Coastal Carolina University is a dynamic, public comprehensive liberal arts institution located in Conway, just minutes from Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Coastal Carolina offers baccalaureate programs in 40 fields of study including acclaimed programs in marine science, resort tourism and professional golf management. Graduate programs include an MBA as well as master's degrees in education and coastal marine and wetland studies. More than 7,800 Coastal Carolina students from across the country and the world interact with a world-class faculty, and enjoy a nationally competitive NCAA I athletic program, an inspiring cultural calendar, and a tradition of community interaction that is fueled by more than 100 student clubs and organizations. Coastal comprises 53 main buildings on 307 acres including the Burroughs & Chapin Center for Marine and Wetland Studies and the Coastal Science Center, located on the East Campus at the Atlantic Center on U.S. 501. The University also offers courses in Litchfield, Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach and Georgetown. Waties Island, 1,062 acres of pristine barrier island on the Atlantic coast, provides a natural laboratory for extensive study in marine science and wetlands biology. Students enrolled in Coastal's Professional Golf Management program staff Quail Creek Golf Club at Coastal Carolina University, a public 18-hole golf facility located adjacent to the campus. Coastal Carolina was founded in 1954 and became an independent university in 1993.