SALISBURY, Md. — Salisbury University is launching Maryland’s first coastal engineering major.
Set to begin in fall 2025, the program will prepare students for careers in coastal flood management, bridge planning, and beach nourishment projects. The new major is designed to grow the workforce on the Delmarva Peninsula, an area vulnerable to climate change and coastal challenges.
Dr. Michael Scott, dean of the Henson School of Science and Technology at Salisbury University, said the university’s location makes it an ideal place for the program.
“At Salisbury University, we are 25 miles from the Chesapeake Bay and about 30 miles from the Atlantic Ocean,” Scott said. “It’s the perfect place—we are in a living laboratory for coastal engineering.”
The program will include about 10 new courses. Scott said there has been student demand for the major, which aligns with the university’s mission to provide workforce development opportunities for the region.
“We have a very direct goal of creating workforce development for the Delmarva Peninsula,” he said. “Our role is not just to create college graduates with these skills, but to try to retain them here in the local area.”
Ocean City officials see the program as a step forward in protecting Maryland’s coastline. City Manager Terry McGean said skilled professionals are needed to preserve the region’s shorelines and wetlands.
“It’s very important, not just for Ocean City, but for the entire state of Maryland,” McGean said. “With the amount of shoreline we have and how important it is, we need people with the skills to help us preserve it.”
Salisbury University plans to seek accreditation for the program in the future.