Boston University Affiliated Programs

Sea Education Association

Sea Education Association (SEA) offers field programs in marine and environmental studies that provide academic and practical experiences leading to an interdisciplinary understanding of the oceans from our campus in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, and the deck of our wind-driven sailing ship. SEA accepts students from all majors.

SEA Semester: Ocean Exploration

This 17-credit program is an interdisciplinary ocean studies semester that combines natural sciences, humanities, and social sciences with hands-on research and sailing experience. Ocean Exploration attracts students from all majors who are interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of our world’s oceans. The program begins with three 3-credit courses in the six-week shore component in Woods Hole, Massachusetts: CAS NS 221, 222, and 223. The second half of the program is the six-week sea component in the Atlantic, Pacific, or Caribbean with two 4-credit courses: XAS NS 225 and 226. Ocean Exploration is offered throughout the academic year.

SEA Summer Session

An abbreviated version of our interdisciplinary SEA Semester: Ocean Exploration program, the 12-credit SEA Summer Session offers students a comprehensive understanding of the world’s oceans through interdisciplinary coursework on shore and at sea. This eight-week program consists of three 3-credit courses (CAS NS 221, 222, and 223), which are taught on shore in Woods Hole, Massachusetts during the four-week shore component. A four-week sailing research voyage in the Pacific follows and includes one 3-credit course (CAS NS 224).

SEA Semester: Oceans & Climate

This 18-credit semester for upper-level science students focuses on the role of the oceans in setting the Earth’s climate, with particular attention to ocean carbon cycling. During the six-week shore component, students take three courses (CAS NS 223, 320, 321) and are guided by SEA faculty and visiting Distinguished Lecturers in their study of oceanographic processes and in their design of an independent research project. In addition, students study the connections between ocean science and public policy, and learn the skills necessary to operate a sailing research vessel. During the six-week research voyage, students carry out all functions of the sailing research vessel and gain practical experience in offshore oceanographic research while engaging in two research courses (XAS NS 324 and 325).

SEA Semester: Documenting Change in the Caribbean

This 17-credit program is a social sciences- and humanities-intensive semester focused on understanding 500 years of environmental, political, and social change throughout the diverse islands of the Caribbean region. During the six-week shore component, students take two concurrent classes team-taught by SEA faculty. CAS NS 322 explores political, cultural, and demographic changes in the Caribbean from the arrival of Europeans to the present; CAS NS 323 uses both scientific and historical evidence to develop an ecological timeline for the Caribbean. During the six-week sea component in the Caribbean, students engage in coursework (CAS NS 221, 223, 224) while studying the environmental consequences of change and human development. Students conduct sampling surveys of the area’s biology, geology, chemistry, and physics while visiting a variety of international ports to examine the Caribbean history and culture.

SEA Semester: Sustainability in Polynesian Island Cultures and Ecosystems

This 17-credit program is an environmental studies semester that takes an interdisciplinary look at the people and islands of Polynesia in an effort to learn what they can tell us about the global issues of environmental sustainability and cultural continuity. The impacts of environmental change are being felt all over the globe, affecting people and ecosystems in even the most remote locations. A four-week shore component in Woods Hole, Massachusetts prepares students through academic coursework. During a seven-week sea component in the Pacific, the small islands of French Polynesia serve as a laboratory for studying the effects of such environmental change. Students complete the program with a one-week shore component in Hawaii to consolidate their research and produce a web-based atlas. A total of five courses bridge the shore and sea components: CAS NS 221, 222, 223, 322, and 323.

SEA Semester: Energy & the Ocean Environment

This 17-credit program is an investigative science and policy semester focused on the social, environmental, and technological dimensions of energy production and transportation in coastal and open ocean environments. Energy & the Ocean Environment attracts students interested in investigating the challenges associated with using the oceans for energy security while achieving healthy, sustainable marine ecosystems. A six-week shore component in Woods Hole, Massachusetts allows students to engage in intensive coursework in the fields of nautical science, public policy, and the climate system (CAS NS 223, 320, 321) while seeking to address and understand the big issues associated with energy and our oceans. During the six-week sea component, students conduct an independent research project related to ocean energy while completing their academic coursework (XAS NS 324, 325).

SEA Semester: Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

This 18-credit semester challenges upper-level students to integrate the scientific study of marine biodiversity with conservation planning for the Atlantic high seas area. The program is composed of a framework-building initial five-week shore component, followed by a five-week research cruise and a final two-week interdisciplinary synthesis phase back ashore in Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Practical scientific and policy research skills are introduced and practiced while conducting original marine biodiversity research and generating conservation recommendations. A total of five courses bridge the shore and sea components: CAS NS 223, NS 320, NS 450, NS 460, and XAS NS 325.

For more information on application and tuition, please contact Sea Education Association; in writing: SEA, P.O. Box 6, Woods Hole, MA 02543; phone: 800-552-3633; website: www.sea.edu; email: admission@sea.edu.

Courses

  • CAS NS 221 Oceanography (3 cr)
  • CAS NS 222 Maritime Studies (3 cr)
  • CAS NS 223 Nautical Science (3 cr)
  • CAS NS 224 Practical Oceanographic Research (3 cr)
  • XAS NS 225 Practical Oceanography I (4 cr)
  • XAS NS 226 Practical Oceanography II (4 cr)
  • CAS NS 320 Ocean Science and Public Policy (3 cr)
  • CAS NS 321 Oceans in the Global Carbon Cycle (4 cr)
  • CAS NS 322 Maritime History and Culture (4 cr)
  • CAS NS 323 Marine Environmental History (4 cr)
  • XAS NS 324 Oceanographic Field Methods (3 cr)
  • XAS NS 325 Directed Oceanographic Research (4 cr)
  • CAS NS 450 Advanced Topics in Biological Oceanography (4 cr)
  • CAS NS 460 Advanced Ocean Policy Research (4 cr)

For more information on SEA, please see the College of Arts & Sciences Special Courses and Programs page. For course descriptions, see the Academics section on the SEA website.

The School for Field Studies

The School for Field Studies (SFS) is the country’s oldest educational institution exclusively dedicated to offering environmental field study programs abroad. All SFS participants receive credit from Boston University, which accredits SFS programs. SFS offers a rigorous, hands-on, interdisciplinary experience that includes lectures, field exercises, research, community service projects, and field trips. Students live at the field stations while working on research to support local communities and stakeholders in achieving sustainable development goals.

SFS has permanent field stations around the world: the Center for Sustainable Development Studies in Costa Rica, the Center for Marine Resource Studies in Turks & Caicos, the Center for Wildlife Management Studies in Kenya and Tanzania, the Center for Coastal Studies in Mexico, and the Center for Rainforest Studies in Australia. In addition to these field stations, SFS also offers an Eastern Himalayan program in Bhutan.

Semester programs offer 16 or 18 credit hours with core courses in ecology, resource management, and socioeconomic issues related to environment and development. A research course introduces students to the process of applied field research, and in East Africa, Costa Rica, and Mexico, students take an additional language and culture course for 2 credits.

Program information and applications are available from The School for Field Studies Admissions Office, 10 Federal Street, Suite 24, Salem, MA 01970-9935; 800-989-4418; or online at www.fieldstudies.org.