{"id":12280,"date":"2023-09-08T12:22:40","date_gmt":"2023-09-08T16:22:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/maf\/?page_id=12280"},"modified":"2026-06-18T12:53:11","modified_gmt":"2026-06-18T16:53:11","slug":"graduate-certificate-in-coastal-resilience","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/web.uri.edu\/maf\/academics\/graduate-certificate-in-coastal-resilience\/","title":{"rendered":"Graduate Certificate in Coastal Resilience"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The study of coastal resilience and translating findings into practice is important for coastal communities, as well as the natural and economic systems that depend upon them. As climate change impacts become more and more evident, disaster losses will continue to rise in the United States and across the world. Hazards of concern in these regions include storm surge and wind impacts from tropical storms, wildfires, extreme heat, and inundation of low-lying lands during regular tidal cycles. With more than 50% of the United States population and a majority of global population living in coastal areas, natural disasters along the coast are particularly devastating. The next generation must face these challenges head on and the need to educate tomorrow\u2019s decision makers about coastal resilience will only become more pressing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Coastal Resilience Graduate Certificate Program provides students and professionals with advanced training needed to find professional employment in the field of coastal resilience. Upon completion of the Coastal Resilience Graduate Certificate Program, students will be able to: (1) apply knowledge in a variety of disciplines and have practical skills to address real-world problems in coastal resilience; and (2) find employment in agencies and businesses involved in research, scholarly, and problem-solving endeavors in the field of coastal resilience. In particular, the curriculum will provide students with academic and practice-based skills, knowledge and expertise to (1) explain threats to and impacts of natural hazards and disasters on natural and built environments and human communities; (2) describe human responses at a variety of scales (e.g., individual; international) to natural hazards and disasters; (3) apply theoretical concepts in coastal resilience to real-world and hypothetical scenarios; and (4) critically evaluate policies, programs, and plans for addressing the effects of coastal hazards and disasters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

URI Faculty affiliated with the Certificate program include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u25cf Austin Becker, Marine Affairs
\u25cf Tracey Dalton, Marine Affairs
\u25cf Jesse Reiblich, Marine Affairs
\u25cf Chris Baxter, Ocean Engineering
\u25cf Che-wei Chang, Ocean Engineering
\u25cf Mershad Amini, Ocean Engineering
\u25cf Reza Hashemi, Ocean Engineering
\u25cf JP Walsh, Graduate School of Oceanography
\u25cf Isaac Ginis, Graduate School of Oceanography
\u25cf Brett Still, Natural Resources Sciences
\u25cf Chris Russoniello, Geosciences
\u25cf Erin Peck, GSO
\u25cf Kristi Lewis, GSO<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Students take 12 credits to complete the certificate program. These are primarily in-person courses on the URI Main or Bay Campus, but there are some online course options for students wishing to complete some or all of the certificate online. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social Science and Policy Courses (3 CREDITS)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAF 475 \u2013 Human Responses to Coastal Hazards
MAF 521 \u2013 Coastal Zone Law
MAF 570 (ONLINE) – Ocean Governance
MAF 582 – Ecosystem Governance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Or other with approval from Grad Certificate faculty)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural Science\/Engineering Courses (3 CREDITS)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

MAF 511 \u2013 Ocean Uses<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NRS 533 – Land Uses and Change
GEO 577 \u2013 Coastal Geologic Hazards
OCG 440 \u2013 Geological Oceanography
OCG 451: Oceanographic Science
OCE 408 (Wave Mechanics and Littoral Processes)
OCG\/OCE 512 – Storm Surge and Wave Modeling
OCG 493 \u2013 Special Problems And Independent Study In Oceanography
OCG 516 (ONLINE): Climate and Ocean models
OCG 540 (ONLINE) \u2013 Geological Oceanography (online or in person)
OCG 601 (ONLINE) – Ocean Resilience (online)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Or other with approval from Grad Certificate faculty)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Practicum (3 CREDITS)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Student must complete 3 credits of a practicum. Detailed guidance on how to complete the practicum and what qualifies may be found HERE<\/a>.
________________<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Free Electives (3 CREDITS)<\/strong>
Students must take an additional 3 credits of free electives from the core courses list above OR from the following strengthening courses:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Engineered Systems<\/strong>
OCE 421 \u2013 (Fall semester) Coastal Structures Design
OCE 510 \u2013 (Fall alternate years) Engineering Ocean Mechanics
OCE 514 \u2013 (Fall alternate years) Engineering wave mechanics and
nearshore processes
CVE 477\/577 \u2013 Environmental sustainability and Green Engineering<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Community Systems<\/strong>
CPL 410 \u2013 Fundamentals of Community Planning Practice
CPL 434 \u2013 Introduction to Environmental Law
CPL 450 \u2013 Urban Design
CPL 483 \u2013 Land Development
CPL 485 \u2013 Environmental Planning
CPL 538 \u2013 Site Planning
CPL 539 \u2013 Environmental Law<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marine Affairs<\/strong>
MAF 461 \u2013 Coastal Zone Management
MAF 465 \u2013 GIS Applications in Coastal and Marine Management
MAF 484 \u2013 Environmental Analysis and Policy in Coastal Management
MAF 545 \u2013 Environmental Thought and Behavior
MAF 531 \u2013 Environmental Justice
MAF 564 \u2013 Port Planning and Policy
MAF 577 \u2013 International Ocean Law<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natural Systems<\/strong>
BES 551 \u2013 Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
NRS 501 \u2013 Foundations in Restoration Ecology
NRS 555 \u2013 Applied Coastal Ecology
NRS 585 \u2013 Salt March Ecology
CPL 549 \u2013 Seminar in Ecological Planning
OCG 480\/580 – Introduction to Marine Pollution
OCG 501- (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Physical Oceanography
OCG 561(ONLINE or IN PERSON)- Biological Oceanography
OCG 506- Modeling Coastal Ocean Dynamics
OCG 517- Foundations of Coastal Ocean Dynamics
OCG 533- (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Writing in the Marine and Ocean Sciences
OCG 521- (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Chemical Oceanography<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Business and Management Systems<\/strong>
FIN 435 \u2013 Topics in Insurance: Risk Management
MGT 443 \u2013 Organizational Design and Change
MBA\/OCG539 — Hacking for Oceans
MBA540 – (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Organizational Decision Making and Design is the graduate version of BUS443 and is available in person and online.
BUS515 – (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practicum
MBA524 – Entrepreneurship and Innovation is in person<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other courses<\/strong>
LAR 444\/445 \u2013 Landscape Architecture Studio
EEC 432 \u2013 Environmental and Resource Economics and Policy
EEC 440 \u2013 Benefit-Cost Analysis
EEC 535 \u2013 Environmental Economics
HPR 411\/CVE 323 \u2013 Designing Sustainable Solutions for Developing Communities
OCG 508 \u2013 Global Environmental Change Education
GEO 491 \u2013 J-Term Indonesia (3 cr.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Admission Requirements<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Applicants may come with a range of skills and expertise and a strong interest in coastal resilience. We encourage applications from many types of prospective students, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n