Students in the University of California, Santa Cruz's Coastal Science and Policy Program (CSP) are early career leaders in sustainability from across the globe. The program gives students hands-on training, strengthens their networks, and helps them redeploy where they are needed most. Students in this program develop a range of skills, interdisciplinary knowledge, and pragmatic approaches to become more effective leaders at developing practical solutions to coastal sustainability challenges, from watersheds to the open ocean. Small cohorts of students hailing from California, additional U.S. states and other nations experience in-depth interaction with faculty members, professionals and practitioners. The curriculum and composition of student cohorts aim to advance justice, equity, diversity and inclusion in coastal sustainability.
The two-year Master of Science program is tailored for rising leaders to expand their networks and develop interdisciplinary solutions to challenges facing coastal communities and ecosystems. Key program features:
Year 1: Students take interdisciplinary courses and seminars in natural and social sciences, economics, policy analysis, coastal governance, leadership, innovation, and methods for designing scalable solutions to complex problems.
Year 2: Students engage with partner organizations to design and pursue individual capstone projects that build capacity and develop solutions for real problems. Projects may be based globally.
The program focuses on practical training to provide integrated, scalable solutions to social and ecological challenges under five interconnected themes that leverage UCSC’s existing leadership in coastal sustainability:
- Coastal Resilience and Climate Change
- Conserving Biodiversity and Sustaining Ecosystem Processes
- Fisheries and Aquaculture
- Coastal Policy
- Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Innovation for Coastal Solutions
Preparation for Graduate Work in Coastal Science and Policy
Students admitted to the Master of Science (M.S.) in Coastal Science and Policy Program will have completed a bachelor’s degree at a four-year university in a field relevant to coastal sustainability. Relevant fields are diverse and include the natural sciences (e.g., biology, earth sciences, chemistry, oceanography), social sciences (e.g., economics or business, human ecology, political science, sociology), interdisciplinary programs (e.g., environmental studies and sciences) and engineering. Regardless of undergraduate major and/or minors, specific additional requirements prior to admission include at least one course in writing and one course in statistics; as well as coursework in at least two of the following three areas: biological sciences, physical sciences, and the social sciences (including policy and economics). Students are not expected to have identified a faculty adviser prior to joining the program. Students from underrepresented and diverse racial, ethnic, cultural, socioeconomic, and disciplinary backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We anticipate that competitive applicants to the program will have additional experience from either post-baccalaureate professional jobs or a combination of coursework, internships, professional jobs and research, in relevant fields.