The University of the Virgin Islands (UVI) is seeking applicants and internship partners for the new Professional Science Master (PSM) degree approved by the UVI Board of Trustees in Spring of 2024 as part of UVI’s Marine and Environmental Science program (MMES).
The new master's degree is a two-year program designed to prepare students to enter the workforce as professionals in STEM careers. UVI seeks persons interested in a science career and those currently working in the field as educators, natural resource managers, environmental health technicians, ecotourism specialists and other related jobs, to seize this opportunity to enhance their professional skills and develop a working understanding, ability to communicate, and hands-on professional experience in marine and environmental science. The core courses of a PSM student's first year include developing research skills and knowledge broadly applicable to marine and environmental science, with emphasis on the communication of science concepts to researchers, stakeholders, and the public. Applications will be accepted beginning Nov. 1, 2024. See this link to apply - Master of Marine & Environmental Science Application link.
Dr. Kayla Blincow, an assistant professor and researcher with UVI's Center for Marine and Environmental Science (CMES), received a PSM degree in conservation biology at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia on her path to a Ph.D. in marine biology at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “My PSM degree was an important stepping stone,” said Dr. Blincow. “It exposed me to different conservation fields and helped me decide on a career in academic research. My peers from the program chose diverse conservation-related careers, working at government agencies, non-profits, and the private sector.”
She continued, “I am excited for UVI and the Center for Marine and Environmental Studies to bring the PSM experience to USVI students and make careers in marine science even more accessible to folks that want to explore the field beyond just academic research."
The Master of Science (MS) in marine and environmental science is also offered at UVI. The MS is thesis-based, requiring students to conduct original research and formally present their findings. The PSM does not require a thesis; PSM students will attend the same core courses as MS students in the first year; and, in the second year, PSM students will take elective courses and participate in a professional internship or gain additional job experience for those already working in their field. MS students may also take internship courses.
UVI seeks organizations with activities and stakeholders in marine and environmental sciences that would benefit from having a MMES graduate student intern at least part-time for four to eight months, and that would guide a PSM student working at their facility to contact the program at the email and or telephone numbers below for more information. Employees at such organizations and others interested in a graduate degree in marine and environmental science are encouraged to contact the MMES program for application information.
More information is available on the Master of Marine & Environmental Science section of the UVI website – https://uvi.edu and through the MMES Program Coordinator Sophia McKenzie at Sophia.mckenzie@uvi.edu or MMES Acting Director Dr. Marianne Moore at Marianne.moore@uvi.edu. Call the MS or PSM Program Offices at (340) 693-1688.
Contact UVI’s Public Relations Office with media inquiries at pr@uvi.edu.
