Our curriculum is based on an interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary hands-on course of study focused on the world’s oceans and coastlines. Together, students of all majors study the history, literature, policy and science of the sea. Our classrooms include Mystic Seaport’s unparalleled G.W. Blunt White Library, home to one of the world’s most extensive collections of maritime volumes, periodicals and documents, our well-equipped marine science teaching and research facility near the Mystic River, and a large number of field sites around the region.

Creating a rigorous academic curriculum accredited by Williams College demands the input of top scholars, marine experts, and historians. Williams-Mystic has created a truly revolutionary educational experience. This semester long program is founded on the principles of collaborative faculty teaching, where all coursework becomes part of the big picture—the world’s oceans. Our students immerse themselves in four courses: Maritime History, Marine Policy, Literature of the Sea, and the Marine Sciences. Students attend regular weekly classes as well as uniquely structured cross-course seminars and panels with scholars and industry professionals.