University Studies - BS, Tourism and Coastal Community Development Concentration

Students who are currently enrolled at Texas A&M University Galveston campus may submit proposals to enroll as University Studies majors. The University Studies degree format was created to provide students the flexibility to combine areas of study within either or both campuses that are of special interest. This flexibility may be attractive to students who have particular career paths or post-baccalaureate degree paths in mind.

Specific courses may be required for the completion of the hours in the concentrations and minors. Some concentrations and minors contain required courses that have additional prerequisites. One of the two minors must be completed in a college outside of the college that provides the concentration for the student’s degree.

Students must submit a Proposed Course Form that lists the courses for the individual degree plan the student hopes to complete to the University Studies admissions committee. The application includes a required 2-3 page essay in which the student can explain how the degree will help the student meet the desired educational and personal goals. Once it is determined that the Proposed Course Form has been completed with appropriate information, it will be reviewed by the department that offers the concentration. Students must be in good academic standing, and they must have good academic standing in previous courses that count toward the area of concentration or minors.

A University Studies major will be considered a student in the department that offers the concentration; the Tourism and Coastal Community Development concentration is housed in the Liberal Studies department. The student’s diploma will list Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science in the same place it is currently listed, and University Studies will be listed in the place the major is currently listed. The student’s area of concentration and the two minors will be indicated on the student’s transcript.

The concentration in Tourism and Coastal Community Development requires major coursework and equips students with the knowledge and skills to help coastal communities progress, while maintaining sound ecological and environmental practices. Such thinking involves an interdisciplinary approach that engenders creative and critical thinking about such issues as maritime public policy, communication, marine science, sociology, and ecology. Students graduate with the capability to guide industry and community toward a path that is both sustainable and economically beneficial. TCD career opportunities include:

  •       Ecotourism
  •       Coastal community planning and development
  •       Environmental policy and legislative affairs
  •       Sports tourism
  •       Convention and tourism offices
  •       Hospitality industry liaison
  •       Tourism sociological impact researcher
  •       Ecological economics
  •       NGOs and international social justice legal centers
  •       Congressional and legislative assistant

The student must complete a minimum coursework in residence at Texas A&M University Galveston campus.