About the College | Mission & Overview
"What we know is a drop. What we don't know is an ocean."
— Sir Isaac Newton
The oceans cover about 70 percent of the Earth's surface.
Our Mission
The mission of the University of Delaware College of Marine and Earth Studies (CMES) is to advance the knowledge, understanding, and wise use of ocean, earth, and atmospheric resources through programs of interdisciplinary research, outreach, and education in the physical, chemical, biological, geological and social sciences.
Our Global Vision
Marine and earth scientists view the world on many temporal and spatial levels, from the microscopic realm of bacteria and plankton, to the everyday domain of the coastal ocean to the panoramic perspective of satellites in space. Here at CMES, we strive to bring our picture of the ocean and the Earth into ever-sharper focus and to educate well-rounded scientists and policy specialists with the broad vision needed to address today's global problems.
Concerns such as climate change, marine pollution, watershed degradation, and fisheries decline are at the heart of our work at CMES. Meeting these challenges often demands expertise in several disciplines, and our curriculum reflects this reality.
Degree Programs
CMES offers Bachelor's degrees in Geology and Earth Science Education. In addition to specific Master's degrees in Marine Policy and Marine Management, we also offer Master's and doctoral degrees in Geology, Oceanography and Marine Studies. Students pursuing an M.S. or Ph.D. in Marine Studies can select concentrations in marine biosciences, marine policy, oceanography, or physical ocean science and engineering. We also offer a Master's of Marine Policy (MMP) and a Master of Marine Management (MMM). The MMM is a nine-month intensive degree program for working professionals in fisheries, marine minerals and energy, shipping and ports, maritime security, coastal management, and environmental protection.
Excellent Preparation For The Future
Our interdisciplinary emphasis and commitment to the highest scientific ideals prepares students for rewarding careers in teaching, research, and public service.
Our graduates are interested in all interaction with the planet — from legal, economic, and political aspects of conflict resolution, to understanding and applying natural science principles for the mutual benefit of humankind and the environment. CMES alumni hold rewarding careers around the globe, as professors, schoolteachers, research scientists, ocean engineers, development geologists, resource managers, geoarcheologists, business owners, environmental statisticians, doctors, lawyers, journalists, and diplomats.
Delaware Sea Grant Program
CMES is also the home of the Delaware Sea Grant College Program, part of a national network of programs located in each coastal state. The term “Sea Grant” was chosen to emphasize the parallel between this program focusing on the nation's marine resources, and the Land Grant program, which was created more than a century earlier to develop our agricultural resources. Sea Grant sponsored research projects under way at the University of Delaware address the wise use, conservation, and management of coastal resources through practical research, graduate student education, and public outreach.
