Water covers more than two-thirds of the Earth’s surface and the majority of the human population lives within 50 miles of navigable waterways. The world’s oceans and great riparian systems have provided the dominant medium for human economic and cultural exchange and the context for many of humanity’s most dramatic stories, powerful technologies, and aesthetic and literary achievements.
Maritime Studies is an interdisciplinary major that embraces the liberal arts as the foundation for exploring humankind’s critical and continually evolving connections with the world’s waterways and watersheds.
The Maritime Studies Program combines rigorous liberal arts training in recognized humanities and social science disciplines such as history, English, economics, political science, anthropology and geography with specialized courses, interdisciplinary seminars, and research and internship opportunities that focus on issues, traditions, and problems that influence life in maritime regions. A complement to the Marine Sciences Major Maritime Studies highlights the social and cultural side of the human/water relationship, but recognizes and explores the links between human activities and the composition and the condition of the coastal and marine environments.
Maritime Studies is a flexible but focused major that students may shape to meet a wide range of occupational and educational goals. Depending upon the track of studies selected, Maritime Studies students may prepare for a range of careers including those in the maritime service and heritage tourism sectors as well as for graduate study in maritime and public history, English, journalism, marine policy and cultural resource management, planning and regulation, education, law, or business. The Maritime Studies Program takes advantage of the UConn-Avery Point campus’ unique Long Island Sound location and its many coastal and maritime educational resources and research programs including the UConn Sea Grant Institute, the National Undersea Research Center, the Long Island Sound Resource Center, and Marine Sciences Department. Significant internship and research opportunities for students are also available through agreements with regional institutions that include Mystic Seaport, one of the world’s premier maritime museums and research centers.
Major Requirements
MARN 1001E is a prerequisite for the major. It is recommended that majors take MAST 1200 to satisfy General Education Content Area One and MAST 1300E to satisfy Content Area Two and Content Area Four-International.
Core Courses
All students are required to take MAST 2101. In addition, students must take five of the Core Courses listed below. Students must select these five courses from five different disciplines.
- Anthropology: ANTH/MAST 3531 or 3532;
- Economics: ECON 2467;
- English: ENGL/MAST 3652 or ENGL/MAST 3653;
- Geography: CE/GEOG 2500; or MAST/GEOG 3600;
- History: MAST/HIST 2210E or MAST/HIST 3544; or HIST 2101;
- Political Science: MAST/POLS 3832; or MAST 2300E.
Thematic Concentration
Students must declare a concentration in one of the following areas: Blue Humanities, Marine Policy, Maritime Archaeology, or Fisheries Policy. One of the five Core Courses elected by the student student can also contribute to the Thematic Concentration. Furthermore, the student must complete an approved sequence of three additional courses in the concentration at the 2000 level or above. Choice of concentration and course sequence must be approved by the MAST director or the student’s advisor.
The writing in the major requirement can be met with MAST 4994W. Students will satisfy the information literacy requirement as they complete core courses.
Related Areas
Students must complete 12 credits in related areas. Courses are selected in conjunction with the MAST director or the student’s advisor.