Understanding the oceans, the coasts, and our interactions with both is critical in this era of climate change, sea-level rise, fisheries crises, and the internationalization of the high seas. The oceans control our planet’s weather, they supply about 20% of the world’s food, and ocean-going cargo ships carry 90% of international trade goods. More than a third of the global population lives within some tens of kilometers of the coast, and about 10% of the world’s people could be directly impacted by sea level rise in the coming decades. Williams runs the Williams-Mystic Program at our coastal campus in Mystic, CT. Williams-Mystic is an award-winning interdisciplinary semester-away program open to sophomores and juniors, which investigates the multifaceted ocean and coastal system via the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences. Coastal and Ocean Studies (CaOS) provides an on-campus structure for students to weave the Williams-Mystic curriculum into an interdisciplinary concentration.
Candidates for the CaOS concentration must complete a minimum of seven courses, one of which must be an oceanography course. Requirements include four courses at Williams-Mystic and three on the main Williamstown campus. Honors candidates will in addition undertake independent research in their senior year.
Students who have completed other study-away programs that emphasize marine and coastal studies should consult with the CaOS chair about the possibility of completing the concentration. More information can be found on the Coastal and Ocean Studies web pages.