NSUOC Home

Online Master's Degree in Coastal Zone Management

The Oceanographic Center offers a individual courses, a 4-course certificate program, and a Master's of Science in Coastal Zone Management both in-house and by distance education (courses accessible via the world wide web or by CD-ROM). The online MS degree is designed for people "at a distance" from the Oceanographic Center, or those who wish to take advantage of the flexible delivery system. The NSU OC MS program is fully accredited and has been in existence since 1981.

The CZM degree is designed for college graduates and working professionals (national and international) who are concerned with and interested in the increasing challenge of managing the coastal regions. This includes those who already have or who are seeking careers in planning and management with

  • governmental agencies,
  • non-governmental agencies,
  • consulting companies and industries,
  • tourism,
  • teaching,
  • urban planning,
  • and a wide range of other activities that depend upon or affect the vital interface between land and sea.

Distance students may complete the degree entirely online, or take a blend of distance and on-site courses at the Oceanographic Center. CZM courses include Marine Mammal Management, Environmental GIS, Coastal Ecology, and Coastal Policy. Examples of field courses offered include Biology of Sharks (Bahamas), Ecology of the Great Barrier Reef (Australia), Taxonomy of Marine Invertebrates (Florida Keys), Tropical Marine Fish Ecology (Florida Keys), Deep-Water Ecology of the Straits of Florida (Gulf Stream), and the Ecology of the Belize Barrier Reef (Belize).

Entry requirements for the MS degree include:

  • Undergraduate degree (Biology major, Science major, or concentration in science)
  • 3 letters of recommendation
  • GRE scores; verbal and quantitative, 40% or better for acceptance with academic requirements, 55% or better for full acceptance
  • GRE analytical writing 3.5 or better for acceptance with academic requirements, 4.0 or better for full acceptance
  • Official undergraduate transcripts
  • Undergraduate GPA for the major (3.0 full acceptance or 2.75 for academic requirement), undergraduate GPA overall (2.9 full and 2.5 academic requirement).

Acceptance with academic requirements requires students to maintain a B grade or better in their first 4 courses. After maintaining a 3.0, they are switched to 'full' acceptance.

Degree completion requirements are 45 course credits, including 5 core courses (Biostatistics OCOR-5603-DE1, Coastal Ecology CZMT-0687-DE1, Introduction to Physical Oceanography OCOR-5608-DE1, Marine Chemistry OCOR-5605-DE1, and Marine Geology OCOR-5604-DE1), 8 electives, and a 6-credit capstone review paper. The capstone paper is a comprehensive review paper of a CZM relevant topic. The student has a faculty committee overseeing the process.

The student defends the paper to the Committee (and interested OC faculty and students). This involves a presentation with audio-visual material (e.g. slides, overheads). Full MS distance students have options available for the defense including:

  • Travel to the Oceanographic Center for the presentation is expected if the student lives within 150 miles.
  • Submission of a video recording of the presentation, along with copies of relevant audio-visual materials (e.g. charts, overheads). This is reviewed by the Committee and then followed up with a conference call to allow for questions and discussion.
  • A conference call with the Committee, again accompanied by relevant audio-visual materials, to allow for questions and discussion.
  • Other accommodations for the defense will be considered on an individual student-by-student basis.

Full-time distance degree students taking 2-3 courses per term can finish their degree in 18 months. In-house and distance courses are offered quarterly. Each in-house course is comprised of 12 three-hour lectures over a 3-month period.

Contact information

If you would like further information about applying for the distance MS graduate program, please contact Jane Dougan (by email: douganj at nova dot edu) , or Melissa Dore (by email: missy at nova dot edu) or telephone (954) 262-3600 Ext. 3610 (toll free 1-800-541-6682 ext. 23610).

Online MS Degree in Coastal Zone Management
Information Request Form

Use <TAB> to move between fields.

Please send me more information on the Online MS Degree in Coastal Zone Management program.

Name:

Organization:

Street Address:

City:

State:

Zipcode:

Country:

Telephone:

 

 

 

 

E-mail Address:

 

 

 

 


How did you hear about the Online MS Degree in Coastal Zone Management program?

 

 

NSUOC Distance Education Home Page