Marine Science

Degree

Bachelor in Science with a major of Marine Science
College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)
School of Marine and Environmental Programs

Contact

Dr. Charles Tilburg
ctilburg@une.edu

Mission

The mission of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England is to enable students to understand the real-world relevance of the marine sciences, foster scientific literacy, and critical thinking skills and lay the foundation for lifelong learning and meaningful, productive contributions to society.

The Marine Sciences encompass a wide variety of disciplines that seek to understand the way the ocean functions, and how it is related to earth systems science, as well as to human interactions with the environment. Students will learn the theoretical underpinnings and applications of disciplines from biology to chemistry, geology, and physics. These disciplines are critical to life as we know it on the planet, and beyond. Students will be able to apply these disciplines to solving real problems, not only in ocean sciences but in fields as far-ranging as meteorology and space exploration

Major Description

The Marine Science program offers a baccalaureate education to students interested in all facets of the marine environment. The classroom curriculum provides a strong background in the marine sciences, including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology of the oceans and their surroundings. The program focuses on hands-on activities, internships and research experiences in addition to classroom work.

The marine science major is designed to provide students with a strong science foundation upon which to build their marine specialty courses. The program is flexible and students are encouraged to explore many areas of the marine sciences through courses and internships emphasizing "hands-on" experiences. An additional goal of the major is to provide students with an adequate background for entry-level career positions and for graduate study in marine science programs, or any field requiring a strong science background. The University is located on the Saco River where it joins the Atlantic Ocean, providing numerous marine, estuarine, and freshwater habitats to study on or adjacent to campus.

THE MARINE LIVING LEARNING COMMUNITY (MLC)

All entering first-year Marine Science, Marine Affairs, and Marine Entrepreneurship majors are invited to participate in a year-long living learning community focused on developing the skills needed to be a successful student, discovery of their majors and associated learning opportunities, and building relationships with peers, faculty, and professional staff.

The MLC integrates classroom learning, student success programming, experiential opportunities, as well as team-building and leadership development programs designed to assist Marine majors in their transitions from High School to College to Career.

Learning Community courses and events allows students an opportunity to expand their interests and grow personally, as well as professionally. A dedicated team comprised of faculty, professional staff, and peer leaders supports the MLC. This community of learning enriches classroom content and allows an opportunity to apply learning in context.

Students who participate in the MLC are expected to

  • Live together in a Residence Hall Community designed by the Office of Housing and Resident/Commuter Life.
  • Take two (2) or more designated courses in common over the course of their first year.
  • Participate in required experiential learning opportunities and community programs.

Curricular Requirements

CAS Core Requirements Credits
Total 42–46
Marine Biology Track Curriculum Credits
MAR 105/105L - Intro to Ecol/Evol of Marine Organisms 4
MAR 106/106L - Intro to Cell/Molec of Marine Organisms 4
MAR 250/250L - Marine Biology 4
MAR 270/270L - Oceanography 4
Total 40–44
Area Courses Credits
Organismal course 3–4
Process course 3–4
Physiological course 3–4
Cellular and Molecular course 3–4
MAR 325 - Marine Science Speaker Series 1
MAR 400 - Level course 3
Marine Electives 8
Program Required Cognate Courses 23
MAT 150 - Statistics for Life Sciences and MAT 190 - Calculus I 7
CHE 110/110L - General Chemistry I and CHE 111/111L - General Chemistry II 8
PHY 110 - General Physics I w/Lab and PHY 111 - General Physics II w/Lab 8
Program Track Subtotal 63–67
Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits) Variable
Minimum Required Total Credits 120
Oceanography Track Curriculum Credits
MAR 105/105L - Biology I: Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms 4
MAR 106/106L - Biology II: Cellular/Molecular 4
MAR 250/250L - Marine Biology 4
MAR 270/270L - Oceanography 4
MAR 366 - Advanced Oceanography I: Biological & Geological Oceanography 3
MAR 368 - Advanced Oceanography II: Physical & Chemical Oceanography 3
MAR 325 - Marine Science Speaker Series 1
MAR 400-level course 3
Total 26
Program Required Cognate Courses  39–40
MAT 150 - Statistics for Life Sciences and MAT 190 - Calculus I and MAT 195 - Calculus II 11
MAT 225 - Computer Programming with MAT LAB 3
CHE 110/110L - General Chemistry I and CHE 111/111L - General Chemistry II 8
CHE 210/210L/210S - Organic Chemistry I and CHE 211/211L/211S - Organic Chemistry II or CHE 210/210L/210S - Organic Chemistry I and CHE 310/310L - Fundamentals of Biochemistry 9–10
PHY 110 - General Physics I w/Lab and PHY 111 - General Physics II w/Lab 8
Program Track Subtotal 65–66
Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits) Variable
Minimum Required Total Credits 120

Area Courses

Organismal Biology Area Credits
BIO 234/234L - Environmental Microbiology 4
MAR 320/320L - Invertebrate Zoology 4
BIO 330/330L - Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy 4
MAR 331/331L - Biology of Fishes 4
MAR 355/355L - Biology of Marine Mammals 4
MAR 375/375L - Biology of Sharks, Skates, and Rays 4
MAR 451/451L - Natural History and Evolution of Galapagos Fauna 4
BIO 421/421L - Marine Biology Topics: Coral Reefs 4
MAR 312/312L - Plankton 4
BIO 222/222L - Techniques in Finfish and Shellfish Culture 4
BIO 223/223L - Health, Nutrition, and Feeding of Cultured Organism 4
Process Area Credits
MAR 335/335L - Animal/Behavioral Ecology 4
MAR 350/350L - Marine Ecology 4
MAR 432/432L - Fisheries Biology 4
MAR 428 - Marine Conservation 3
Physiology Area Credits
BIO 322 - Comparative Animal Physiology 3
BIO/MAR 421/421L - Physiological Ecology of Fishes 4
MAR 326 - Experimental Animal Physiology 3
Cell and Molecular Area Credits
BIO 205/205L - Fish Genetics 4
MAR 220/220L - Cellular and Molecular Approaches in Marine Science 4
Marine Electives (for a minimum of 8 credits) Credits
Any MAR course at the 200 level or above 3–4
Any MAF course 3
Any Chemistry course at the 200 level or above 3–5
Any AQS course 3–4
Any GIS course 3–4
BIO 205/205L Fish Genetics 4
BIO 421/421L Marine Biology Topics: Coral Reefs 4

Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Life Science can complete a double major with Marine Science and Secondary Education or a major in Secondary Education and a concentration in Marine Science. For more information, see the Secondary Education catalog page.

Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.

Academic and Technical Standards

Graduation Requirements

A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all science and mathematics courses used toward graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Marine Science. A 2.00 cumulative average in sciences is a requirement for graduation in any of the programs in the Department of Marine Science.

Program Completion Timeline

Students have a maximum of seven years to complete the graduation requirements.

Learning Outcomes

  1. Students will demonstrate a strong content-knowledge foundation in their specific field of study (Marine Biology, Oceanography, Marine Entrepreneurship, or Marine Affairs).
  2. Students will communicate effectively in both oral and written format to convey their scientific knowledge, interdisciplinary training, and findings to peers, professional audiences, decision-makers, and/or the public.
  3. Students will demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their specific field of study by designing, carrying out, and interpreting the results of their experiments, by evaluating the literature published by professionals, by making recommendations to policy makers and/or by creating and innovating in their field.

Minors

A marine science minor requires 6 courses and can follow either of the two tracks in the major, Marine Biology or Oceanography.

Marine Biology Minor Credits
(MAR 105/105L - Intro to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms or BIO 105/105L - Biology I: Ecology/Evolution) and MAR 106/106L Intro to Cellular/Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms or BIO 106/106L - Biology II: Cellular/Molecular or BIO 104/104L - General Biology and (MAR 105/105L - Intro to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms or MAR 106/106L - Intro to Cellular/Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms) 8
MAR 270/270L - Oceanography  4
MAR 250/250L - Marine Biology 4
Two additional organismal topics courses (see course listing above) 6–8
Total 21–23
Oceanography Minor Credits
MAR 105/105L - Intro to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms 4
MAR 250/250L - Marine Biology 4
MAR 270/270L - Oceanography 4
MAR 366 - Adv Oceanography I: Bio/Chem 3
MAR 368 - Advanced Oceanography II: Phy/Geo 3
One additional Marine Science Course 3–4
Total 21–22

Honors Program

We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their major advisor. 

Transfer Credit

Courses previously completed at another accredited college can be transferred to this degree program. Transferred courses must be reasonably close in scope and content to the marine science courses offered at UNE in order to count as exact equivalents. Otherwise, they will transfer as general electives. All Science/Math courses previously completed must be no older than five years. Other options and restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions also.

Admissions

Financial Information

Tuition and Fees

Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more information regarding tuition and fees, please consult the Financial Information section of this catalog.

Lab Fees

Travel courses have separate fees that vary depending on the course.

Financial Aid

Detailed information and applications are available on request from the Financial Aid Office on the Biddeford Campus. Call (207) 602-2342, or visit the Financial Aid website

Notice and Responsibilities Regarding this Catalog

This Catalog documents the academic programs, policies, and activities of the University of New England for the 2021–2022 academic year. The information contained herein is accurate as of the date of publication April 30, 2021.

The University of New England reserves the right in its sole judgment to make changes of any nature in its programs, calendar, or academic schedule whenever it is deemed necessary or desirable, including changes in course content, the rescheduling of classes with or without extending the academic term, canceling of scheduled classes or other academic activities, in any such case giving such notice thereof as is reasonably practicable under the circumstances.

While each student may work closely with an academic advisor, he or she must retain individual responsibility for meeting requirements in this catalog and for being aware of any changes in provisions or requirements.