Degree in Marine Biology
Major Requirements
Students who declare a marine biology major must complete BIO 104 with a grade of C- or higher in order to continue in the program.
Marine biology majors pursuing the Bachelor of Science degree must complete two semesters of calculus and one semester of statistics. The Bachelor of Arts degree requires MATH 124 and MATH 135 or above. A paper or other evidence of the student's ability to conduct investigations, use library resources, and write a report following a standard format is required in each advanced-level course. A writing course, Critical Writing for Science Majors, is prerequisite to advanced courses and should be completed in the sophomore year.
Marine biology majors must satisfy all University Core Curriculum requirements and the College speech requirement. In addition, marine biology majors must successfully complete the following courses and sufficient electives to total 120 credits. Majors are encouraged to apply electives toward a minor or second major.
- NATSC 104 Principles of Oceanography
- BIO 103 Biology I and Lab
- BIO 104 Biology II and Lab
- BIO 200 Genetics and Lab
- BIO 220 Marine Vertebrate Zoology and Lab
- BIO 335 Invertebrate Zoology and Lab
- BIO 355 Marine Phycology and Lab
or
- BIO 356 Biology of Plankton and Lab
- CHEM 191 Principles of Chemistry I and Lab
- CHEM 192 Principles of Chemistry II and Labs
- CHEM 301 Organic Chemistry I and Lab
- CHEM 302 Organic Chemistry II and Lab
- for B.S. degree: PHYS 201 Principles of Physics I Lab
- for B.S. degree: PHYS 202 Principles of Physics II and Lab
- for B.A. degree: PHYS 109 Physics I and Lab
- for B.A. degree: PHYS 110 Physics II and Lab
The SEA Semester Option
Prerequisite for majors:Satisfactory completion of the writing, mathematics, and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above; and permission from the program faculty.
Prerequisite for Core Concentration:
Students who are not majoring in science or mathematics may use the SEA Semester to fulfill the Core Concentration requirement provided the following prerequisites are met before the SEA Semester: satisfactory completion of the writing, mathematics, and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a GPA of 2.5; and permission of the program faculty.
Students in good academic standing and who meet the prerequisites may apply to attend a SEA Semester through the Sea Education Association (SEA) of Woods Hole, Massachusetts. Students attending a SEA Semester enroll in the following courses:
- BIO 411 Applied Oceanography 3 credits
- BIO 412 Nautical Science 3 credits
- BIO 414 Maritime Studies 3 credits
- BIO 416 Marine Technology 4 credits
- BIO 418 Practical Oceanographic Research 4 credits
Majors who pursue the Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in marine biology and who successfully complete a SEA Semester must complete Genetics and Lab and a minimum of four (rather than five) upper-level courses in biology as follows:
- BIO 355 Marine Phycology and Lab or BIO 356 Biology of Plankton and Lab
- BIO 220 Marine Vertebrate Zoology and Lab or BIO 335 Invertebrate Zoology and Lab
- BIO 320 Marine Ecology and Lab or BIO 360 Limnology and Lab
The Bermuda Semester Option
Prerequisite for majors: Satisfactory completion of the writing, mathematics, and the five-course Interdisciplinary Core; a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above; and permission from the program faculty.
Students in the Bermuda semester program enroll in the following courses:
- BIO 361 Coral Reef Ecology (4 credits)
- BIO 410.01 Research Diving Methods (3 credits)
- BIO 410.02 Marine Biology Research (6 credits)
- BIO 336 Tropical Marine Invertebrate Zoology (4 credits)
