Academics | SMSP | Academic Assessment

Mission Statement

The mission of the School of Marine Science and Policy is to advance knowledge and education critical to the understanding, stewardship, and conservation of estuarine, coastal, and ocean environments. Encompassing programs in Marine Bioscience, Marine Policy, Oceanography, and Physical Ocean Science and Engineering, the curricula of SMSP's programs are multidisciplinary, and students are encouraged to explore areas outside of their own specialties.

Learning Goals and Methods

Graduates of the School of Marine Science and Policy will have demonstrated the ability to do the following:

  1. Identify or define a research question
  2. Understand and synthesize literature material
  3. Design and execute a research study or experiment
  4. Critically evaluate and interpret the outcome
  5. Write for peer review publications
  6. Present in professional and public forums
  7. Perform in collaborative workgroups

 

The following methods are used to assess the results of the learning goals above:

  • E - Exam(s)
  • TP - Term Project(s) / Paper(s)
  • LR - Lab Report(s)
  • OP - Oral Presentation(s)
  • PBL - Problem Based Learning
  • PS - Problem Sets
  • CS - Case Studies

 

Additionally, the School administers Milestone Expectations for each graduate student, which clearly defines the length of time to degree with progressive steps along the way. To download the Milestone Expectations table, please click here.

The Curriculum Map for each of our programs shows how individual courses address our learning goals and the methods used to assess the learning outcomes. To download these Curriculum Maps as PDFs, please click on the links below.

Syllabi

To view the syllabus of one of our courses, please click a link below.