Water and Coastal Management (WCM) becomes Sustainable Marine and Coastal Management (SMCM).

Starting in the winter term 2026/27, SMCM is replacing WCM. With the new study programme, new opportunities arise, while the old benefits of the programme remain. Students still be awarded two Master's degrees, one from the Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg and one from the Rijksuniversiteit of Groningen while the programme is offering more courses in collaboration with the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM) and the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity (HIFMB). Through the addition of the term sustainability we now include the social issue of societal development in coastal and marine areas.

In Oldenburg, the programme is structured into four sections. The mandatory Case Study remains, where students are solving transdisciplinary problems togehter in a creative way. The other sections are Coastal Management (formerly Planning), Science and Socioeconomics, where students are free to choose courses based on their interests and backgrounds. The Coastal Management courses offer the opportunity to gain deeper knowledge of marine and coastal governance, planning and management issues. 

With the changes, graduates become experts in tackling the increased design and planning challenges in coastal and marine areas.