Marine Sciences (BA or BS)
Students in the Marine Sciences major receive multidisciplinary training in the biological, chemical, physical, and geological processes of the ocean with emphasis on how humans impact the coastal environment. In addition to receiving a strong foundation in mathematics and natural sciences, students engage in experiential learning, fieldwork, internships, study abroad and senior-year capstone courses that foster interdisciplinary training. The Marine Sciences major at UConn prepares graduates for employment in environmental consulting, regulatory agencies and research institutions, and for graduate studies (see the Accelerated 4+1 B.S./M.S. program in the UConn Graduate Catalog under “Oceanography”).
Requirements
Bachelor of Science in Marine Sciences
The B.S. in Marine Sciences requires a foundation of courses including at least 30 credits of Marine Sciences courses (27 at 2000-level and above), and 12 credits of Related Area courses.
Marine Sciences majors in the B.S. must pass the following courses:
I. Required Courses in Basic Sciences and Math
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1107 & BIOL 1108 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology II | 8 |
| Select one of the following sequences: | 8-10 | |
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry I and Fundamentals of General Chemistry II and Fundamentals of General Chemistry III | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| MATH 1131Q & MATH 1132Q | Calculus I and Calculus II | 8 |
| Select one of the following sequences: | 8 | |
| General Physics I and General Physics II | ||
| General Physics with Calculus I and General Physics with Calculus II | ||
| Select one of the following introductory statistics or data analysis courses: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Statistics I | ||
| Elementary Concepts of Statistics | ||
| Statistical Methods | ||
| Introduction to Computing for Engineers | ||
| Computational Physics | ||
| Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences | ||
| Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory | ||
| Quantitative Analytical Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Applied Data Analysis in Earth Science | ||
| Total Credits | 35-38 | |
II. Marine Sciences B.S. Major Requirements
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MARN 1002E | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| or MARN 1003E | Introduction to Oceanography with Laboratory | |
| MARN 2801WE | Marine Sciences and Society | 3 |
| MARN 3001 | Foundations of Marine Sciences | 4 |
| MARN 3002 | Foundations of Marine Sciences | 3 |
| MARN 4001 | Measurement and Analysis in Coastal Ecosystems | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Science and the Coastal Environment | ||
| Senior Research Thesis 1 | ||
| Electives | ||
| Four MARN electives must be completed with at least one course from each group: | 12 | |
| Group 1 (Physical, Chemical, Geological) | ||
| The Oceans and Global Climate | ||
| Coastal Circulation and Sediment Transport | ||
| Beaches and Coasts | ||
| Remote Sensing of Marine Geography | ||
| Chemical Oceanography | ||
| Geological Oceanography | ||
| Paleooceanography | ||
| Physical Oceanography | ||
| River Influences on the Marine Environment | ||
| Group 2 (Biological) | ||
| Marine Invertebrate Biology | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Techniques in Marine Molecular Biology | ||
| Plankton Ecology | ||
| Coastal Pollution and Bioremediation | ||
| Seminar on Marine Mammals | ||
| Seminar in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Ecology of Fishes | ||
| Geomicrobiology | ||
| Group 3 (Quantitative) | ||
| Models of the Ocean Carbon Cycle | ||
| Experimental Design in Marine Ecology | ||
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- 1
With prior consent of the Department Head.
A maximum of four MARN 5000+ graduate level courses may be used to fulfill some of these requirements. Students may be able to use MARN 3893 International Study, MARN 4893 International Study, MARN 4895 Special Topics, MARN 4898 Variable Topics or other MARN courses towards one or more of these electives with prior approval of the Department Head.
III. Marine Sciences B.S. Related Area
In consultation with an advisor, four Related Area courses are taken in different fields or a single field of interest leading to a minor.
Bachelor of Arts in Marine Sciences
Students who choose the B.A. in Marine Sciences are typically more interested in marine and environmental policy, management, and/or education. The B.A. in Marine Sciences requires a foundation of courses including at least 30 credits of Marine Sciences courses (27 at 2000-level and above), and 12 credits constituting the Related Area.
Marine Sciences majors in the B.A. must pass the following courses:
I. Required Courses in Basic Sciences and Math
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIOL 1107 & BIOL 1108 | Principles of Biology I and Principles of Biology II | 8 |
| Select one of the following sequences: | 8-10 | |
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry I and Fundamentals of General Chemistry II and Fundamentals of General Chemistry III | ||
| Fundamentals of General Chemistry I and General Chemistry II | ||
| Select one of the following: | 4-6 | |
| Precalculus and Calculus for Business and Economics | ||
| Calculus I | ||
| PHYS 1201Q | General Physics I | 4 |
| or PHYS 1401Q | General Physics with Calculus I | |
| Select one of the following introductory statistics or data analysis courses: | 3-4 | |
| Introduction to Statistics I | ||
| Elementary Concepts of Statistics | ||
| Statistical Methods | ||
| Introduction to Computing for Engineers | ||
| Computational Physics | ||
| Mathematical Methods for the Physical Sciences | ||
| Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory | ||
| Quantitative Analytical Chemistry | ||
| Introduction to Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Applied Data Analysis in Earth Science | ||
| Total Credits | 27-32 | |
II. Marine Sciences B.A. Major Requirements
The following courses constitute the major requirements:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses | ||
| MARN 1002E | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| or MARN 1003E | Introduction to Oceanography with Laboratory | |
| MARN 2801WE | Marine Sciences and Society | 3 |
| MARN 3001 | Foundations of Marine Sciences | 4 |
| MARN 3002 | Foundations of Marine Sciences | 3 |
| MARN 4001 | Measurement and Analysis in Coastal Ecosystems | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Science and the Coastal Environment | ||
| Senior Research Thesis | ||
| Electives | ||
| Four MARN electives must be completed from any group listed under the Marine Sciences B.S. electives | 12 | |
| Total Credits | 32 | |
- 1
With prior consent of the Department Head.
A maximum of four MARN 5000+ graduate level courses may be used to fulfill elective requirements. Students may be able to use MARN 3893 International Study, MARN 4893 International Study, MARN 4895 Special Topics, MARN 4898 Variable Topics or other MARN courses towards one or more of these electives with prior approval of the Department Head.
III. Marine Sciences B.A. Related Area
In consultation with an advisor, four Related Area courses are taken in different fields or a single field of interest leading to a minor.
Competency Requirements (B.S. and B.A. Programs)
The University’s competency requirements for information literacy will be satisfied by completing the requirements above, in particular MARN 3001 Foundations of Marine Sciences, MARN 2801WE Marine Sciences and Society and MARN 4002 Science and the Coastal Environment. The writing in the major requirement will be satisfied by MARN 2801WE Marine Sciences and Society. In addition to the introductory Quantitative (Q) courses, additional upper-division Marine Sciences Q courses are included in the Group 3 elective.
Note: Some Marine Sciences courses may be offered only at the Avery Point campus. Others may be available through Distance Learning.
University General Education Requirements
Every student must meet a set of core requirements to earn a baccalaureate degree, in addition to those required by the student's major course of study and other requirements set by the student's school or college. For more information about these requirements, please see General Education Requirements.
College of Liberal Arts and Sciences Degree Requirements
Students must meet a set of requirements established by the college in addition to the University's General Education requirements. For more information, see the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences section of this catalog.
Minors in Marine Biology and Marine Sciences are described in the Minors section.
The Statistical Data Science major has a Marine Science concentration that includes many of the required and elective courses above that facilitates a double major.
Marine Science and Oceanography 4+1 BS/MS
Students pursuing a UConn undergraduate Bachelor of Science degree in Marine Sciences can apply to use up to 12 credits of graduate coursework taken as an undergraduate towards both their B.S. and their M.S. For students in the accelerated program, the Master of Science Plan B degree can be earned in a single year after finishing the B.S.
Required Core Courses
All students in the accelerated program must take four core courses:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| MARN 5010 | Biological Oceanography | 3 |
| MARN 5030 | Chemical Oceanography | 3 |
| MARN 5050 | Geological Oceanography | 3 |
| MARN 5065 | Physical Oceanography | 3 |
To finish the combined program in five years, MARN 5010 Biological Oceanography and MARN 5050 Geological Oceanography should be taken in Year Four as an undergraduate student and MARN 5030 Chemical Oceanography and MARN 5065 Physical Oceanography should be taken in Year Five as a graduate student.
Students are also required to take at least six credits from the following list:
| Course | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| GEOG 5505 | Remote Sensing of Marine Geography | 3 |
| MARN 5012 | Marine Invertebrate Biology | 3 |
| MARN 5015 | Techniques in Marine Molecular Biology | 3 |
| MARN 5017 | Plankton Ecology | 3 |
| MARN 5032 | Coastal Pollution and Bioremediation | 3 |
| MARN 5812 | Seminar in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation | 3 |
| MARN 5018 | Ecology of Fishes | 3 |
| MARN 5066 | River Influences on the Marine Environment | 3 |
| MARN 5052 | Paleooceanography | 3 |
| MARN 5210 | Experimental Design in Marine Ecology | 3 |
Six of these credits should be taken in Year Four (as an undergraduate) and can be used for both the B.S. and the M.S. degrees. The remainder of the required 30 credits must be selected from MARN courses, based on the interest of the student and approval of the student’s major advisor. However, no more than six credits can be at the 3000-4000 level, no more than three credits of MARN 5896 Research and three credits of MARN 5899 Independent Study are allowed, and no more than three credits of MARN 4893 International Study, MARN 4895 Special Topics, MARN 4897W Senior Research Thesis, or MARN 4898 Variable Topics are allowed.
Final Examination
The students in the accelerated program will be responsible for the material in the four core courses and must pass a final examination based on these courses.
For more information, see the Marine Sciences Departmental website.