Major in Global Studies and Maritime Affairs

The major in Global Studies and Maritime Affairs provides students with the following:

A solid theoretical background in the social sciences, applied to the needs of the greater maritime and transportation industries.

Applied knowledge relevant to government agencies, non-profit organizations, international organizations, and businesses dealing with maritime issues: specifically, a solid foundation in economic and political globalization theories and the theories of the policy process; an understanding of global maritime history and the importance of maritime power to the power of the state; and an awareness of, and facility with, current global maritime issues as they relate to security, trade, and the environment.

The intellectual tools necessary to understand maritime policy issues in an increasingly globalized world: specifically, critical thinking, quantitative and non-quantitative research capability, leadership skills, and cultural and diversity awareness.

The major emphasizes four maritime policy areas:

• International Maritime Trade and Policy:
  This policy area focuses on maritime issues from an international political economy perspective. Economic globalization is one of the most profound and far-reaching events of the late twentieth and early twenty-first century; its implications reach well into the trade and economic relations of all nations, the United States included. Here, the specific focus is on changing patterns of international trade and transportation, the “globalization” of the shipping industry, and the global political and economic forces behind these phenomena.
   
• International Maritime Security:
  This policy area focuses on maritime issues from a security perspective: specifically, the different threats in the coastal and near coastal zones, in international waters, and on the high seas. Topics covered include (but are not limited to) the following: sea-lane security, maritime piracy and terrorism, illegal immigration, innocent passage, force majure, changing naval policies (both in the United States and in key countries around the world). A specific focus is on the identification of emerging maritime threats and the policies needed to counter these threats effectively.
   
• International Maritime Environmental Policy:
  This policy area will focus on maritime environmental issues. There are many environmental issues pertaining to global shipping, but here the course offerings could extend to marine policy in general, rather than just policies with a focus on shipping and trade. Whaling, fisheries management, and shipbuilding environmental standards are examples of issues that would be covered in classes in this policy area. Policy ramifications of each are examined in depth.
   
• Maritime Law and Organizations:
  This focus is on international maritime law and international maritime organizations, such as the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III), the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Maritime Bureau (IMB), the U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Policy impacts of these and other organizations are examined in detail.

The objective in each of these policy areas is to give students a theoretical foundation (drawn from the social science fields of international relations, political science, public policy, history, and economics) in these core areas. The theoretical tools learned will allow students to understand and analyze shipping and maritime policies in a global economic, political and environmental context.