Chaminade University of Honolulu

College of Arts & Sciences

Marine & Oceanic Sustainability Program

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Marine & Oceanic Sustainability (Major)

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

College
College of Arts & Sciences

Degree Type
Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Program Type
Major

Program Delivery
On Campus

Time to Completion
4 Years

Our oceans sustain communities, economies, cultures, and ecosystems—but protecting them takes more than understanding marine science. It requires people who can bring together environmental, economic, social, and cultural perspectives to create thoughtful solutions.

Chaminade’s Marine and Oceanic Sustainability program prepares you to understand the complex relationship between people and the ocean while exploring marine conservation, sustainability, policy, resource management, economics, and culture.

Located in Hawaiʻi, you’ll study marine issues in a place where the ocean is deeply connected to everyday life, culture, and community. Build the critical thinking and problem-solving skills to pursue careers in industries like:

  • Ecotourism
  • Coastal recreation/ocean events management
  • Marine aquaculture
  • Fisheries science
  • Ocean and coastal education and outreach
  • Ocean and coast research
  • Ocean renewable energy
  • Marine archaeology
  • Marine history
  • Ocean policy
  • Marine ecosystem and natural resource management
  • Coral reef restoration
  • Ocean culture studies
  • Marine heritage management
  • Ocean-related media and the arts
  • Journalism

Upon completion of the undergraduate B.A. program in Marine and Oceanic Sustainability, students will be able to:

  1. Compare and articulate the historic, cultural and sociological importance of the global oceans to diverse societies
  2. Explore and evaluate the global governmental and indigenous marine policies that affect the long-term sustainability of marine resources, economic stability and ocean health
  3. Apply environmental justice perspectives to ecological and social dilemmas, especially those affecting coastal communities
  4. Analyze factors affecting ocean health and describe threats to marine ecosystems
  5. Integrate knowledge from science, culture, economics and ethics that contribute to ocean sustainability
  6. Evaluate critically and effectively communicate sustainability issues across academic, public, and cultural contexts
  7. Define, describe and execute the role of faith, vocation, and/or hope in shaping environmental responsibility.

In addition to the general education requirements, these are the pre-major and major requirements below:

Pre-Major Requirements

  • BI 100 First Year Science Seminar: Science
  • BI 106 Science, Careers and Society
  • BI 214/L Diversity of Life I: Life on Earth & Lab
  • ENV 100 Introduction to Environmental Issues
  • ENV 115/L Marine Environmental Science & Lab
  • ENV 201/L Conservation Biology & Ecology & Lab
  • DS 100 Introduction to Technology Past, Present and Future
  • AN 200 Cultural Anthropology
  • CJ 223 Introduction to Law
  • ENV/SURF 204 Ocean Health and Island Cultures
  • PSY 101 General Psychology
  • BI 2XX Intro to Oceanography & Fisheries
  • MA 100 Quantitative Reasoning and Mathematical Skills, MA 103 College Algebra, MA 104 College Algebra for the Calculus Sequence OR higher-level Math

Major Requirements

  • AR 450 Integrative Arts
  • EN 307 Nature Writing
  • EN 308 Climate Fiction
  • EN 480 The Ocean in Literature and Film
  • EN 497 Hawaii: Images and Stories
  • BI 471/L Ecology & Lab
  • ENV 301 Marine Policy for Sustainability
  • ENV 320 Regenerative Tourism
  • SURF 341 Surf Studies in Hawaii
  • PSY 315 Behavioral Science Stats
  • COM 310 Intercultural Communication
  • HI 452 Pre-Mod OR HI 453 Mod Pacific Islands
  • HI 438 Globalization and Capitalism
  • RE 338 Religion, Philosophy and Social Ethics
  • DS 407 Data Science for Environmental Sciences
  • Two (2) electives
  • ENV 410 Sustainability Internship/Capstone
  • One (1) Elective Capstone
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