SALISBURY, Md. - Classes are back in session at Salisbury University. At least a dozen students are taking part in a brand new major: Coastal Engineering.
While coastal engineering courses have been offered at Salisbury University for years, school officials say making it a major takes better advantage of what Salisbury’s location, between the ocean and the bay, has to offer.
“If you're interested in engineering as a career and you're particularly interested in applying that in the coastal zone, we are only one of three programs on the East Coast of the United States to do this,” said Dr. Michael Scott, Dean of SU’s Richard A. Henson School of Science and Technology.
For students like Sophomore Maddie Coyne, studying coastal engineering at SU allows her to connect two of her passions: the beach and helping the environment.
“I just love the beach so much, and I've always been a fan of math and science, and I think that my passion for the beach and helping the environment would be a great way,” said Coyne. “This major would be a great way to merge all of that.”
School officials tell WBOC that SU’s coastal engineering program has already had a 100 percent placement rate in the professional world. They say that this major just further supports those educational journeys, especially with the University’s proximity to the beach.
“From our perspective, we're the perfect place to do this. We've got outstanding, talented faculty who know how to teach undergraduates the principles of both coastal processes and engineering,” said Dr. Scott. “And you're in a physical environment that just makes this perfect, a perfect place to be studying this particular thing. If this is what you're excited about for your career.”
Dr. Scott said during the off-season at the local beaches, you can see the coastal engineering students practicing hands-on-learning. Besides the classwork and beachfront learning, students often participate in internships and have job placements for local companies that utilize coastal engineering.