Marine Policy Graduate Program
Combine Public Policy, Science, and Management
ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s history and reliance on marine resources has placed the state at the forefront of marine science and policy. Federal and State waters off ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ comprise nearly one-third of the U.S. total. These waters support the nation’s largest fisheries and other abundant living marine resources; hold substantial petroleum, mineral, and alternative energy resources; serve as vital global shipping routes; and are the cultural heritage of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s Native peoples. MMP courses study the impacts of marine resource use and how policies can support economic development, food security, conservation, and Indigenous rights in ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ and around the world.
The University of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ MMP program directly connects you to the agencies, industries, and Indigenous groups that direct marine resource use in ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ and beyond. You will develop expertise in marine policy through career-building internships and mentorship from field-leading faculty.
Fast and Flexible
- Earn your degree in as little as one year
- Hybrid classes: study remotely or in person
- Flexible class schedules work around your life
Who Should Apply?
The Master of Marine Policy (MMP) degree is jointly offered by UAF and UAS, with UAF as the lead institution for applications and program administration. MMP Graduates receive a diploma indicating that the degree is awarded jointly by UAF and UAS.
Graduates of this program will have the skills and knowledge necessary to conduct forward-looking analyses to predict the outcomes of management actions and retrospective analyses of actual management outcomes.
The wide range of courses that satisfy these requirements allows the curriculum to be tailored to each student’s goals. It includes foundational and capstone courses in marine policy, an internship, and breadth/depth requirements in five areas:
- Living Marine Resources
- Management of Living Marine Resources,
- Analytic Methods
- Law and Policy
- Economics, Development, and Sustainability
How to Apply
While the MMP is a joint program, admissions are through the UAF graduate school.
Contact the University of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Admissions:
uaf-admissions@alaska.edu | www.uaf.edu/admissions | PO Box 757480, Fairbanks, AK 99775 | Toll Free: 1-800-478-1823 or (907) 474-7500
For more information about the program, please contact Keith R. Criddle, Ted Stevens
Distinguished Professor of Marine Policy, at Keith.Criddle@alaska.edu
Application deadlines:
- Fall semester — June 1
- Spring semester — October 15
- Summer session — May 1
Unloading a salmon seine at Metlakatla. Photo by Tazia Wagner.
From commercial fishing, to oil in the Arctic, to wildlife management, to mariculture—these are just some of the industries you can enter with a Master of Marine Policy. Graduates have found immediate employment in the Coast Guard, ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ’s Dept. of Fish and Game, environmental consulting, oil spill response, and university positions. Graduates also continue on to law school.
Potential Careers with an MMP
- Private industry
- Indigenous organizations
- Non-governmental organizations
- State and federal management agencies
- (link to UAF page)
- Foundation course (3 credits)
- Electives to fulfill the five Core Area Requirements (12 – 17 credits)
- Electives to fulfill the Emphasis Requirement (4 – 8 credits)
- Internship with a federal, state, local, or tribal government, a marine-dependent industry, or marine focused NGO (2 – 6 credits)
- Marine Policy Capstone (3 credits)
For a comprehensive listing of courses that fulfill the core and emphasis requirements, access the drop-down menu item below.
Courses that fulfill core area and emphasis requirements
LIVING MARINE RESOURCES
Complete at least one course (3-4 credits)
BIOL S405—Invertebrate Zoology
BIOL S427—Introduction to Ichthyology
BIOL S481—Marine Ecology
FISH F427—Ichthyology
FISH F633—Pacific Salmon Life Histories
FISH F643—Fisheries Oceanography
FISH F650—Fish Ecology
MBI F410—Marine Bird Ecology and Conservation
MBI F610—Marine Biology
MBI F615—Physiology of Marine Organisms
MBI F619—Biology of Marine Mammals
MBI F652—Marine Ecosystems
MBI F667—Ecology and Physiology of Marine Macroalga
OCN F65—Biological Oceanography
OCN F681—The Ocean and Global Change
MANAGEMENT OF LIVING MARINE RESOURCES
Complete at least one course (2-3 credits)
FISH F622—Quantitative Fish Population Dynamics
FISH F641E—Ecosystem-based Fisheries Management
FISH F645—Bioeconomic Modeling and Fisheries Management
FISH F682—Field Course in Salmon Management
FISH F687—Fisheries Management
ANALYTIC METHODS
Complete at least one course (2-4 credits)
Statistics
FISH F604—Modern Applied Statistics for Fisheries
FISH F627—Statistical Computing with R
FISH F631—Data Analysis in Community Ecology
FISH F635—Data Visualization in Fisheries
NRM F435—GIS Analysis
NRM F638—GIS Programming
NRM F669—Survey Research in Human Dimensions of Natural Resources
NRM F682—Natural Resource Applications of Remote Sensing
PADM S604—Applied Research Methods
STAT S400—Statistical Computing with R
STAT F401—Regression and Analysis of Variance
STAT S401—Regression and Analysis of Variance
STAT F461—Applied Multivariate Statistics
STAT F605—Spatial Statistics
STAT F611—Time Series
STAT F621—Nonparametric Statistics
STAT F631—Categorical Data Analysis
Modeling
FISH F645—Bioeconomic Modeling and Fisheries Management
HSEM F673—Models & Scenarios for Disaster Risk Reduction
Qualitative Analysis
ACNS F601—Research Methods and Sources in the North
FISH F613—Human-Environment Research Methods
RD F650—Community-based Research Methods
LAW AND POLICY
Complete at least one course (2-3 credits)
Regulation
FISH F681—The North Pacific Fishery Management Council
FISH F683—The ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Board of Fisheries
Law
ACNS F654—International Law and the Environment
ANS F425—Federal Indian Law and ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ Natives
FISH F672—Law and Fisheries
FISH F673—International Maritime Law and IUU Fishing
NRM F407—Environmental Law
PADM S618—Law for Public Managers
RD F675—Federal Indian Law: Land, Water, and Subsistence
Distributed Governance, Self-governance, and Co-management
RD F435—Participatory policy-making in Tribal, State, and Federal Government
RD F651—Management Strategies for Rural Development
Policy Analysis
ACNS F603—Public Policy
ACNS F669—Arctic Politics and Governance
FISH F670—Quantitative Analysis for Marine Policy Decisions
FISH F694—Trial course: U.S. Marine Conservation Policy
HSEM F603—Disaster Management Policy
PADM S635—Natural Resource Policy
PADM S693—Special Topics course: Mariculture Policy
ECONOMICS, DEVELOPMENT, AND SUSTAINABILITY
Complete at least one course (3 credits)
Development
FISH F674—Economic Development for Fisheries Dependent Communities
RD F430—Indigenous Economic Development and Entrepreneurship
RD F625—Community Development Strategies: Principles and Practices
Economics
ECON F434—Environmental Economics
ECON S435—Natural Resource/Environmental Economics
NRM F647—Global to Local Sustainability
NRM F656—Sustainable Livelihoods and Community Well-being
PADM S625—Economics and Public Policy
PADM S628—Public Financial Management
PADM S637—Environmental Economics
RD F630—Economic Development Policy and Entrepreneurship in Rural ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ: Challenges
and Opportunities
Human Environments
ACNS F652—International Relations of the North
FISH F611—Human Dimensions of Environmental Systems
FISH F616—Indigenous Fisheries of ÐÓ°ÉÔ°æ
FISH F675—Political Ecology
PS S458—Environmental Politics
PS F658—Comparative Environmental Politics
RD F612—Traditional Ecological Knowledge
Business and Public Administration
HSEM F603—Disaster Management Policy
HSEM F613—International Disaster Management
HSEM F621—Circumpolar Competition-Arctic Diplomacy and Defense
HSEM F622—Arctic Strategies and Operations
PADM S601—Introduction to Public Administration
PADM S614—Public Policy and Accountability
PADM S622—Human Resources and Organizational Development