UMass Boston

Sustainable Marine Aquaculture

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Get the inside scoop on the Aquaculture experience, career outcomes, events, and more.


Learn to unpack key issues and challenges facing the sustainable seafood industry.

UMass Boston’s Sustainable Marine Aquaculture Certificate focuses on preparing you to successfully address key issues and challenges facing the aquaculture industry to ensure sustained growth. It’s designed for professionals already working in the field, students who are looking to gain additional industry expertise, and individuals trying to break into the aquaculture industry who want to hone their skills and add a certification to their résumé. Learn the business of aquaculture—the breeding, rearing, and harvesting of fish, shellfish, plants, algae, and other organisms in all aquatic environments—and explore ways to make this growing and rapidly expanding industry more sustainable. With an Aquaculture Certificate, you can work in both the private and commercial sectors as an oyster farmer, seaweed cultivator, or processor, or you could work on a fish farm as a technician, general worker, scientist, engineer, or manager. You could also work for a regulatory agency working towards maintaining healthy sustainable practices.

If you’re trying to break into the growing and rapidly expanding aquaculture industry, you’re already working in the field, or you are a student looking to add additional expertise to your résumé, sign up to take a course or to declare the certificate program. We offer courses and certificates for academic credit and for continuing education credits. Taking an aquaculture class could also help you secure an internship working outdoors and on the oceans.

All courses in UMass Boston’s Sustainable Marine Aquaculture program are open to the UMass Boston community as well as students from other universities and the public. Our goal is to provide a flexible and accessible introduction to this emerging field and so offer a variety of options to suit your individual needs.

Outcomes

At the end of this two-semester program, you’ll be awarded a professional certificate in Sustainable Marine Aquaculture. After taking online aquaculture classes from UMass Boston, you will have a basic foundation in the field of aquaculture. The certificate will demonstrate your expertise in the field on your résumé, as well as in interviews and workplace evaluations.

This certificate prepares you for a career in commercial and private sectors and regulatory agencies, as well as multiple other careers. You could work for a fish farm, oyster farmer, seaweed cultivator, or processor both in the commercial and private sectors.

Fish farms hire technicians and general workers to:

  • carry out collection
  • feed
  • monitor stock
  • identify any problems or diseases
  • run the hatchery to provide a consistent inventory to new stock

Fish farms hire scientists to implement strategies that will maintain the healthy growth of fish stocks. Fish farms hire engineers to be in charge of equipment and machinery such as water pumps, water treatment devices, boats, and upwellers. Managers oversee everything and deal with budgets and accounting, client meetings and sales, risk assessment, and insurance and policy-related issues.

With your certificate in Sustainable Marine Aquaculture, you could also work for a regulatory agency working towards maintaining healthy sustainable practices. 

Start Your Application

Plan Your Education

How to Apply

Credit-bearing Courses

Current UMass Boston students: register for credit-bearing courses through the WISER system.

Guest (non-degree) students: register for credit-bearing courses through UMass Boston Online & Continuing Education

Non-credit Courses

Current UMB students & Guest (non-degree) students: register for non-credit courses through UMass Boston Online & Continuing Education

Deadlines & Cost

Credit-bearing

  • The credit bearing program consists of three 3-credit courses, or 9 credits.
  • Online tuition is $410 per credit.
  • Total estimated cost to complete the program is $3,690.
  • Estimate is based on completing program by minimum duration. Other fees may apply. Request Info to connect with a program representative for further details.

Non-credit

  • The non-credit bearing program consists of three courses.
  • Online tuition is $500 per course.
  • Total estimated cost to complete the program is $1,500.
  • Estimate is based on completing program by minimum duration. Other fees may apply. Request Info to connect with a program representative for further details.

Curriculum

Credit-bearing Certificate

Required Courses

  • Introduction to Sustainable Marine Aquaculture (ENVSCI 114)
  • Aquaculture Production (ENVSCI 124)
  • The Business of Marine Aquaculture (ENVSCI 134)

Electives (Choose one)

  • Introduction to Environmental Policy & Management (ENVSCI 122)
  • The Nature of Environmental Problems (ENVSTY 101)
  • Sustainability: It's Not Easy Being Green (ENVSCI 105)

Non-credit Certificate

Required Courses

  • Introduction to Sustainable Marine Aquaculture (ENVSCI 114)
  • Aquaculture Production (ENVSCI 124)
  • The Business of Marine Aquaculture (ENVSCI 134)

For more information on curriculum, including course descriptions and degree requirements, visit the Academic Catalog.

Graduation Criteria

Credit-bearing

Complete 12 credits from four courses including three required courses and one elective.

Non-credit

Complete 9 credits from three required courses.

Contact

Aquaculture Program Coordinator:
Jennifer Bender

(617) 287-7440
jennifer.bender [at] umb.edu

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UMass Boston programs are designed to meet the requirements for licensure or certification in Massachusetts. Please contact your state licensing or certification board to determine whether the program meets the requirements for licensure or certification in other states.

 

 

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