B.S. Marine Science | Florida Gulf Coast University

Study the World's Oceans and Coastal Waters

The undergraduate program in Marine Science integrates traditional scientific disciplines by focusing them on the study of the world's oceans and coastal waters.

program requirements

4 year plan to graduation

Interested?

Connect with an advisor from The Water School to learn more about the Marine Science program.

connect with an advisor

Research

Collaborate with our faculty to solve real world research questions.

Internships

Develop your scientific knowledge and skills and gain valuable experience in a chosen career through internships with our community partners.

On the Water

Get your feet wet!

About the Program

This interdisciplinary program combines aspects of biology, chemistry, geology, mathematics, and physics in order to provide a well grounded education in the natural sciences, and it applies a systems approach to identifying and understanding the roles that the oceans play in the functioning of our planet.

Marine Science is designed to train students so that they can obtain jobs related to science and technology in both government and industry, jobs as educators in the natural and environmental sciences, and jobs in the expanding environmental field.

Students completing the degree program will also be prepared for further graduate studies in a variety of sciences. Since the Marine Science major employs concepts from many different scientific disciplines, students entering the program should already have had an introductory exposure to geology, biology, physics, chemistry, and mathematics. After completion of the interdisciplinary core of courses, the Marine Science program offers students a great deal of flexibility for individualized program design.

Department Contact

May, Melissa

Program Coordinator/Assistant Professor

WATER 0335

239-745-4686

mmay@fgcu.edu

Meet the Marine BS Faculty & Staff

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Admissions Information for the 2023-2024 Catalog Year
If you are not yet an FGCU student, visit the Admissions Office Website
If you are a newly-admitted FGCU student please be sure to sign up for an Eagle View Orientation session. As part of this session you will be meeting with an academic advisor who will assist you in registering for classes for your major.
Admission Deadlines
Visit the Admissions Office Web site for information on admission deadlines of the university.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2023-2024 Catalog Year
The General Education Program Website is located at https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
- Attend an orientation session.
- Sign an Advising Agreement document.
In addition to the program requirements, students must:
- Complete a minimum of 120 credits.
- Complete a minimum of 48 of the 120 credits at the upper division (3000 - 4999 level).
- Earn a cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- Satisfy the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfy the Service-Learning requirement. See: https://www.fgcu.edu/studentlife/servicelearning/.
- Satisfy the Civic Literacy requirement.
- Satisfy the residency requirement: 30 of the last 60 credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Complete the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an Application for Graduation by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Program Requirements
1. FGCU General Education Program (https://www.fgcu.edu/academics/undergraduatestudies/generaleducation/)
  To prevent or minimize excess hours, select general education courses that satisfy common prerequisite requirements for your intended major.
2. Common Prerequisites
  For this major, common prerequisite courses with an asterisk (*) require prior knowledge and skills demonstrated through degree acceleration programs (e.g., the College Board's Advanced Placement Program [AP], International Baccalaureate Program [IB], College-Level Examination Program [CLEP], Advanced International Certificate of Education Program [AICE]); dual enrollment; placement exam; or college coursework.
  
  FGCU Course: BSC 1010C Gen’l Biology w/Lab I (4) or {BSC 1010 General Biology I (3) and BSC 1010L General Biology I Laboratory (1)} Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: BSCX010C or (BSCX010 and BSCX010L)
  
  FGCU Course: BSC 1011 General Biology II (3) and BSC 1011L General Biology II Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: BSCX011C or (BSCX011 and BSCX011L)
  
  FGCU Course: *CHM 1045 General Chemistry I (3) and CHM 1045L General Chemistry I Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX045C or (CHMX045 and CHMX045L)
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: CHM 1046 General Chemistry II (3) and CHM 1046L General Chemistry II Lab (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: CHMX046C or (CHMX046 and CHMX046L)
  
  FGCU Course: GLY 1010C Physical Geology (4) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Course: GLYX000C or (GLYX000 and GLYX000L) or GLYX010C or (GLYX010 and GLYX010L)
  
  FGCU Course: *MAC 2311 Calculus I (4) or *STA 2122 Social Science Statistics (3) or an advanced mathematics course. Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: MACX311 or STAX122 or an advanced mathematics course
  [For MAC 2311 Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  [For STA 2122 Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then STA 2023 and PSY 2012 minimum grades of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: *PHY 2053 College Physics I (3) and PHY 2053L College Physics I Laboratory (1) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: PHYX053C or (PHYX053 and PHYX053L)
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C then MAC 1105 minimum grade of C then MAC 1147 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
  
  FGCU Course: *STA 2023 Statistical Methods (3) Minimum grade of C
  Acceptable Substitute: STAX023
  [Prerequisites of MAT 1033 minimum grade of C; or relevant accelerated credit; or placement exam]
3. Required Courses in the Major (29 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course
  
  CHM 1084C Environmental Chemistry (4)
  GLY 4700C Coastal & Watershed Geology (3)
  IDS 3300 Foundations of CivicEngagement (3)
  ISC 3154C Environmental Research Design (3)
  OCB 4633C Marine Ecology (3)
  OCB 4936 Senior Seminar Marine Science (1)
  OCC 4002C Marine Chemistry (3)
  OCE 3008C Oceanography (3)
  OCP 3002C Physical Oceanography (3)
  PCB 3463C Marine Ecos Mon & Res Method (3)
4. Restricted Electives in the Major (20 credits)
  A minimum grade of C is required in each course
  
  Students are asked to select their electives equitably between the physical and biological sciences to best ensure they are well prepared as interdisciplinary marine scientists.
  
  Complete one from the following:
  ISC 4910 Sr. Proj Rsch Intrdisc Nat Sci (3)
  ISC 4940 Internship in Interdis Nat Sci (3)
  
  Complete 2 credits in any combination from the following:
  BSC 4933* Current Topics in Biology (1)
  EVR 4920* Current Topics Environ Studies (1)
  ISC 4930* Current Top in Intd Nat Scienc (1)
  
  *This course/prefix number can be repeated as long as the topic is different.
  
  Complete 6 credits from the following Ecological/Biological courses:
  BSC 3303 Biogeography (3)
  BSC 4473C Scientific Diving (3)
  EVS 4814C Environmental Toxicology (3)
  OCB 3108C Field Studies Marine Science (4)
  OCB 4930 Special Topics: Marine Biology (3)
  PCB 3043C General Ecology (3)
  PCB 4303C Limnology (3)
  PCB 4442C Wetland Ecology (3)
  ZOO 3205C Invertebrate Zoology (3)
  ZOO 4454C Ichthyology (3)
  ZOO 4894C Fisheries Management (3)
  
  Complete 3 credits from the following Quantitative Applications and Methods courses:
  OCE 4260C Coastal Remote Sensing and GIS (3)
  OCE 4930 Special Topics: Oceanography (3)
  PAD 4343C Coastal Zone Management (3)
  STA 3163 Applied Statistics (3)
  
  Complete 3 credits from the following Earth Systems Connections courses:
  GLY 3420C Tectonics and Marine Geology (4)
  GLY 3603C Geobiology (3)
  GLY 4071C Paleoclimatology (3)
  GLY 4074C Meteorology & Climatology (3)
  GLY 4244C Biogeochemistry (3)
  GLY 4952 Carbonate Deposition Environs (3)
  
  Complete 3 credits from the following:
  BCH, BOT, BSC, CHM, EVR, EVS, GLY, MAP, OCB, OCC, OCE, OCG, OCP, PCB, PHY, ZOO - upper division (3000-4999 level) (3)
5. University Requirements (3 credits)
  IDS 3920 University Colloquium (3)
6. Additional Electives - as needed to reach total credits required for the degree
Total Credits Required: 120
Curriculum Map
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Curriculum Maps are to be used as a general guideline for students. Some students scheduling needs may vary based upon completed courses and transfer credits. Please see your advisor for assistance and verification.
2022-2023 Marine Science BS Curriculum Map

Additional Graduation Requirements include:
- A minimum of 120 credit hours.
- A minimum of 48 of the 120 hours must be at the upper division (3000 - 4999) level.
- A cumulative GPA of 2.0 for all coursework attempted at FGCU.
- A minimum grade of C for each course used to satisfy the following categories: common prerequisites, required courses in the major, and courses in the concentration.
- Satisfaction of the College-Level Skills and foreign language entrance requirements.
- Satisfaction of the Service Learning requirement (See www.fgcu.edu/connect).
- Satisfaction of the residency requirement: thirty of the last sixty credits must be completed at FGCU.
- Completion of the summer course enrollment requirement.
- Submit an online Application for Graduation via Gulfline by the deadline listed in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
Transfer Notes and Acceptable Substitutes

For All Majors: Students are strongly recommended to select required lower division electives that will enhance their General Education coursework and that will support their intended baccalaureate degree program. Students should consult with an academic advisor in their major degree area.
Course Description
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Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search
Course Schedule
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Getting Started With the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)
Learning Outcomes
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Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes in the areas of content/discipline knowledge and skills, communication skills, and critical thinking skills; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

Content/Discipline Knowledge and Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Understand and explain basic knowledge from the core scientific disciplines (i.e., biology, geology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics) as they relate to marine science.
2. Apply scientific knowledge for the resolution of real-world problems.
3. Incorporate marine science concepts into an individualized research experience.
Content/discipline knowledge and skills are assessed at the program level through pre- and post-tests, scientific research proposals, senior capstone projects and self-evaluations in the following: ISC 3120 Scientific Processes, OCE 3008C Oceanography and OCB4936 Senior Seminar in Marine Science.
Communication Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Organize and communicate effectively, using the language and concepts of marine science in a coherent, clear and unified manner.
2. Present a research project for marine science students and faculty.
Communication skills are assessed at the program level through scientific research proposals and senior capstone projects in the following: ISC 3120 Scientific Processes and OCB 4936 Senior Seminar in Marine Science.
Critical Thinking Skills
Graduates will be able to:
1. Critically evaluate arguments and assumptions and interpret published data relating to marine science.
2. Synthesize marine science information and draw reasoned inferences.
3. Utilize the scientific process to form hypotheses and design studies for gathering and analyzing data from which to draw scientifically valid conclusions.
Critical thinking skills are assessed at the program level through pre- and post-tests, scientific research proposals and senior capstone projects and self-evaluations in the following: ISC 3120 Scientific Processes, OCE 3008C Oceanography and OCB 4936 Senior Seminar in Marine Science.
Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Financial Aid Opportunities

Visit FGCU's Financial Aid Web site for information about grants, additional scholarships, loans, and student employment.