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Master of Marine & Environmental Science

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College of Science & Mathematics
Department of Biological Sciences
Master of Marine & Environmental Science

The Master of Marine and Environmental Science (MMES) degrees provide students with the training and skills necessary for planning, conducting, and evaluating research in marine and environmental science. Additionally, students explore how to utilize research to manage natural resources, with a particular focus on the issues and challenges related to natural resource management in the Caribbean region. The program draws upon the expertise of faculty within several units of the University of the Virgin Islands (UVI), in particular the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies and the College of Science and Mathematics. Further, it is a bridge between academia and natural resource management sectors within the US Virgin Islands, the greater Caribbean, and beyond.

Two MMES degrees are offered: Master of Science and Professional Science Master 

 


More about MMES

Graduates of the program are prepared for a wide array of careers in academic, government, non-profit, and private sectors.

What students can expect

Academics, research, opportunity

The MMES Program offers two degrees: a thesis-focused Master of Science (MS) and a non-thesis, experience-focused Professional Science Master (PSM). All MMES students attend core courses on UVI's Orville E. Kean campus on St. Thomas during their first year. The core courses  provide broad theoretical and practical background and tools for effectively conducting scientific research, managing natural resources, and communicating the results of research and management decisions to various audiences. MMES students also work with their advisor and committee to develop their thesis research or professional internship proposal during their first year. Students spend their second year conducting their thesis research or professional internship and taking elective courses (selected examples listed under "Graduation Requirements"). 


Short-term research and internship projects are open to MS and PSM students throughout their academic program. Please see the "Research Areas and Faculty" below for research in which our students and faculty are active. The internship partners tab lists examples of student projects and organizations and agencies currently sponsoring MMES interns. Past internships have included work with The Nature Conservancy, the Virgin Islands Marine Advisory Service, Coral World, and the Virgin Islands Department of Planning and Natural Resources. 

 

 

 

 

 

 For More Information Contact:

Dean Sandra Romano, Ph.D.
Program Director Marianne Moore, PhD. 
Program Coordinator Sophia McKenzie

 

 
Interested in pursuing a graduate degree in marine or environmental science? Watch to learn more about the exciting opportunities in the MMES program.