The demand for science and policy expertise is ever more pressing with the increasing effects of climate change on marine ecosystems. To meet this need, and in recognition that effective marine policy requires a working knowledge of both natural and social sciences, CFOS and the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS) School of Arts and Sciences now offer a Master of Marine Policy (MMP) degree.

The MMP program will commence in fall 2022 and is designed to complement existing University of Alaska  graduate programs. Foundational requirements include marine policy, an internship, and courses drawn from four core areas: living marine resources and their management, analytic methods, law and policy, and economics, development, and sustainability.

The wide selection of courses that fill the core requirements draw from UAF and UAS programs in Alaska Native studies, anthropology, arctic and northern studies, biology, cross-cultural studies, economics, fisheries, geography, marine biology, natural resource management, political science, public administration, rural development, and statistics. 

MMP graduates will be well positioned to compete for marine resource management–focused positions in state and federal management agencies, tribal organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and private industry in Alaska, the nation, and across the world.

While the MMP is a joint program, admissions are through the UAF graduate school. For more information, please contact Keith R. Criddle, Ted Stevens Distinguished Professor of Marine Policy, at Keith.Criddle@alaska.edu.

Unloading a salmon seine at Metlakatla. Photo by Tazia Wagner.