About Us

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) at the University of Washington offers an internationally recognized master's degree program for launching careers in marine policy and administration. SMEA's strength lies both in its rigorous academic program and its faculty research in current marine and coastal issues.

Students at SMEA learn creative approaches to resolving marine problems and conflicts and may concentrate in a variety of subject areas from coastal zone management to marine environmental protection to port and marine transportation management.

After receiving the Master of Marine Affairs (MMA) degree, graduates are uniquely qualified for various marine and environmental affairs related positions. Graduates go on to become policy makers, analysts, planners, administrators, consultants, non-profit managers, activists and researchers.

SMEA faculty and students make important contributions to knowledge. Research teams are breaking new ground in such fields as climate change impacts, waste management, salmon and habitat recovery, ecosystem management, risk analysis, environmental disasters, and international collaborations.