Do you want a career that combines your love of the coast with your passion for marine sciences?

Remember the first time you visited a beach and your excitement over all the interesting things you encountered? Realize your childhood dreams through the Coastal Studies major at the University of Connecticut. It is the major for students who care about the coastal environment.

Our courses will challenge and excite you.

Our unique Coastal Studies curriculum integrates marine science courses and social science classes. You will combine studies in policy, law, economics and resource management with field and lab work in biology, chemistry, geology and physics to give you solid, practical educational experiences. In one semester alone, you could explore the circulation in an estuary, dissect an oyster, take a sediment sample on board the R/V Connecticut and examine federal coastal regulations with a local conservation officer.

You will be exposed to a rich learning environment.

The University of Connecticut's Avery Point campus and the Department of Marine Sciences will offer you many opportunities for hands-on learning. You will study the surrounding coast and take samples from nearby waters, sometimes on our research vessel, the RV Connecticut. In our laboratory facilities you will examine your samples with state-of-the-art instrumentation. You will discover the coast both in and outside of the classroom.

Coastal Studies is a personal experience.

Our faculty and staff will personalize your educational experience through elective courses, internships, undergraduate research opportunities, study abroad and certificate programs. Depending on your interests and goals, you may undertake a research project with a faculty member, receive a certificate in small boat handling, explore advanced chemistry or microbiology courses, or obtain a minor degree in Marine Biology.

Our program has the feel of a small community with the support of a large university.

Our classes are small and often team taught. You will work closely with faculty, know all your classmate's names, and become a member of a close-knit community dedicated to teaching and learning. In addition, as a member of the University of Connecticut community, you will have access to resources only a top-notch public university can offer.

Turn your passion into your life's work.

Develop the knowledge you need for a challenging career keeping our coasts and oceans beautiful, productive, and safe. Coastal Studies graduates are prepared for careers in resource management, environmental and marine science education, conservation, regulation, business, law and graduate study in the sciences, including marine biology and oceanography.

Make Coastal Studies at the University of Connecticut a part of your future.

Our program offers both Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts degrees. To receive more information on this major, E-mail us at coastal@uconn.edu.