MEES Mission

The Marine Estuarine & Environmental Sciences (MEES) Graduate Program’s mission is to educate students to become the scientific leaders and environmental problem-solvers of the future. Using an interdisciplinary approach, MEES students are trained to engage in scientific discovery, integration, and application to generate new knowledge and to solve environmental problems. Based around four Foundations, the MEES program was established to breakdown barriers between disciplines and to promote inter-disciplinary and trans-disciplinary research through its multi-institutional structure which leverages the full breadth of expertise within the University System of Maryland (USM). MEES curriculum, designed around four Areas of Specialization (AOS) or Foundations: Environment & Society, Earth & Ocean Science, Ecological Systems, and Environmental Molecular Science & Technology, combines formal coursework, project-based learning and internships to provide exposure to state-of-the-art tools and technologies in equipping students for careers in government, commercial, the non-profit sector and academia.