Degree
Professional Science Master in Ocean Food SystemsContact
Dr. Charles Tilburg
Academic Director
ctilburg@une.edu
Mission
The Ocean Food Systems (OFS) P.S.M. envisions a future where a diversified, innovative, and sustainable ocean food system is developed across the Maine-North Atlantic-Arctic region with the participation of all stakeholders including communities, producers, engineers, manufacturers, and consumers. Industry-academic partnerships are paramount to actualizing this vision. OFS partners have direct access to project planning, development, and implementation and are vital to setting 鈥渦p-to-the-minute鈥 relevant foci of study for OFS program cohorts.
Program Description
The Professional Master鈥檚 in Ocean Food Systems, through the School of Marine and Environmental Programs, offers post-baccalaureate training to students interested in an in-depth study of how where you will holistically examine ocean foods value chains in fisheries and aquaculture, seafood trade, and interactions with marine governance, law, management, and policy.
The 15-month program, along with coursework, will include a customized master鈥檚 project catered to each individual student. The master鈥檚 project will be designed and extensively researched by each student with the guidance of a mixed committee of faculty and industry stakeholders.
Program Goals
- Prepare students for jobs in the expanding ocean food systems industry in Maine, the United States, and around the globe
- Equip graduate students to think critically, as scientists and industry professionals, about the environmental and social impacts of ocean foods
Curricular Requirements
| Required courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAF 511 鈥 Introduction to Aquaculture Policy and Management | 3 |
| MAR 504 鈥 Transdisciplinary Research Methods in Ocean Food Systems | 3 |
| MAR 515 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Seminar | 3 |
| MAR 533 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Research Seminar | 3 |
| MAR 572 鈥 Ocean Food Systems in the North Atlantic I | 6 |
| MAR 573 鈥 Ocean Food Systems in the North Atlantic II | 6 |
| MAR 592 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Research: Project Work I | 3 |
| MAR 593 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Research: Project Work II or MAR 581 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Internship | 3 |
| MAR 593 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Research: Project Work II or MAR 581 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Internship | 3 |
| MAR 594 鈥 Ocean Food Systems Research: Project Work III | 3 |
| Total credits | 36 |
Graduation Requirements
Students must successfully complete all required courses with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 and successfully pursue, complete, and defend publicly an approved research thesis.
Academic and Technical Standards
Satisfactory Academic Progress
To remain in the P.S.M. in Ocean Food Systems Program: Marine Sciences program, the student's cumulative graduate GPA must be a minimum of 3.0. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 or who receives a grade below B- in any course taken for graduate credit will be placed on academic probation.
Program Completion Timeline
Students have a maximum of three years to complete the graduation requirements. After 15-months (summer, fall, spring, and summer terms), students who have completed their coursework but are still completing their projects are required to enroll in a pr