Courses
Current Time Schedules for Classes Offered in Marine Affairs
Spring Course Descriptions
Course Descriptions
SMA 476 Introduction to Environmental Law and Process
http://courses.washington.edu/sma47605/
3 credits
Overview of administrative law and process. Basic legal research; reading and briefing selected judicial opinions. Use and application of NEPA and other key statutes in living marine resources management. Participatory case-study component. This course is designed for non-law graduate and advanced undergraduate students. Cross-listed as ENVIR 476.
SMA 480 Marine Resources Management
3 credits
Techniques and philosophy for conservation, management and development of harvested marine populations. Emphasis on integration of ecological, sociological, and economic dimensions of institutional decision making for policy formation in uncertain environments.
SMA 485 Pacific Recreation & Tourism Issues
3 credits
Course examines how marine tourism links people to one another and to the environment. Utilizes concepts from cultural anthropology, sociology, political science, geography, ecology, conservation biology and planning. Topics include: ecotourism, ethnic tourism, marine parks and protected areas, fisheries, sustainable development, tourism ethics, and marine environmental education.
SMA 499B African Population, Development and Marine Environment
3 credits
Development of coastal and sea resources, increased supplies of sea-originated protein, port development and expansion coastal fisheries and marine eco-tourism are new directions of the economic future of the Sub-Saharan Africa. Reforms in resource policy and management and systemic changes in the coastal states are the key measures that must be taken in order to sustainably use these last-frontier resources. This course will familiarize students with important links between population growth, development and marine environmental factors affecting future growth of the African societies and economies.
SMA 499Q Root Causes of Environmental Degradation in the Tropics
http://depts.washington.edu/poeweb/courses/syllabus/envir433win04.doc
5 credits
Many appreciate the complexity, value, and beauty of tropical ecosystems such as coral reefs and rain forests. It is widely known that these ecosystems are under enormous pressure. The social and ecological conditions that are driving this degradation are poorly understood and widely debated. For example, is it primarily poverty or over consumption that is driving the process? The consequences for the so-called developing and developed world societies are becoming increasingly apparent. This course will be a multidisciplinary (including social and natural science) exploration into the root causes and consequences of environmental degradation in the tropical world.
SMA 500 Marine Affairs
https://courses.washington.edu/sma500/
3 Credits
Survey class introducing students to substantive problems pertinent to the relation of humankind and the world's oceans and coasts. Topics and interrelationships of ocean uses (e.g., management and exploitation of living/nonliving resources, shipping, scientific research, pollution, recreation, and others) are discussed via lecture and discussion by invited specialists.
SMA 501 Integrated Marine Affairs Practice
3 credits
Introduction to the practice of integrated assessment in marine affairs through the use of case studies and group analysis projects.
SMA 506 International Law of the Sea
3 credits
Examination of the way nation-states regulate activities on and under the ocean. Covers the international regulations and institutions concerned with fishery exploitation, pollution, transit rights, scientific research, energy and mineral development, military uses, emplacement of installations, and the boundary issues involved in these various ocean uses.
SMA 507 International Organization & Ocean Mgmt
3 credits
Survey of the manner in which international organizations attempt to manage and regulate the uses of the ocean. Primary emphasis is on the analysis of processes that support or constrain these organizations and on the search for alternative policies and organizations.
SMA 508 National Marine Policy Processes
3 credits
Fosters an appreciation for the institutional dimensions of marine policy processes on a comparative basis. Students gain an understanding of the marine policy context at the national level and a sophisticated appreciation of the dynamics that drive policy formulation and policy implementation. Participation in a group project is required. The project is designed to provide students with a "hands-on" experience in planning and developing a national ocean policy for a specific country.
SMA 509 Integrated Coastal Management
More information (MS Word)
3 credits
The US Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission have challenged the marine community to develop a regional approach to coastal ecosystem governance. This class employs an evolutionary approach to examine the nature of coastal ecosystems and the challenges posed by human activities and uses. Coastal ecosystems from watersheds to the EEZ are considered.
SMA 510 Topics in Marine Ecology
3 credits
Study of ecological principles as they apply to marine species, populations, and ecosystems using current examples from the primary literature, including contemporary issues such as species declines, species additions, pollution, and global change.
SMA 511 Coastal Environmental Management
More information (MS Word)
3 credits
This 3-hour course will introduce students to the practice of shoreline management through the study of coastal environments, human use activities and natural hazards, and the governmental institutions and policies through which they are planned, managed, and mitigated. A practical exercise will be undertaken using representative local shoreline settings and a range of states’ shoreline/coastal management program tools. In this way students will be exposed to a diverse set of states’ coastal laws and regulatory programs and their application to a common set of local coastal environments and development patterns.
SMA 512 Interviewing Methods and Environmental Topics
3 credits
This course focuses on qualitative techniques employed by social scientists and other researchers (e.g., sociologists, cultural anthropologists, political scientists, journalists, reporters) to elicit information in interview situations. Students will conduct interviews with people in the public, private, and activist sectors in the context of studying environmental issues of their choice.
SMA 514 Marine Pollution Management and Policy
3 credits
Current marine pollution management and policy issues are explored with emphasis on policy development and implementation. Topics include issues associated with pollution in bays and estuaries, offshore oil and gas development, and deliberate waste disposal in the seas. The impacts of social conflict on pollution control policies are also explored. Undergraduates welcome with permission of instructor.
SMA 515 U.S. Coastal and Ocean Law
4 credits
Analysis of the legal and policy framework that determines how shoreland, intertidal, estuarine, nearshore and ocean resources are conserved and managed by public agencies in the U.S. Emphasis is on multiple uses of coastal waters and the adjacent land; conflicts arising from competition for ocean space and resources; problems associated with overlapping jurisdiction and conflicting legal norms; the use of judicial, administrative and statutory methods for the resolutions of conflicts.
SMA 516 Seaport Management
3 credits
Interdisciplinary study of the functions and values of the modern seaport. How trade,waterborne commerce, marine transportation, maritime industry and waterfront labor influence the portcity environment. Role of managers in balancing port development, waterfront land use, recreation, environmental protection and city amenities. Examples from the US, Korea, the Baltic and the Middle East.
SMA 517 Maritime Commerce and Policy
3 credits
Globalization is a growing theme of the 21st Century. Ocean shipping is inherently a global industry which accounts for a sizable portion of international commerce. This course presents an overview of the global system of ocean trade, its components, operations, management of commodity and passenger shipping and explores relationships between ocean shipping policy, merchant marine promotion, shipbuilding and national economic development. Attention also is given to the evolution and present state of US policy and regulation aimed toward safety at sea, security, and protection of the marine environment. The course concludes with discussion of future issues in global maritime commerce, emphasizing the need for fitting US systems and policies to the global system.
SMA 519 Marine Policy Analysis
3 credits
Systematic approaches to identifying and analyzing problems in marine policy formulation and implementation are explored. The emphasis is on decision and economic analysis and related approaches. Problems in marine resources and environmental policy are highlighted. The limitations of analysis in public policy are also discussed.
SMA 521 Governmental Responses to Global Climate Change
3 credits
Sensible responses to the challenges of global climate change will of necessity combine the knowledge and judgment of persons from many disciplines and backgrounds. This course is intended for students interested in making global environmental change a significant part of their future work: the environmental sciences and their related disciplines; the social sciences and related professional programs; and natural resource management. As a unifying theme of the course, Prof. Miles will focus on how organizations learn. Visiting lecturers will be asked to focus on the questions of governance raised by the wide range of climate changes that may occur over the next century.
SMA 523 International Science and Technology Policy
3 credits
The purpose of this seminar is twofold: first, to analyze the relationships between R&D policy, capabilities and antional technological strategies for advanced industrial and less-developed countries; and, second, to analyze the implications of particular technologies as countries try to make policy for them in regional and global organizations.
SMA 525 Management of Marine Protected Areas
3 credits
The surge of interest in protecting marine biodiversity and the concern over marine habitats leads to a very active consideration of the role that MPAs can play in maintaining and restoring marine resources as well as providing for social and economic benefits associated with recreation, tourism and sustainable use of marine resources. This course examines major management and scientific issues involved with establishment, operation, monitoring and maintenance of MPAs, the policies that support them and the management problems experienced. While the prime focus will be on the management issues in the United States, the international perspective will be provided and cases studied as well.
SMA 536 Microeconomics for Marine Affairs
3 credits
Course acquaints students with microeconomics tools commonly employed in policy analysis. Emphasis is placed on mastery of basic concepts, definitions, and models useful to marine policy. These include determinants of price and outputs in competitive markets; effects of other market structures; market failure; and applied welfare economics.
SMA 537 Economics of Marine Policy
3 credits
The course applies economic concepts and methods to selected topics in marine policy and resource management. Students examine (1) U.S. policies regarding marine transportation—Jones Act and cabotage rules; (2) economics of seaports—rationales for and against subsidies; (3) offshore minerals—lease sale program of the Minerals Management Service; (4) living marine resource management—fisheries and endangered species.
SMA 538 Economics of Living Marine Resources
3 credits
This course covers topics in the conservation and management of living marine resources, emphasizing a) bio-economic models of fisheries, b) economics of resource management regulations, including enforcement and compliance issues, c) recreational versus commercial allocation, and d) assessment of economic "impacts" of marine fisheries.
SMA 540: International Strategic Planning for Marine Resources
http://sma.washington.edu/students/courses/SMA540_04.htm
3 credits
Market forces, differences in income and availability of cheap labor have induced unprecedented international flow of capital, commodities and growing integration of many markets. Importance of the private sector and international flow of investment capital to marine economies of the III World countries are also increasing. This class will study these trends and changing national and international policies that affect the way and patterns of use of the marine resources in the world ocean. Student research will focus on marine environmental policies and responses of the private sector, providing balanced assessment of the public sector concerns and private business views.
SMA 555 Comparative Marine Business in the North Pacific
3 credits
This advanced research seminar undertakes multidisciplinary comparative analysis of commercial cooperation and business strategies of Russia and three other North Pacific economic powers: Canada, Japan and the United States. How globalization and growing economic interdependencies between these countries affect regional commercial cooperation, international trade, investment, transfer of know-how and other business opportunities in their marine and coastal economic sectors? Students are also to be familiarized with socio-economic factors affecting the present and future development of marine business between four Pacific powers, its institutions, and the Russian transition process from the centrally controlled to the free market economic system.
SMA 581 Fishery Management: Case Studies
3 credits
In this interdisciplinary course in fisheries management, students will study and develop case histories for various types of fisheries. During the first half of the quarter, several faculty will present case histories. During the last half of the quarter, each student, under faculty supervision, will write a case history and present it to the class.
SMA 585A Climate Impacts on the Pacific Northwest
http://www.cses.washington.edu/cig/outreach/classes/585/ | PDF
4 credits
This interdisciplinary course focuses on determining cases in which an understanding of the patterns and predictability of Pacific Northwest climate variations could be used to improve regional natural resource management. Further information:
SMA 591 Marine Science in the Coastal Zone
3 credits
Presentation and analysis of marine science of estuaries, coastal zone, and open ocean. The course will focus on the use of scientific information in decision-making for natural resource management, coastal zone management, and the regulation and management of terrestrial and aquatic-based sources of marine pollution. Lectures and discussion will stress the importance of considering natural processes in management decisions, and will involve the biological, chemical, geological, and physical oceanography of estuaries, the coastal zone, and the open ocean.
For more information regarding courses, please contact Michele Berg, Graduate Program Assistant, mpberg@u.washington.edu, 206-543-0106.
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UW School of Marine Affairs 3707 Brooklyn Ave. NE Seattle, WA 98105-6715 uwsma@u.washington.edu |