Marine Entrepreneurship

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Marine Entrepreneurship
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
School of Marine and Environmental Programs

Contact

Dr. Charles Tilburg
Academic Director, School of Marine and Environmental Programs
ctilburg@une.edu

Dr. John Austin
Chair, Department of Business
jaustin8@une.edu

Mission

The 91AV’s (91AV) B.S. in Marine Entrepreneurship (MARE) is an interdepartmental, interdisciplinary academic program designed to train the next generation of marine science and business students at 91AV for careers in the marine economy, marine businesses, and in the leadership of marine organizations. Degree requirements include the completion of an internship and an applied marine business research project. 

Major Description

Our B.S. in Marine Entrepreneurship (MARE) is a unique major - the only one of its kind in the nation - combining study in business and marine science. Whether you are interested in starting a marine business, leading a marine organization or pursuing a career in marine environmental management, marine conservation, marine tourism, marine policy, fisheries, aquaculture, seafood or a related field, our vast marine and coastal resources, experiential programs, marine business partnerships, and internship opportunities will help you reach your full potential.

The scenic shores of coastal Maine — including 91AV’s one mile of coastline and an island just off our shores — provide an ideal environment for you to learn and explore. Your experiences are grounded in a curriculum that provides a sound base of knowledge in marine business and financial management, team-building skills, marine economics, and marine science. The internship and experiential research requirements ensure that you have the tools you need for a successful career.

THe Marine Living Learning Community (MLC)

All entering first-year Marine Science, Marine Affairs, and Marine Entrepreneurship majors are invited to participate in a year-long living-learning community focused on developing the skills needed to be a successful student, discovery of their majors and associated learning opportunities, and building relationships with peers, faculty, and professional staff.

The MLC integrates classroom learning, student success programming, experiential opportunities, as well as team-building and leadership development programs designed to assist Marine majors in their transitions from High School to College to Career.

Learning Community courses and events allows students an opportunity to expand their interests and grow personally, as well as professionally. A dedicated team comprised of faculty, professional staff, and peer leaders supports the MLC. This community of learning enriches classroom content and allows an opportunity to apply learning in context.

Students who participate in the MLC expected to:

  • Live together in a Residence Hall Community designed by the Office of Housing and Resident/Commuter Life.
  • Take two (2) or more designated courses in common over the course of their first year.
  • Participate in required experiential learning opportunities and community programs.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core Requirements Credits
Total 42–46
Required Courses Credits
BUAC 201 – Financial Accounting 3
BUEC 204 – Microeconomics 3
BUEC 390 – Environmental Economics 3
BUFI 315 – Financial Concepts and Skills 3
BUMG 120 – Innovation through Technology 3
BUMG 200 – Management 3
BUMG 301 – Organizational Behavior or BUMG 302 – Human Resource Mgmt or BUMG 307 – Operations Management 3
BUMG 325 – Legal Environment of Business 3
BUMG 313 – Social Innov & Entre or BUMK 312 – Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management 3
BUMK 200 – Marketing 3
BUMG 498 – Strategic Management or MAR 410 – Marine Science Research 3
BUMG 495A – Business Administration Internship or MAR 495 – Adv Marine Science Internship 3
MAR 105/105L – Eco/Evo of Marine Organisms with Lab Credits inclulded in Core Requirements
MAR 106/106L – Biology II of Marine Organisms 4
MAR 150/150L – Discovering the Ocean Environment 4
MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology 4
MAT 150 – Statistics for Life Sciences Credits included in Core Requirements
Two (2) courses from Biology/Marine Program Electives 6–8
Two (2) courses at 200-level or above in MAR, MAF, GIS, BIO, ORM, SRM, PSC, or ENV 6–8
Total Program Required Credits 60–64
Open elective courses (as needed to reach 120 credits) Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits 120

Elective Courses

Biology/Marine Program Electives Credits
BIO 221 – Principles of Aquaculture 3
BIO 222/222L – Finfish/Shellfish Culture Techniques with Lab 4
MAF 210 – Introduction to U.S Ocean Governance 3
MAF 310 – U.S. Ocean and Coastal Law 3
MAR 316 – Science and Society 3
MAR 331 – Biology of Fishes 4

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

Academic and Technical Standards

  • MARE majors must earn a minimum of a 2.0 GPA ("C") in all required business courses.
  • A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all science and mathematics courses used toward graduation in any of the programs in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs.
  • Students have a maximum of seven years to complete the graduation requirements.

Accreditation

All degree programs offered by the Department of Business and School of Marine and Environmental Programs are accredited by The New England Commission of Higher Education.

Learning Outcomes

As a result of completing the B.S. in Marine Entrepreneurship, graduates will be able to:

  • Students will demonstrate a strong content-knowledge foundation in their specific field of study (Marine Biology, Oceanography, Marine Entrepreneurship, or Marine Affairs).
  • Students will communicate effectively in both oral and written format to convey their scientific knowledge, interdisciplinary training, and findings to peers, professional audiences, decision-makers, and/or the public.
  • Students will demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their specific field of study by designing, carrying out, and interpreting the results of their experiments, by evaluating the literature published by professionals, by making recommendations to policymakers and/or by creating and innovating in their field.

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their advisor.

Transfer Credit

Courses completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the required courses offered at 91AV in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they may transfer as general electives. All courses completed must be no older than five years.

Other restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Financial Information

TUITION AND FEES

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the 91AV for the 2023–2024 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication April 28, 2023.

The 91AV reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.