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 the 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, a unique interdisciplinary semester investigating the multifaceted ocean and coastal system via the humanities, social sciences, and physical sciences; and 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 concentration in Coastal and Ocean Studies (formerly Maritime Studies) must complete a minimum of seven courses:  the four Williams-Mystic courses (which cover history, literature, science, and policy of the coasts and oceans); an oceanography course, an elective, and a 400-level Senior Seminar. The Williams-Mystic courses are taken at our Mystic CT campus, during a semester away at the Williams-Mystic Program in sophomore or junior year, and the remainder of the concentration is completed on campus.

Students who have completed other study-away programs that emphasize marine studies should consult with the program chair about the possibility of completing the Coastal and Ocean Studies concentration.