries.

The graduate program in Maritime Business Administration and Logistics will attract dynamic and forward-looking students who understand the implications of expanding regional and international trade. Some students will want to complete the thesis option, which requires the preparation of a graduate thesis involving original research. This is strongly recommended for students who intend to continue their education at the doctoral level. The non-thesis option does not preclude future work toward a doctorate but is most appropriate for students who see this graduate program as their final professional degree. Thesis students will be supervised by a graduate advisory committee that is responsible for the development of their final degree plan.  

Graduate programs in business typically are delivered by both full-time and part-time/adjunct faculty who are active researchers and practitioners in their fields. Proximity to the Houston-Galveston port complex allows ready access to extremely well qualified faculty, to research opportunities, and to challenging and exciting professional career opportunities following graduation. The website for the Department of Maritime Business Administration provides biographical summaries of all faculty who teach in this program and their research interests.

This program is also approved for delivery via asynchronous distance education technology.

Program Requirements

• Student's Advisory Committee
• Degree Plan
• Credit Requirement
• Transfer of Credit
• Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension and Certain Other Courses
• Thesis Option
  • Thesis Proposal
  • Final Examination/Thesis Defense
• Non-Thesis Option

Student’s Advisory Committee

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

For Non-Thesis Students: All MBAA non-thesis students’ advisory committees will consist of the departmental graduate advisor for the MBAA program or the department head for the Maritime Business Administration department. The departmental graduate advisor or the department head has the responsibility of approving the proposed degree plan for all non-thesis MBAA students.

For Thesis Students: After receiving admission to graduate studies and enrolling for coursework, the student will consult with the head of his or her major or administrative department concerning appointment of the chair of his or her advisory committee. The student’s advisory committee for the master’s degree will consist of no fewer than three members of the graduate faculty, representative of the student’s fields of study and research. The chair or the co-chair of the advisory committee must be from the student’s major department (or intercollegiate faculty, if applicable), and at least one or more of the members must have an appointment to a department other than the student’s major department.

The chair, in consultation with the student, will select the remainder of the advisory committee. The student will interview each prospective committee member to determine whether he or she is willing to serve. Only graduate faculty members located on Texas A&M University campuses may serve as chair of a student’s advisory committee. Other graduate faculty members located off campus may serve as a member or co-chair (but not chair) with a member as the chair. The chair of the committee, who usually has immediate supervision of the student’s research and thesis, has the responsibility for calling required meetings of the committee and for calling meetings at any other time considered desirable.

If the chair of a student’s advisory committee voluntarily leaves the University and the student is near completion of the degree and wants the chair to continue to serve in this role, the student is responsible for securing a current member of the University Graduate Faculty, from the student’s academic program and located near the Texas A&M University campus site, to serve as the co-chair of the committee. The Department Head may request in writing to the Associate Provost and Dean of the Graduate and Professional School that a faculty member who is on an approved leave of absence or has voluntarily separated from the university, be allowed to continue to serve in the role of chair of a student’s advisory committee without a co-chair for us to one year. The students should be near completion of the degree. Extensions beyond the one year period can be granted with additional approval of the Dean.

If the chair of the student’s advisory committee is unavailable for an extended time in any academic period during which the student is involved in activities relating to an internship, thesis or professional paper, and is registered for courses such as 684, 691, 692, or 693, the student may request, in writing, that the department head appoint an alternate advisory committee chair during the interim period.

The duties of the committee include responsibility for the proposed degree plan, the research proposal, the thesis and the final examination. In addition, the committee as a group and as individual members are responsible for advising the student on academic matters, and, in the case of academic deficiency, initiating recommendations to the Graduate and Professional School.

The committee members’ approval on the degree plan indicate their willingness to accept the responsibility for guiding and directing the entire academic program of the student and for initiating all academic actions concerning the student. Although individual committee members may be replaced by petition for valid reasons, a committee cannot resign en masse.

Degree Plan

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Each graduate student must submit an official degree plan to the Graduate and Professional School for approval. The degree plan formally declares degree objectives, the membership of the advisory committee, and the specific courses  required to complete as part of the degree program. Students will develop their proposed degree plan in consultation with their designated advisory committee. The Head of the Department of Maritime Business Administration must approve all degree plans. Completed degree plans must be submitted to Graduate and Professional School according to the following regulation with the student meeting which ever of these deadlines falls earliest:

• Following the deadline imposed by the student’s college or interdisciplinary degree program.
• No later than 90 days prior to the date of the final oral examination or thesis defense – thesis students only.
• According to deadlines published in the Graduate and Professional Council calendar each semester for graduation that semester. The calendar may be found at https://grad.tamu.edu/.

Specific rules and limitations on coursework and committee membership can be found in the Texas A&M University Graduate and Professional Catalog. Once a degree plan is approved by the Graduate and Professional School, changes in coursework or committee membership may be requested by petition to the Graduate and Professional School. Changes of major, degree or department must be requested by submitting a petition and/or a new degree plan/coursework petition. Additional flexibility to replace required courses with courses targeted to their area of research is available to thesis option students upon recommendation and approval by their committee and the department head.

Credit Requirement

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

A minimum of 36 semester credit hours of approved courses and research hours are required for Thesis Option (Research Track) MBAA students. A minimum of 36 semester credit hours of approved coursework is required for the Non-Thesis Option (Professional Track) MBAA students.

The 36-hour Thesis Option (Research Track) curriculum is structured with 21 hours of required courses and 15 hours of electives. Students may use up to 6 hours of their elective coursework as MARA 691 research hours. Students should consult with the Graduate Advisor or their advisory committee regarding required and elective coursework.

The 36-hour Non-Thesis Option (Professional Track) curriculum is structured with 21 hours of required courses and 15 hours of elective coursework. Students should consult with the Graduate Advisor or their advisory committee regarding required and elective coursework. 

Transfer of Credit

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Students may transfer a maximum of 12 hours of courses or one-third of the total hours of the degree plan, whichever number is greater, from an approved institution upon the advice of their advisory committee. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution or approved international institution with a final grade of B or better might be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the student was in degree-seeking status at Texas A&M University at Galveston or at the institution at which the courses were taken, and if the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for students in degree-seeking status at the host institution.

Coursework in which no formal grades are given or in which grades other than letter grades (A, B, C, etc.) are given (for example, CR, P, S, U, H, etc.) is not accepted for transfer credit. Courses appearing on the degree plan with grades of D, F or U may not be absolved by transfer work. Credit for thesis research or the equivalent is not transferable. Credit for coursework submitted for transfer from any college or university must be shown in semester credit hours or equated to semester credit hours. Students must have an official transcript sent directly from the university in which the transfer coursework was taken to the Texas A&M at Galveston Office of Admissions and Records. Courses completed at other institutions are not included in computing the GPA.

Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension and Certain Other Courses

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

If otherwise acceptable, certain courses may be used toward meeting credit-hour requirements for the master’s degree under the following limitations.

1. The total of any combination of A and B below may not exceed the greater of either 12 hours or one third (1/3) of the total hours on the degree plan. The following restrictions apply:
   1. Courses taken in residence at an accredited U.S. institution, or approved international institution with a final grade of B or greater, will be considered for transfer credit if, at the time the courses were completed, the student was in degree-seeking status at Texas A&M University, or the student was in degree-seeking status at the institution at which the courses were taken; and if the courses would be accepted for credit toward a similar degree for students in degree-seeking status at the host institution. Courses previously used for another degree are not acceptable for degree plan credit.
   2. A maximum of 12 credit hours of 489 and/or 689 (Special Topics).
2. A maximum of 8 hours of 691 (Research), 4 hours of 684 (Professional Internship), or 9 hours of 485 and/or 685 (Directed Studies), and up to 3 hours of 690 (Theory of Research) or 695 (Frontiers in Research). Any combination of 684, 685, 690, 691 and 695 may not exceed one-fourth (1/4) of the total credit hour requirement shown on the individual degree plan.
3. A zero credit 684 or 685 course is only allowed for non-thesis option master's students. A zero credit 681 course can be used for either thesis or non-thesis option master’s students. Other courses, including 691 (Research) hours, are not eligible for zero credit.
4. A maximum of 2 hours of 481/681 (Seminar).
5. A maximum of 9 hours of advanced undergraduate courses (300- or 400-level).
6. No credit may be obtained by correspondence study. (Courses in the student’s degree plan which may be delivered in whole or in part by electronic means are not considered “correspondence study.”)
7. For graduate courses of three weeks’ duration or less, up to 1 hour of credit may be obtained for each five-day week of coursework. Each week of coursework must include at least 15 contact hours.
8. Extension courses are not acceptable for credit.
9. For non-distance degree programs, no more than 50 percent of the non-research coursework required for the program may be completed through distance education courses.
10. To receive a graduate degree from Texas A&M University, students must earn one-third or more of the credits through the institution’s own direct instruction. This limitation also applies to joint degree programs. 

Exceptions will only be permitted in unusual cases and when petitioned by the student’s advisory committee and approved by the Graduate and Professional School.

Thesis Option

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

The thesis option is designed to allow the student to demonstrate research capabilities through developing an independent and thorough investigation of a particular problem of interest. This would also prepare the student for further graduate studies. An acceptable thesis is required for the Master of Science degree for a student who selects the thesis option program. The finished work must reflect a comprehensive understanding of the pertinent literature and express in clear English, the problem(s) for study, the method, significance and results of the student’s original research. Thesis formatting must be acceptable to the Graduate and Professional School as outlined in the Guidelines for Theses, Dissertations, and Records of Study.

After successful defense (or exemption) and approval by the student’s advisory committee and the head of the student’s major department (or chair of intercollegiate faculty, if appropriate), the student must submit the thesis in electronic format as a single PDF file to https://etd.tamu.edu/. Additionally, a thesis approval form with original signatures must be received by the Graduate and Professional School through the Academic Requirements Completion System (ARCS). Both the PDF file and the completed approval form must be received by the deadline.

Deadline dates for submitting the thesis are announced each semester or summer term in the “Graduate and Professional School Calendar” (see Time Limit statement). These dates also can be accessed via the Graduate and Professional School website.

Each student who submits a manuscript for review is assessed a one-time thesis/dissertation processing fee through Student Business Services for the thesis/dissertation services provided. After commencement, theses and dissertations are digitally stored and made available through the Texas A&M Libraries.

A thesis that is deemed unacceptable by the Graduate and Professional School because of excessive corrections will be returned to the student’s department head (or chair of the intercollegiate faculty, if applicable). The manuscript must be resubmitted as a new document, and the entire review process must begin again. All original submittal deadlines must be met during the resubmittal process to graduate.

No credit hours of 684 (Professional Internship) may be used for the thesis option for the Master of Maritime Business Administration and Logistics degree. A maximum of 8 credit hours of 691 (Research) or 485 and/or 685 (Directed Studies), and up to 3 credit hours of 690 (Theory of Research) or 695 (Frontiers in Research) may be used toward the thesis option of the Master of Maritime Business Administration and Logistics degree. In addition, any combination of 685, 690, 691, and 695 may not exceed 12 credit hours.

The 36-hour thesis-option curriculum is structured with 21 hours of required courses and 15 hours of optional elective courses of which at least 6 hours are in 691 courses. Additional flexibility to replace required courses targeted to their area of research is available to thesis-option students upon recommendation and approval by their committees and the Head of the Department of Maritime Business Administration.

Thesis Proposal

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

For the thesis option, the student must prepare a thesis proposal for approval by the advisory committee and the head of the Department of Maritime Business Administration. This proposal must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School at least 15 working days prior to the submission of the request for the final examination. There are compliance issues that must be addressed if graduate students are performing research involving human subjects, animals, infectious biohazards and recombinant DNA. Students involved in these types of research should check with the Office of Research Compliance and Biosafety at (979) 458-1467 to address questions about all research compliance responsibilities. Additional information can also be obtained on the website rcb.tamu.edu.

Final Examination/Thesis Defense

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

A student must pass a final examination by dates announced each semester or summer term in the Graduate and Professional School Calendar.  To be eligible to take the final examination, a student’s GPA must be at least 3.000 for courses on the degree plan and for all courses completed at Texas A&M which are eligible to be applied to a graduate degree, and there must be no unabsolved grades of D, F or U for any course listed on the degree plan. To absolve a deficient grade, the student must repeat the course at Texas A&M University and achieve a grade of C or better. All coursework on the degree plan must have been completed with the exception of those hours for which the student is registered. For thesis-option students, an approved thesis proposal must be on file in the Graduate and Professional School according to published deadlines prior to the final examination or submission of the request for exemption from the final examination.

A request to schedule the final examination must be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School via ARCS a minimum of 10 working days in advance of the scheduled date for the examination. The Graduate and Professional School must be notified in writing of any cancellations. A student may be given only one opportunity to repeat the final examination for the master’s degree and that must be within a time period that does not extend beyond the end of the next regular semester (Summer terms are excluded).

For thesis option students, the final examination covers the thesis and all work taken on the degree plan and at the option of the committee may be written or oral or both. The final examination may not be administered before the thesis is available to all members of the student’s advisory committee in substantially final form, and all members have had adequate time to review the document. The examination is conducted by the student’s advisory committee as finally constituted. A thesis option student must be registered at the University in the semester or summer term in which the final examination is taken. Persons other than members of the graduate faculty may, with mutual consent of the candidate and the major professor, attend final examinations for advanced degrees. Upon completion of the questioning of the candidate, all visitors must excuse themselves from the proceedings. A positive vote by all members of the graduate committee with at most one dissension is required to pass a student on his or her exam. A department, or interdisciplinary degree program, may have a stricter requirement provided there is consistency within all degree programs within a department or interdisciplinary degree program.

The Report of the Final Examination Form must be submitted with original signatures of only the committee members approved by the Graduate and Professional School. Only one committee member substitution is allowed with the approval of the Graduate and Professional School. If the program requires the advisory committee to include at least one external member – with an appointment to a department other than the student’s major department – and the substitution is for the sole external member of the advisory committee, then the substitute must also be external to the student’s major department. In extenuating circumstances, with approval of the Graduate and Professional School, an exception to this requirement may be granted.

Non-Thesis Option

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

A final examination is not required for the non-thesis option.

Additional Requirements

• Residence
• Continuous Registration
• Time Limit
• Scholarship
• Application to Degree
• Licensing Program Requirements

Residence

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

No residence requirement exists; however, attention is directed to the rules regarding Limitations on the Use of Transfer, Extension and Certain Other Courses.

Continuous Registration

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Students in the thesis option of the Master of Maritime Business Administration and Logistics program who have completed all coursework on their degree plans other than 691 (Research) are required to be in continuous registration until all requirements for the degree have been completed.

See Continuous Registration Requirements.

Time Limit

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

All degree requirements for a master’s degree must be completed within a period of seven consecutive years for the degree to be granted. A course will be considered valid until seven years after the end of the semester in which it is taken. Graduate credit for coursework which is more than seven calendar years old may not be used to satisfy degree requirements.

Scholarship

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Graduate students must maintain a grade point ratio (GPA) of 3.000 (B average based on a 4.000 scale) for all courses which are listed on the degree plan and for all graded graduate and advanced undergraduate coursework (300- and 400-level) completed at Texas A&M University at College Station and/or Texas A&M University at Galveston and eligible to be applied toward a graduate degree.  If either of a student’s cumulative GPA or the GPA for courses listed on the degree plan falls below the minimum of 3.000, he or she will be considered to be scholastically deficient. If the minimum cumulative GPA is not attained in a reasonable length of time, the student may be dropped from graduate studies. The procedures for dismissal are explained in the Texas A&M University Student Rules.

Application for Degree

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

For information on applying for your degree, please visit the Graduation section.

Licensing Program Requirements

On-Campus and Distance Education Degree Programs

Course Requirements for all Texas A&M Maritime Academy Third Mate Licensing Programs

Through the Texas A&M Maritime Academy, TAMUG offers license training for Midshipmen
leading to a Third Mates' License (Unlimited Tonnage, Un limited Oceans). The curriculum for
Marine Biology - LO, Marine Sciences - LO and Marine Transportation include this training. All
graduate programs offered by TAMUG may include this license training as an option. Each degree candidate will be required to fulfill the existing university degree requirements plus all U.S. Coast Guard License Option additional requirements to complete STCW Training Record Book:

Course List

Code	Title	Semester Credit Hours
Shoreside Courses:
MART 103	Basic Safety and Lifeboatman Training	3
MART 115	Seamanship I	3
MART 201	Vessel Structure and Ship Knowledge	3
MART 202	Ship Stability and Trim	3
MART 204	Terrestrial Navigation	3
MART 208	Maritime Meteorology	3
MART 210	Integrated Navigation I: RADAR/ARPA/ECDIS	4
MART 212	Marine Dry Cargo Operations	3
MART 215	Seamanship II	3
MART 303	Celestial Navigation	3
MART 307	Global Maritime Distress Safety System	3
MART 310	Integrated Navigation II: Electronic Navigation	2
MART 313	Marine Liquid Cargo Operations	3
MART 321	Navigation Rules, International and Inland	2
MART 410	Integrated Navigation III: Bridge Watchstanding	2
MART 498	Maritime Medical Care	2
NVSC 200	Naval Science for the Merchant Marine Officer	3
Cruise Coursework:
MART 200	Deck Sea Training I: Basic Communications, Navigation and Seamanship	4
MART 300	Deck Sea Training II: Intermediate Communications, Navigation and Seamanship	4
or MART 350	or Deck Sea Training II – Commercial Internship
MART 400	Deck Sea Training III: Advanced Communications, Navigation and Seamanship	4

Courses complete a Training Record Book which includes USCG required Basic Safety Training,
Ratings Performing a Navigational Watch, First Aid Provider, and Officer in Charge of a
Navigational Watch. All STCW related courses must be completed with a C or better to meet
license standards. Furthermore, the Midshipmen are required to complete mandatory sea service, participate in the USCG approved Corps of Midshipmen License Option Program, complete a degree, and pass license examination administered by the USCG. Candidates will also have to follow all regulations set forth in 46 CFR l 1.910 and 46 CFR 310, STCW as amended, and USCG Texas A&M Maritime Academy approved Standard Operating Procedure and any other regulations required by Texas A&M Maritime Academy License Option programs.

This degree requires full participation in the Texas A&M University Maritime Academy Corps of Cadets as a qualified License Option cadet. Refer to the University catalog section for the Texas A&M Maritime Academy for detailed requirements. In addition to the academic requirements outlined here, the cadet must also complete the following requirements to receive the degree:

• Successfully complete required sea service and minimum training cruise requirements.

• Pass a comprehensive professional examination (either the Third Mate Unlimited- Oceans or Third Assistant Engineering Unlimited) administered by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG).

• Successfully complete all competencies required by the International Convention on Standards for Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW).

Note: STCW competency certifications expire 5 years after completion. If the cadet does not complete the degree within that time period, the cadet will be required to revalidate the expired competency prior to graduation.

This program prepares students for the opportunity to pursue an occupational license.  Please refer to the Notification for Students Pursuing an Occupational License in our catalog for additional information.