Marine and Land Conservation
Welcome to the Marine and Land Conservation track within the International Environmental Policy program.
The Marine and Land Conservation track prepares students to be leaders in biodiversity protection at local, national, and international levels. Our graduates work for a variety of governmental organizations including: city, state, and federal agencies, intergovernmental organizations such as the UN, national and international non-governmental organizations (NGOs), consulting firms, and private companies looking to minimize their environmental impact.
In addition to an innovative curriculum, students have multiple opportunities to collaborate with world renowned institutions like the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch Program and the Big Sur Land Trust. The Institute is a member of the COS MARINE program, which provides opportunities to work with other excellent local education and conservation organizations to gain practical experience in marine conservation. In addition, the Institute's new Center for the Blue Economy provides students with a number of internship and research opportunities, as well as additional education opportunities such as conferences and the marine speaker series.
Topics
- Protected Area Policy and Management
- Marine Law and Policy
- Environmental Conflict Resolution
- Conservation Finance, Monitoring, and Evaluation
- Conservation Leadership
- Sustainable Agriculture
To learn more about the Marine and Land Conservation track, please review the course descriptions below as well as the internship and career opportunities within this field of study.
Course Descriptions
To meet the demands of a fast-paced policy world, our curriculum is constantly evolving and new courses are regularly introduced. This list is a sample of courses that have been offered in the past and does not guarantee their availability every semester. Although students must complete 8 credits within the Marine and Land Conservation track to fulfill the concentration requirements, students are encouraged to take elective courses offered outside of their track to develop interdisciplinary skills and to link areas of interest.
Sample Marine and Land Conservation Courses
- IPOL 8635 Seminar: Marine Protected Areas
- IPOL 8692 Emerging Issues in Ocean Conservation
- IPOL 8645 Protected Areas Policy
- IPOL 8581 Sustainable Field Study: International Agriculture
- IPOL 8680 International Wildlife and Biodiversity Law
- IPOL 8616 Environmental Conflict Management
- IPOL 8652 International Marine Law
- IPOL 8576 Peacemaking and the Environment
- IPOL XXXX Conservation Project Design & Evaluation
Explore Careers
As the importance of biodiversity protection becomes more widely recognized, the demand for Marine and Land Conservation graduates is increasing. The multi-faceted, professional skills developed in this track prepare our students for leadership positions in this fast-growing field.
Our graduates are working in Brazil, China, Germany, Laos, Peru, the United States, and other locations around the world. Learn more about the Marine and Land Conservation positions held by our alumni. Visit the organizations' websites to learn more about internship and job opportunities.

















