Outstanding faculty: All ESSP professors are nationally or internationally recognized experts in their fields. Each is also an outstanding teacher with a track record of dedication to student learning and student success.
Access to advanced technologies: ESSP students gain hands-on experience with advanced technologies for environmental data collection, analysis, visualization, and communication by working with our Seafloor Mapping Lab, Central Coast Watershed Studies Group, Elephant Seal Project, ROVing Otter project, and several other high-technology programs within the department.
Applied research and community involvement: ESSP students develop practical skills and make valuable professional contacts through regular participation in applied research and community service projects. Many of these opportunities are provided through CSUMB's Service Learning Institute, the ESSP Internship Program, and ESSP's Watershed Institute.
Regional partnerships: Collaborations with nearby world-class research and technology centers—including Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Hopkins Marine Station of Stanford University, and NASA's Ames Research Center—create outstanding opportunities for ESSP students.
Senior Capstone Project: The ESSP major culminates in a year-long capstone project that is very much like a mini-masters thesis, including a written thesis and an oral presentation before a public audience of peers, faculty, and parents. The quality of ESSP capstones is high. Several have been published in professional scientific journals and presented by students at national scientific meetings.