Courses

All students will take the following courses. Course Evaluation is based on overall course participation, short papers, section quizzes, and a final project.

Field Methods in Marine Systems

This is the methods portion of the program including field techniques, quantitative methods, and a scientific writing seminar. The student requirements will be a short paper, four section quizzes and a final exam.

Island and Reef Ecosystems

This course will introduce the students to island ecosystems from both applied and theoretical viewpoints. The course will run in the Andaman Islands. The topics covered will include island fauna, island flora, reef ecosystems, and a ridge to reef view of these complex biotas.

Upland Process and Estuaries

This course will introduce students to estuaries and upland processes. About 50% of the course will be at field sites with the discussion and activities intended to give a very close view of the processes, ecology, and issues in coastal watersheds and estuaries.

Introduction to Geographical Information Systems in Marine Systems

This course will take students through field and lab based exercises which will give them the opportunity to work with a variety of tools.

Students will gain a solid understanding of the ArcGIS software platform as it is applied though the Arc Marine GIS data model.  They will also acquire significant field data collection skills including handheld GPS, site level, orienteering, and introductory surveying.

You will also choose one course from the following two options:

Art as Sustainable Development

Pottery, Beadwork, Leatherwork, and Sculpture. The arts of coastal India include pottery, beadwork, stonework, leatherwork, and jewelry. This course will provide the opportunity to work with the artists who train local people and produce these works for sale. You will also visit the production factories and cottage industries where these products are produced for market. Students wishing to further their study in any of these fields may negotiate more time in the studios.

Culture, Class and Gender

This course will cover issues of gender and other disadvantaged groups in coastal management. Fishing village areas are often composed of people who are ethnically, religiously, or class wise distinct from upland populations. Women furthermore also have culturally distinct roles in the resource harvesting, production, and processing of natural resources.

Optional Research Project Extension

For an additional fee, you can extend your stay beyond the regular semester for three weeks longer and continue to work on a research project with the center.  If you wish to count your project for academic credit, you must file a request to do this and write up your results in a final project paper.