Education Programs

The education and training of the next generation of atmospheric and marine scientists is an essential aspect of the SoMAS mission.  Additionally, graduate and undergraduate students play a critical role in the cutting-edge research conducted at the School.  Students at SoMAS have the opportunity to get to know and work closely with world-class faculty, take field courses, and conduct research in a wide range of coastal and oceanic environments. SoMAS offers classes at the Stony Brook and Southampton campuses where students have access to world-class facilities well-equipped to support research and education in a wide variety of oceanographic and atmospheric disciplines.  The following are the undergraduate and graduate degree programs offered at SoMAS, and their present enrollments.

B.S. in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences 

The Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (AOS) program is structured to meet the educational needs of students wishing to pursue meteorology-related careers. The School’s location allows for detailed study of coastal weather phenomena, such as hurricanes, nor-easters, and sea-breezes, as well as regional climate change in a coastal-urban environment. AOS majors are prepared for a range of career options including weather forecasting, environmental meteorology, broadcast meteorology, and graduate school in atmospheric sciences. The Bachelor’s degree meets the requirements for employment as a meteorologist with the National Weather Service and private companies, and the curriculum also satisfies the education standards endorsed by the American Meteorological Society. With strong background training in physics, mathematics and computer science, our AOS majors are also well prepared for a variety of alternative career paths.

B.S. in Coastal Environmental Studies

Prepare for one of the most important environmental careers of the future, coastal zone management. This rigorous science degree integrates physical and natural sciences together with environmental ethics, policy, and law in order to understand and mitigate the impact of sea level rise on water and land resource use and coastal zone development. Graduates with this degree will be proficient in Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, a skill sought by government agencies, businesses, and nonprofit organizations.

A Minor in Coastal Environmental Studies is also available.

B.S. in Marine Sciences

Marine Sciences is a highly interdisciplinary field requiring an understanding and application of basic science, including biology, physics, and chemistry. In particular, the Marine Sciences major provides students with a solid background in basic biology as well as in the physics and chemistry of the ocean. Upper-division electives permit each student to gain a deeper understanding of particular groups of organisms (microorganisms, algae, marine invertebrates, fish, and marine mammals) and of habitats (salt marshes, rocky inter tidal, barrier islands, dunes, estuaries, and the open ocean).

A Minor in Marine Sciences is also available.

B.S./M.S in Marine Science Combined Degree Program 

Outstanding students in the Marine Sciences B.S. program can be considered for a combined B.S./M.S. program allowing them to begin coursework and research towards an M.S. in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences while still an undergraduate.  This accelerated program would allow students to complete both degrees in as little as five years of full-time study. Students will normally be considered for admission into the combined degree program after completing their junior year of undergraduate study — either before the start or during their senior year. Students with exceptional records may be admitted during their junior year. Students who transfer to Stony Brook after their junior year must complete one semester at Stony Brook before they will be considered for admission to this combined BS/MS program. Students considering this program must identify a SoMAS faculty member willing to serve as their MS thesis advisor.

B.S. in Marine Vertebrate Biology

The Marine Vertebrate Biology major provides students with a solid background in basic biology with an emphasis on marine vertebrate organisms such as fish, sharks, birds, turtles and marine mammals. It provides a more intensive zoology background than the Marine Sciences degree.

B.A. in Ecosystems and Human Impact

Human beings take the environment for granted. We threaten the air, water, and wildlife with the way we live on planet Earth. This major examines natural ecosystems and how they function or degrade in the face of potential threats from humans. We also look at the “services” these ecosystems provide: food, shelter, and purifying our water and air. (Did you know 25 percent of the oxygen we breathe comes from microscopic algae floating in lakes and oceans?) Students in this program are prepared to go on to law or graduate school or work in conservation.

A Minor in Ecosystems and Human Impact is also available.

B.A. in Environmental Humanities
How does our understanding of Native American fiction help us to better grasp environmental issues? What does the history of human settlement on Long Island have to do with our present-day relationship to nature? This major integrates disciplines from social sciences and the humanities, including writing, literature, philosophy, history, anthropology, archaeology, and art and architectural history, to prepare students for careers in nature education, museum work, community organizing, literacy education, advocacy, business, writing, and the arts. Students may also choose to pursue advanced degrees in literature, journalism, education, social work, the arts, social sciences, and law.

A Minor in Environmental Humanities is also available.

B.A. in Environmental Design, Policy, and Planning

Must we live with the traffic congestion created by suburban sprawl? As people push outward from our cities, is there any way to preserve open space and manage urbanization? This program focuses on the built environment, culminating in a degree that opens the door to working on land-use planning and design, community redevelopment, real estate development, and landscape architecture.

A Minor in Environmental Design Policy and Planning is also available.

B.A. in Environmental Studies 

The Environmental Studies major, leading to a Bachelor of Arts degree, is designed to provide students with the analytical and communication skills and the broad background necessary to understand and address complex environmental issues. The major also offers the opportunity for students to carry out focused study within a specific area of interest. Environmental issues are not resolved in the scientific, technological, social or political arenas alone. The curriculum is, therefore, interdisciplinary and integrates principles and methodologies from the social sciences, engineering, the natural sciences and humanities. The goal is to address the complex scientific, legal, political, socioeconomic and ethical issues that define and surround environmental issues.  

A Minor in Environmental Studies is also available.

B.A. in Sustainability Studies

When we produce goods, how much—and how quickly—are we consuming natural resources in order to keep production flowing? When political decisions are made in the name of progress,” how do they affect future generations? You’ll also learn about viable economic activities that are ecologically sound and socially just. This degree can lead to careers in eco-tourism, law, business, economic development, or energy conservation.

A Minor in Sustainability Studies is also available.

Minor in Geospatial Science

Geospatial Science is used in a wide range of disciplines as a research tool, a decision-making tool, data analysis tool, and/or as a planning tool. One of the major tools used in these analyses is Geographical Information Systems (GIS) software.

Semester-by-the-Sea Program

The Semester-by-the-Sea program is designed for Stony Brook and visiting undergraduate students to spend a semester immersed in marine studies at the Stony Brook Southampton campus.  The fall program uses an experiential learning approach, taking full advantage of the Southampton Marine Science Center, its research vessels, its waterfront marine lab facilities, and the unique campus location on the shores of Shinnecock Bay for direct access to marine and coastal field sites.  Students explore the diverse marine habitats of eastern Long Island including estuaries, shallow bays, salt marshes, rocky intertidal, dunes, beaches, tidal flats, and the Atlantic Ocean, and examine current environmental issues related to these habitats.  They are also introduced to the historic and contemporary maritime traditions of Southampton, Long Island, New York, and New England through classes and focused field trips to sites that have shaped these traditions.  Students can also participate, or continue their studies, in the spring program which offers additional marine science and environmental courses.

Advanced Graduate Certificate in Geospatial Science

The Advanced Graduate GSS Certificate will allow graduate students and working professionals to advance their GIS and / or remote sensing knowledge and employment opportunities with an industry-recognized certificate.  The certificate is offered through the Geospatial Center in the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences at Stony Brook University. The program courses will be offered with flexible scheduling that is intended to allow full time students to complete the certificate requirements in one year.

M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy

Established in 2010, the Masters of Arts Degree in Marine Conservation and Policy provides students with an understanding of contemporary marine conservation and policy issues.  It equips students with the skills necessary to apply this knowledge in marine conservation positions that require advanced training and a broad skill-set, but are not research-based.   Graduates of this program should compete effectively for positions in government, environmental consultancy, and non-governmental organizations, and to apply marine conservation and policy knowledge in other fields such as law, teaching, communications or business.

M.S. in Marine or Atmospheric Sciences

The Masters of Science Degree at SoMAS features separate tracks in the marine and the atmospheric sciences.

The M.S. program, marine sciences track, consists of a rigorous interdisciplinary approach to oceanographic processes. The program is ideally suited to prepare students for positions in research, management, environmental protection and resource development. Graduates will have a firm basis for more advanced study and the tools and training needed for effective careers.

The M.S. program, atmospheric sciences track, provides students a rigorous training in atmospheric physics, thermodynamics, dynamics, radiative transfer, and their application in weather forecasting, satellite and conventional atmospheric data analysis, numerical modeling and climate change. Students gain strong communication, analytical and computer skills for positions in research, education, management and environmental protection.

Ph.D. in Marine or Atmospheric Sciences

The Ph.D. program at SoMAS prepares students to identify and solve problems in the oceanographic and/or the atmospheric sciences. It builds on a flexible, interdisciplinary program and trains students to become effective, independent thinkers and problem-solvers. Students are free to emphasize their own interests in oceanography and/or the atmospheric sciences, but are expected to acquire a broad base of interdisciplinary knowledge. Ph.D. graduates are prepared to compete successfully for postdoctoral and faculty appointments as well as for positions directing research at government or industrial laboratories, and managerial positions at not-for-profit and government agencies.