Prepare for one of the most important environmental careers of the future, coastal zone management. This rigorous science degree integrates physical and natural sciences together with environmental ethics, policy, and law in order to understand and mitigate the impact of sea level rise on water and land resource use and coastal zone development. You'll learn to be proficient in Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, a skill sought by government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.
The Coastal Environmental Studies major, leading to a Bachelor of Science degree, provides the skills, knowledge, and preparation for students to assess and address coastal environmental problems. The curriculum integrates principles and methodologies from physical sciences, natural sciences, and physical geography, combined with an understanding of environmental ethics, environmental policy, and environmental law. The major prepares students for entry-level employment in the public, private, or non-profit sectors concerned with assessment, abatement, or regulation of a wide range of coastal environmental problems. The major prepares students for graduate study in environmental science, marine science, geoscience, environmental planning and related fields. Coastal zones have always concentrated people and economic activities because of their natural resources and trading opportunities. Many of the world's largest cities are on seacoasts and at the mouths of the great rivers. The development of coastal zones around the world has created an array of environmental problems and water and land resource issues, further complicated by the sea level rise.