{"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":"2026-03-25T13:30:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-25T17:30:43","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":"

\"AThe 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

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

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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

STUDENTS MUST TAKE 12 CREDITS AS FOLLOWS<\/strong><\/p>\n

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

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

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

________________<\/p>\n

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

MAF 511 \u2013 Ocean Uses
\nGEO 577 \u2013 Coastal Geologic Hazards
\nOCG 440 \u2013 Geological Oceanography
\nOCG 451: Oceanographic Science
\nOCE 408 (Wave Mechanics and Littoral Processes)
\nOCG\/OCE 512 – Storm Surge and Wave Modeling
\nOCG 493 \u2013 Special Problems And Independent Study In Oceanography
\nOCG 516 (ONLINE): Climate and Ocean models
\nOCG 540 (ONLINE) \u2013 Geological Oceanography (online or in person)
\nOCG 601 (ONLINE) – Ocean Resilience (online)<\/p>\n

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

________________<\/p>\n

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

This could include an internship, field work, directed study, or a special problems in any of the following colleges: NRS, MAF, CVE, OCE, GEO, EVS, OCG Note: Practicum credits must be advised by a URI faculty member. Faculty members affiliated with the Coastal Resilience Graduate Certificate include, but are not limited to:
\n\u25cf Austin Becker, Marine Affairs
\n\u25cf Tracey Dalton, Marine Affairs
\n\u25cf Jesse Reiblich, Marine Affairs
\n\u25cf Chris Baxter, Ocean Engineering
\n\u25cf Che-wei Chang, Ocean Engineering
\n\u25cf Mershad Amini, Ocean Engineering
\n\u25cf Reza Hashemi, Ocean Engineering
\n\u25cf JP Walsh, Graduate School of Oceanography
\n\u25cf Isaac Ginis, Graduate School of Oceanography
\n\u25cf Brett Still, Natural Resources Sciences
\n\u25cf Chris Russoniello, Geosciences
\n\u25cf Erin Peck, GSO
\n\u25cf Kristi Lewis, GSO<\/p>\n

________________<\/p>\n

FREE ELECTIVES (3 CREDITS)<\/strong>
\nStudents must take an additional 3 credits of free electives from the core courses list or from the following strengthening courses:<\/p>\n

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

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

Marine Affairs<\/strong>
\nMAF 461 \u2013 Coastal Zone Management
\nMAF 465 \u2013 GIS Applications in Coastal and Marine Management
\nMAF 475 \u2013 Human Responses to Coastal Hazards and Disasters
\nMAF 511 \u2013 Ocean Uses
\nMAF 582 \u2013 Coastal Ecosystem Governance
\nMAF 521 \u2013 Coastal Zone Law
\nMAF 484 \u2013 Environmental Analysis and Policy in Coastal Management
\nMAF 545 \u2013 Environmental Thought and Behavior
\nMAF 531 \u2013 Environmental Justice
\nMAF 564 \u2013 Port Planning and Policy
\nMAF 577 \u2013 International Ocean Law<\/p>\n

Natural Systems<\/strong>
\nBES 551 \u2013 Ecosystem Science and Sustainability
\nNRS 501 \u2013 Foundations in Restoration Ecology
\nNRS 555 \u2013 Applied Coastal Ecology
\nNRS 585 \u2013 Salt March Ecology
\nCPL 549 \u2013 Seminar in Ecological Planning
\nOCG 451 \u2013 Oceanographic Science
\nOCG 480\/580 – Introduction to Marine Pollution
\nOCG 512 \u2013 Ocean Waves and Storm Surge Modeling
\nOCG 501- (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Physical Oceanography
\nOCG 561(ONLINE or IN PERSON)- Biological Oceanography
\nOCG 506- Modeling Coastal Ocean Dynamics
\nOCG 517- Foundations of Coastal Ocean Dynamics
\nOCG 540- Geological Oceanography
\nOCG 533- (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Writing in the Marine and Ocean Sciences
\nOCG 521- (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Chemical Oceanography<\/p>\n

Business and Management Systems<\/strong>
\nFIN 435 \u2013 Topics in Insurance: Risk Management
\nMGT 443 \u2013 Organizational Design and Change
\nMBA\/OCG539 — Hacking for Oceans
\nMBA540 – (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Organizational Decision Making and Design is the graduate version of BUS443 and is available in person and online.
\nBUS515 – (ONLINE or IN PERSON) Innovation and Entrepreneurship Practicum
\nMBA524 – Entrepreneurship and Innovation is in person<\/p>\n

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

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Admission Requirements<\/h2>\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