Apr 03, 2025  
Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog 
    
Fall 2025 Graduate Catalog

Marine Conservation and Policy, MA


School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)
Degree Awarded: Master of Arts in Marine Conservation and Policy
 
Dean: Paul Shepson, Endeavour Hall 145 (631) 632-8700
Graduate Program Director: Jackie Collier, Discovery Hall 145 (631) 632-8696, somas_gpd@stonybrook.edu
Faculty Director: Ellen Pikitch, Discovery Hall 169, (631) 632-9599, ellen.pikitch@stonybrook.edu
Graduate Admissions Coordinator: Christina Fink, Endeavour Hall 107, (631) 632-8680, christina.fink@stonybrook.edu
Graduate Program Coordinator: Ginny Clancy, Endeavour Hall 105 (631) 632-8681, ginny.clancy@stonybrook.edu
 

The Graduate Program in Marine Conservation and Policy at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences provides students with an understanding of contemporary marine conservation and policy issues and helps them develop the necessary skills to apply this knowledge in marine conservation positions that require advanced training and a broad skill-set, but are not research-based. Graduates of this program should be able to compete effectively for positions in government, environmental consultancy, and non-governmental organizations, and to apply marine conservation and policy knowledge in other fields such as law, teaching, communications, or business.

This program is designed to be completed in 12 months of full-time study, and requires a minimum of 30 credits of coursework, although due to the elective nature of the curriculum, many students will complete additional credits for their degree. Students wishing to complete a more comprehensive capstone project or internship, or also complete an Advanced Graduate Certificate in Science Communication  or Geospatial Science  may elect to stay on for a third semester.  The program can also be completed part-time but is not designed for students who may only be able to enroll in night classes.

Career Pathways

Admission Requirements


Application Website

All students must meet the general requirements of the Graduate School which include:

A. Completion of a B.A. or B.S. with a cumulative grade point average of at least 3.0 (B);
B. Acceptable scores on the TOEFL (paper: 600, computer: 230, iBT: 90) or IELTS (6.5) for foreign students;
C. Three letters of recommendation;
D. Official transcript(s);

All applications should be submitted electronically through the Graduate School.

For admissions to the MCP M.A. Program, students must have:

  1. A minimum 3.0 GPA in undergraduate and (if applicable) graduate coursework.
  2. One semester of college level biology
  3. Three additional semester courses in college-level mathematics or science.

The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is not required for admission to the MCP M.A. program.

For their personal statement, all students should state why they want to earn a Master of Arts in Marine Conservation and Policy at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. How would their time in the program help to get them from their previous experiences to where they hope to be in 5 years? Applicants should describe how any prior experiences (such as internships, advocacy, education [their own and/or teaching others], and research has prepared them for graduate school or their intended career path. Additionally, discuss other life experiences that have prepared them for graduate work by building transferable skills (such as writing, project management, web design, social media, budgeting, work ethic, ability to work in a team, ability to work independently, etc.). Applicants should describe what about the field of Marine Conservation and Policy most interests them and what area in this broad field they would like to focus on during their graduate studies.   The MCP M.A. program embraces and supports diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI); students should describe if and how their experiences and goals are connected to DEI. Personal statements should be no more than 2 pages in length.

Degree Requirements


Credits Required: 30

GPA Requirement: 3.0

Electives


Marine Science Electives (2 courses)


One course must be in a basic biological field (listed below). The second course can be any other MAR graduate level course (MAR 500-699).

Biological Field Electives

Conservation Electives (2 courses)