WILLIAMSBURG — William & Mary announced it is moving forward with a proposal for the creation of an undergraduate marine science program, the first such program to be offered at a public university in Virginia.
According to an article in W&M News, the university announced that the Board of Visitors approved submitting plans for the program to the State Council for Higher Education in Virginia (SCHEV), which will determine whether the university may implement the new program.
William & Mary notes its School of Marine Science, which currently offers a professional master’s degree and two research degrees (M.S. and Ph.D.), is ranked among the top institutions of its kind in the U.S.
“William & Mary’s School of Marine Science is preeminent in the country,” Provost Peggy Agouris told W&M News “It only makes sense to extend our world-class expertise in coastal and marine science to undergraduate students in a dedicated program that will enable them to enter a deeply impactful career field.”
The university has offered a minor in marine science since 2010, with faculty members from the School of Marine Science at W&M’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) partnering with Arts & Sciences to administer the program.
William & Mary notes that the popularity of its undergraduate marine science courses has nearly tripled since 2019, driven, university leaders believe, by the increasingly urgent issues faced by coastal and marine communities globally.
“Growing up on a peninsula has caused me to always have an interest in marine science,” said Darius McCallum, W&M Scholars Undergraduate Research Experience student. “From marine ecology to oceanography, this vast interdisciplinary subject has always been appealing to me … I am ecstatic that they are announcing a marine science major at William & Mary. It would allow me to further explore my interests within this amazing field.”
Tackling water issues is also a top priority in the university’s strategic plan, Vision 2026.
“As the pace of global change accelerates in coastal communities and marine systems, the need for highly trained scientists has never been greater,” said Derek Aday, dean of William & Mary’s School of Marine Science and director of VIMS. “Offering an undergraduate degree that promotes deeper understanding of and creativity in addressing the most challenging problems facing these highly populated areas will ensure a pipeline of problem solvers for the Commonwealth and coastal communities worldwide.”
The university said the next step toward launching the degree program is
Submitting a proposal to SCHEV is the next step toward launching the degree program, Agouris told the Board of Visitors last week. The exact dates for that submission have not been finalized. Organizers are aiming for a program launch in the fall 2025, though that will depend on several factors as the program is reviewed and details are solidified over the next year.
For more, read the full article at W&M News.
