GSO’s first fully online degree program, the Master of Oceanography, was introduced in 2021. It was developed for professionals with full- or part-time employment schedules to navigate.
Focused on the blue economy, the 30-credit program aims to enhance careers in maritime commerce, port management, the uniformed marine services, government agencies and environmental organizations. “Students will work directly with world-renowned oceanographers, gaining in-depth and broad practical knowledge,” said professor of oceanography, Art Spivack, the program’s director.
Enrollment for the online M.O. exceeded expectations as 11 students began in the fall, with more to start in January, 2022.
Hacking for Oceans, a course developed for students with diverse interests and majors (e.g., oceanography, business, engineering), was also new for fall 2021. In “H4O,” student teams confront pressing ocean issues, such as making coastal residential energy more resilient to outages, keeping microplastic pollution out of the ocean, and optimizing interactions between the fishing and offshore-wind industries. The course is co-taught by GSO professor Jaime Palter and professor Seray Ergene from URI’s College of Business.
Student recruitment grew substantially in 2021. In addition to the 11 online M.O. students, 30 students began their advanced-degree studies on campus. For the first time in more than a decade, the student body numbers well over 100.
Professor Karen Wishner retired in 2021, following more than 40 years of service with the GSO faculty.