Marine Science Certificate of Achievement

Program Description:
This program provides students with a foundation in the core principles of marine science. Students will gain a fundamental background in the unique skill sets required for marine restoration in California and develop a pathway for employment in the natural resources field.

Career Opportunities:
Completing the Marine Science Certificate of Achievement will prepare students for job opportunities in a wide variety of fishery and wildlife agencies, marine restoration in California, the climate sector, marine aquariums, and marine laboratories. This program also provides courses that transfer and can be applied to degrees in Marine Biology, Oceanography, Biology, and related fields.

Program Student Learning Outcomes:

• Demonstrate proper use of a variety of field and laboratory techniques used in the field of marine science.
• Describe the diversity of life in the ocean.
• Describe the interactions among the ocean's geological, chemical, physical, and biological processes and how the ocean impacts and is influenced by those processes.
• Evaluate the economic, environmental, and social issues related to marine science management and the stakeholders involved.
• Relate the physical features of the marine environment to the structure of marine populations, communities, and ecosystems and explain how they are affected by human activities.

The enrollment completer projections are estimated at 16 students earning the certificate annually.

Blue Economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems and encompasses fisheries, aquaculture, coastal tourism, marine biotechnology, etc. Industry data provide support for a positive outlook in this field. Despite the attention and investments these programs are receiving, very few are focused on developing programs specifically for marine restoration, and even fewer for the complicated, unique skill sets required for marine restoration in California. Rocky reef ecosystem restoration at scale will require significant investments in a highly trained workforce with specialized skill sets. Currently, large-scale restoration of these ecosystems is severely bottlenecked by a lack of this trained workforce and the infrastructure required for them to complete the work. This presents an opportunity for simultaneously addressing tribal, indigenous, and underserved community representation in the restoration workforce as well as workforce capacity gaps. The long-term goal of this program is to enable access to training, increase employment opportunities, empower young adults from communities often disproportionately impacted by environmental stressors (which are also often composed of historically underrepresented and underserved populations), and develop a pathway for sustainable employment in the natural resources field.

Students will be required to complete five courses with lab components. Students will also choose one additional course that aligns with their interest and/or experience from a list of options.