School of Marine & Atmospheric Sciences Program Learning Objectives

• Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences, B.S.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to obtain a fundamental knowledge of atmospheric circulation, phenomena and processes.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to develop physical and quantitative understanding of the basic physical, chemical, and dynamical processes that govern weather, air quality, and climate.

  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to enhance quantitative reasoning and computer skills necessary to analyze and display atmospheric data.

  4. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to utilize experiential learning (e.g., weather forecasting, lab research, field research, remote sensing, internships) to apply atmospheric principles learned in the classroom.
• Coastal Environmental Studies, B.S.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to assess environmental problems in terms of coastal processes, populations and ecosystems.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to evaluate solutions to anticipated issues.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to develop leadership skills directing environmental policy.
  4. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to conceptualize coastal systems.
• Environmental Design, Policy, & Planning, B.A.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to utilize applied and experiential learning to apply classroom knowledge and theoretical principles to real-world problems and situations

  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to develop an understanding of the dynamic systems nature of environmental design, policy, and planning, combining ecological, economic, and social equity perspectives.

  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to obtain working knowledge of the historical development of the fields of environmental design, policy, and planning, including key theories, events, and personnel, drawing from social sciences, design, and other fields.

• Environmental Studies, B.A.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to understand the interconnected and interdisciplinary nature of environmental studies through the use of critical thinking, problem-solving, and the methodological approaches of the social sciences, natural sciences, and humanities in environmental problem solving.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to communicate complex environmental information to both technical and non-technical audiences, demonstrating an appreciation of the ethical, cross-cultural, and historical context of environmental issues and the links between human and natural systems.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to understand and evaluate the global scale of environmental problems and ways of addressing them, including interactions across local to global scales.
• Geospatial Science, Advanced Graduate Certificate
  1. Upon completion of the degree, s students should be able to develop a working knowledge of GIS-related tools for spatial data analysis.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to design strategies for compiling spatial data and a set of analytical tools and implementing a GIS-based system for geospatial problem-solving.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to prepare a GIS project using both problem-solving and project management skills.
  4. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to present geospatial information in a clear, presentable cartographic product that addresses a geospatial issue.
• Marine, Atmospheric, & Sustainability Sciences, M.S.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to demonstrate ability to apply laboratory, theoretical, computational, or other appropriate research techniques necessary to contribute to development of knowledge in Marine, Atmospheric, or Sustainability Science.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to critically evaluate the literature in their field of specialty
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to assemble and effectively communicate, in formats appropriate for different audiences, the context, results, and implications of their own thesis research.
• Marine, Atmospheric, & Sustainability Sciences, Ph.D.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to synthesize, teach, apply, and critique the fundamental concepts, theoretical foundations, and research methodologies of their field of specialty in Marine, Atmospheric, or Sustainability Science.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to critically evaluate the scholarly work of their peers.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to formulate hypotheses and design plans for research that will advance knowledge in their field of specialty in Marine, Atmospheric, and/or Sustainability Sciences.
  4. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to produce a substantial body of tangible scholarly output valuable to researchers, practitioners, and consumers of Marine, Atmospheric, and/or Sustainability Sciences (e.g., publications, public presentations, research tools, and/or datasets).
• Marine Conservation and Policy, M.A.
  To provide an understanding of contemporary marine conservation and policy issues and to develop the necessary skills to apply this knowledge in marine conservation positions that require advanced training and a broad skill-set, but are not research-based. Students are trained for positions in government, environmental consultancy, and non-governmental organizations, and/or to apply marine conservation and policy knowledge in other fields such as law, teaching, communications or business.

  1. Experiential education
• Marine Sciences, B.S.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to explain the principal concepts of the biology of the ocean.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to comprehend the basic physics and chemistry of the world oceans.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to demonstrate mastery of particular groups of organisms and habitats.
• Marine Vertebrate Biology, B.S.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to explain the fundamental principles of basic biology.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to apply ecological principles to marine vertebrate organisms.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to to apply ecological principles to marine vertebrate organisms.
• Sustainability Studies, B.A.
  1. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to identify, understand, and explain the primary processes and interactions underlying the interdisciplinary foundation for addressing sustainability issues.
  2. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to conduct relevant hands-on inquiry and explore the economic, social, and political systems that have shaped societies and their environmental quality over time.
  3. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to comprehend and apply analytical tools to analyze and develop solutions to sustainability issues.
  4. Upon completion of the degree, students should be able to demonstrate scientific and popular science literacy and writing skills to convey ideas meaningfully.