The maritime realm hosts humanity's most dramatic stories, powerful technologies, and grandest aesthetic and literary achievements. Global oceans and rivers also witness humans' worst acts of pollution, criminality, and destruction. Maritime Studies explores these long and sometimes troubled relationships between people, water, and other forms of marine life. Through rigorous training in History, English, Geography, Economics, Political Science and Anthropology, students engage global maritime and coastal issues, traditions, and problems.

Maritime Studies is a flexible but focused major that students may shape to meet a wide range of educational and occupational goals. Depending upon the track of studies selected, Maritime Studies students may prepare for a range of careers including those in the maritime service and heritage tourism sectors as well as for graduate study in maritime and public history, English, journalism, marine policy and cultural resource management, planning and regulation, education, law, or business.

The Maritime Studies Program takes advantage of the UConn-Avery Point campus’ unique Long Island Sound location and its many coastal and maritime educational resources and research programs including the UConn Sea Grant Institute, the National Undersea Research Center, the Long Island Sound Resource Center, and Marine Sciences Department. Significant internship and research opportunities for students are also available through agreements with regional institutions that include Mystic Seaport, one of the world’s premier maritime museums and research centers.