Stockton expands Coastal Zone Management program through Monmouth University agreement

Stockton is expanding an advance-degree program of vital interest to municipalities along the Jersey Shore.

Stockton University and Monmouth University have entered into an articulation agreement, according to a Stockton news release issued Monday.

Under the new arrangement, five Monmouth students will be eligible for admission into the Stockton Coastal Zone Management program.

Dean Amanda Norvell, of the Stockton School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics, praised the creation of the new program.

“We are very excited to enter into this agreement and welcome Monmouth University students interested in coastal zone management to our program,” Norvell said in the news release.

The students from Monmouth must be juniors who are pursuing bachelor’s degrees in Biology or Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy. Interested students will be interviewed and potentially recommended for admission into the Stockton graduate program.

There are two degree options available under the agreement. The Professional Science Masters is designed to prepare students for career advancement and professional work in the field, while having them pursue a capstone project. The Master of Science requires student to complete a research-based thesis and is designed for those interested in a career in academic study or research. The Stockton release said both options will qualify graduates to offer expertise advice to businesses, governments and non-governmental organizations.

John Tiedemann, the assistant dean of the Monmouth School of Science, said in the release that he thought the arrangement would create new chances for students to learn an ecologically important field.

“This agreement will provide a unique opportunity for our students to pursue their interests in coastal resource conservation and management and enhance their career opportunities,” said Tiedemann, who is also the director of the Monmouth Marine and Environmental Biology and Policy program.

The Stockton Coastal Zone Management program launched in 2020. The degrees available under the articulation agreement are meant to complement the Stockton Marine and Environmental Science program and the Stockton Coastal Resource Center.

Norvell said that the topics these programs are studying are of growing interest to municipalities along the Jersey Shore vulnerable to the consequences of global warming.

“Here at Stockton, we are aware of the effect of climate change and the impact it has on our state, primarily in municipalities along the New Jersey coastline,” Norvell said in the news release. “The Coastal Zone Management program will prepare the next generation of scientists and coastal managers to take on these complex issues.”

The Monmouth-Stockton agreement is set to take effect in July. Those interested in learning more about the Stockton Coastal Zone Management program can visit https://stockton.edu/graduate/coastal-zone-management.html on the university website.