SEA Semester: Ocean Exploration (Interdisciplinary)

- Multi-Country

Locations Throughout the World,  Locations in North America,  Locations in the Carribbean

  Hawaii (USA)

Honolulu

  Tahiti

  United States

Key West,  Woods Hole

  US Virgin Islands

St. Croix

Term: Fall, Spring, Summer, Trimester, Winter 
Dates: Offered each term. Visit our website for exact dates of upcoming programs.

Description: Understanding the oceans is an essential aspect of appreciating how the world works and how we relate to it as human beings. The sea is so complex that it is impossible to comprehend from the perspective of a single academic discipline. With that in mind, this interdisciplinary semester combines insights from oceanography, humanities, and social sciences with practical skills in seamanship, allowing students to deepen their awareness of and appreciation for the sea through hands-on research and personal experience.

Based in the world-renowned scientific community of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, Sea Education Association provides undergraduates with the opportunity to study the ocean from a multitude of academic perspectives, and do to it from the platform of a traditional sailing vessel. Our four diverse SEA Semester options are the only full-credit programs in the world that combine an engaging academic and research curriculum with the sailing adventure of a lifetime.

SEA SEMESTER: OCEAN EXPLORATION
To a large extent, the fate of the oceans determines the fate of our planet. The sea is so complex that it is impossible to understand and appreciate from the perspective of a single academic discipline. SEA Semester: Ocean Exploration takes an interdisciplinary approach that combines data and insights from oceanography, the humanities and social sciences, and public policy - together with practical skills in nautical science - so students can develop a broad understanding of the sea. This knowledge is increasingly important today, when society is becoming more aware of how the world's oceans affect the operations of the planet, from climate patterns to the origins of life itself.

SHORE COMPONENT - WOODS HOLE
For the first 6 weeks - or 4 weeks during the summer session - students take academic classes and labs to prepare for their research at sea. SEA faculty work with students as they design individual research projects to complete during the voyage. Students have access to the renowned Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution/Marine Biological Laboratory Library. Maritime Studies adds perspectives from the humanities and social sciences, including public policy. Nautical Science grounds students in seamanship - no prior sailing experience is necessary. Students live in communal housing at SEA's Woods Hole campus and have a chance to enjoy the science & culture of the area.

SEA COMPONENT - CRUISE TRACKS VARY FROM PROGRAM TO PROGRAM
During the 6-week cruise - or 4 weeks during the summer session - students participate as full working members of the crew and scientific staff on one of SEA's state-of-the-art sailing research vessels. Cruise tracks vary by program and may include the North Atlantic, Atlantic/Caribbean, Pacific, and South Pacific oceans. Students deploy oceanographic sampling equipment, complete their individual research projects, learn to operate a tall ship, and visit port stops off the beaten path.

Highlights: For more than 35 years and 1,000,000 nautical miles, SEA has educated students about the world's oceans through a fully accredited off-campus study program. Combining perspectives from the sciences, humanities and social sciences, SEA offers extraordinary opportunities for interdisciplinary project-based learning on shore and the immediate application of that newfound knowledge at sea. SEA admits students of any race, color, national or ethnic origin to all SEA Semester programs.

No matter your major, SEA considers ocean studies to be an essential component of a liberal arts education. Why should you study the ocean? You can't afford not to. The ocean has a daily impact on your life, and you on it. SEA offers students a connection to this invaluable resource, an experience that you will likely never have access to again.

SEA'S VESSELS

SSV Corwith Cramer -
Corwith Cramer, named after SEA's founding director, was designed by Wooden and Marean specifically for SEA and was constructed by ASTACE in 1987 in Bilbao, Spain. She is a 134' steel brigantine built as a research vessel for operation under sail.

SSV Robert C. Seamans -
SEA's newest vessel, the Robert C. Seamans, was designed by Laurent Giles of Hampshire England, and built at JM Martinac shipbuilding in Tacoma, WA. Named after former trustee and Chairman of SEA's board, the Robert C. Seamans is a 134' steel brigantine and is the most sophisticated oceanographic research/sailing school vessel ever built in the United States. Improvements in design and equipment, including a wet/dry laboratory and larger library, classroom, and computer laboratory enhance the SEA academic program.

HANDS-ON SHIPS
SEA vessels are hands-on ships. After careful instruction both on shore and at sea, students put their education into practice, demonstrating competence in sailing, and using the vessel's systems to carry out their class mission. Radar, radio-telephones, GPS navigation systems and depth sounders on each vessel ensure their navigational safety. Auxiliary machinery includes refrigeration systems, desalinization, firefighting and pumping equipment, and electrical generators. In the unlikely event of an emergency, fully-equipped life rafts can accommodate each ship's entire company.

Each vessel goes to sea with a professional staff of ten, including captain, chief scientist, three mates, three assistant scientists, an engineer, and a steward. In addition, a visiting scholar is frequently on board. Students, 25 on Corwith Cramer, and 25 on the Robert C. Seamans, round out the complement.

SEA vessels fly the United States flag and are inspected and certified by the United States Coast Guard as Sailing School Vessels (SSV). Sailing School Vessels are required to meet stringent safety standards that differ from those of a passenger vessel on a comparable route. Our shipboard labs are funded by the National Science Foundation & are among the most advanced oceanographic research vessels in the world.

Degree Level: Bachelors Degree (Undergraduate)

Minimum Education: High School

Cost in US$: Visit our website for information on costs, affordability & financial aid

Experience Required: no

This Program is open to Worldwide Participants.

Participants Travel Independently or in Groups

Typically Participants Work Independently or in Groups of 2-3

Scholarships are Available. numerous merit based scholarships are available.

Application Process Involves:

• In-Person Interview when Feasible
• Letters of Reference
• Phone Interview
• Physical Exam/Health Records
• Transcript
• Written Application

Post-Program Services Include:

• Alumni Network
• Exit Debriefing Abroad
• Job and Internship Network
• Re-Entry Debriefing at Home

Year Founded: 1971