Master of Maritime Business Administration and Logistics in Maritime Business Administration and Logistics

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 management and environmental science will prepare graduates for senior management positions in a wide variety of industries associated with logistics and, most specifically, waterborne commerce.

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 which 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 have 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 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 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 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.