Marine Science

Degree

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

Contact

Charles Tilburg, Ph.D.
Academic Director, School of Marine and Environmental Programs
ctilburg@une.edu

Mission

The mission of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the SWAGÊÓƵ is to help our students gain an understanding of the natural world, develop critical thinking skills, and become scientifically literate. Together we 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, how it is related to earth systems science, and how humans interact 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. Students will be able to apply these disciplines to solving real problems, in ocean sciences and beyond.

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

Marine Biology Concentration

CAS Core RequirementsCredits
Total Credits42
Marine Biology Concentration Required CoursesCredits
CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/LabCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II w/Lab4
MAR 105/105L – Introduction to Ecol/Evol of Marine Organisms w/Lab4
MAR 106/106L – Introduction to Cell/Molec of Marine Organisms w/Lab4
MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology w/Lab4
MAR 270/270L – Oceanography w/Lab4
MAR 325 – Marine Science Speaker Series1
MAT 150 – Statistics for Life SciencesCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
MAT 190 – Calculus I4
PHY 110 – General Physics I w/Lab4
PHY 111 - General Physics II w/Lab4
One (1) MAR 400-level course*3
One (1) Cellular and Molecular Area Course3–4
One (1) Organismal Area Course3–4
One (1) Physiological Area Course3–4
One (1) Process Area Course3–4
Eight (8) Credits of Marine Science Electives8
Total Credits56–60
Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120

*MAR 400-level may be fulfilled by BIO 422 – Marine Biology Topics: Coral Reefs with lab. MAR 410 and MAR 495 cannot be used for this requirement

Oceanography Concentration

CAS Core RequirementsCredits
Total Credits42–46
Oceanography Concentration Required CoursesCredits
CHE 110/110L – General Chemistry I w/LabCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
CHE 111/111L – General Chemistry II w/Lab4
CHE 210/210L/210S – Organic Chemistry I w/Lab and LabLecture5
CHE 211/211L/211S – Organic Chemistry II w/Lab and LabLecture or CHE 310/310L – Fundamentals of Biochemistry w/Lab4–5
MAR 105/105L – Introduction to Ecol/Evol of Marine Organisms w/Lab4
MAR 106/106L – Introduction to Cell/Molec of Marine Organisms w/Lab4
MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology w/Lab4
MAR 270/270L – Oceanography w/Lab4
MAR 325 – Marine Science Speaker Series1
MAR 366 – Advanced Oceanography I: Biological & Geological Oceanography3
MAR 368 – Advanced Oceanography II: Physical & Chemical Oceanography3
MAT 150 – Statistics for Life SciencesCredits Fulfilled by Core Requirements
MAT 190 – Calculus I4
MAT 195 – Calculus II4
MAT 225 – Computer Programming w/MATLAB3
PHY 110 – General Physics I w/Lab4
PHY 111 – General Physics II w/Lab4
One (1) 400-level MAR course*3
Total Credits58–59
Open Electives (as needed to reach 120 credits)Variable
Minimum Total Required Credits120

*MAR 400-level may be fulfilled by BIO 422 – Marine Biology Topics: Coral Reefs with lab. MAR 410 and MAR 495 cannot be used for this requirement.

Area Courses

Organismal Biology Area CoursesCredits
BIO 222/222L – Techniques in Finfish and Shellfish Culture w/Lab4
BIO 223/223L – Health, Nutrition, and Feeding of Cultured Organism w/Lab4
BIO 234/234L – Environmental Microbiology w/Lab4
BIO 330/330L – Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy w/Lab4
BIO 422/422L – Marine Biology Topics: Coral Reefs w/Lab4
MAR 312/312L – Plankton w/Lab4
MAR 320/320L – Invertebrate Zoology w/Lab4
MAR 331/331L – Biology of Fishes w/Lab4
MAR 355/355L – Biology of Marine Mammals w/Lab4
MAR 375/375L – Biology of Sharks, Skates, and Rays w/Lab4
MAR 376 – Biology of Sharks, Skates and Rays3
MAR 452/452L – Natural History and Evolution of Galapagos Fauna w/Lab4
Process Area CoursesCredits
MAR 335/335L – Animal/Behavioral Ecology w/Lab4
MAR 350/350L – Marine Ecology w/Lab4
MAR 428 – Marine Conservation3
MAR 432/432L – Fisheries Biology w/Lab4
Physiology Area CoursesCredits
BIO 322 – Comparative Animal Physiology3
BIO/MAR 421/421L – Physiological Ecology of Fishes w/Lab4
MAR 380 – Experimental Animal Physiology4
Cell and Molecular Area CoursesCredits
BIO 205/205L – Fish Genetics w/Lab4
MAR 220/220L – Cellular and Molecular Approaches in Marine Science w/Lab4

Electives

Marine ElectivesCredits
BIO 205/205L – Fish Genetics w/Lab4
BIO 221 – Principles of Aquaculture3
BIO 222/222L – Finfish/Shellfish Culture Tech w/Lab4
BIO 223/223L – Hlth, Nutr, Feed Cultured Org w/Lab4
BIO 323/323L – Aquarium Science and Operation w/Lab4
BIO 422/422L – Marine Biology Topics: Coral Reefs w/Lab4
Any Chemistry course (200-level or above)3–5
Any GIS course3–4
Any MAF course3
Any MAR course (200-level or above)3–4

Students wishing to pursue teacher certification in Life Science can complete a double major with Marine Science and Middle and Secondary Education or a major in Middle and Secondary Education and a concentration in Marine Science. For more information, see the Middle and 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 (7) years to complete the graduation requirements.

Learning Outcomes

  • Students will demonstrate a strong content-knowledge foundation in their specific field of study (Marine Biology, Oceanography, Marine Entrepreneurship, or Marine Affairs).
  • 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.
  • 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 six (6) courses and can follow either of the two (2) concentrations in the major, Marine Biology or Oceanography.

Marine Biology Minor

Program Required CoursesCredits
MAR 270/270L – Oceanography w/Lab4
MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology w/Lab4
Two (2) additional Organismal topics courses (see Curricular Requirements above)6–8
Total Credits14-16
Select one (1) of the following:Credits
MAR 105/105L – Intro to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms w/Lab or BIO 105/105L – Biology I: Ecology/Evolution w/Lab and MAR 106/106L Intro to Cellular/Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms w/Lab or BIO 106/106L – Biology II: Cellular/Molecular w/Lab8
BIO 104/104L – General Biology w/Lab and MAR 105/105L – Intro to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms w/Lab or MAR 106/106L – Intro to Cellular/Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms w/Lab8
Total Credits8
Minimum Total Required Credits22

Oceanography Minor

Program Required CoursesCredits
MAR 105/105L – Intro to Ecology/Evolution of Marine Organisms w/Lab4
MAR 250/250L – Marine Biology w/Lab4
MAR 270/270L – Oceanography w/Lab4
MAR 366 – Adv Oceanography I: Bio/Chem3
MAR 368 – Advanced Oceanography II: Phy/Geo3
One (1) course with MAR prefix3–4
Minimum Total Required Credits21

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 SWAGÊÓƵ 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 (5) years.

Other options and restrictions apply. See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

Admissions

See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.

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 outlines the academic programs, degree criteria, policies, and events of the SWAGÊÓƵ for the 2024–2025 academic year and serves as the official guide for academic and program requirements for students enrolling at the University during the Summer of 2024, Fall 2024, and Spring 2025 semesters.

The information provided is accurate as of its publication date on April 26, 2024.
The SWAGÊÓƵ reserves the right to modify its programs, calendar, or academic schedule as deemed necessary or beneficial. This includes alterations to course content, class rescheduling, cancellations, or any other academic adjustments. Changes will be communicated as promptly as possible.

While students may receive guidance from academic advisors or program directors, they remain responsible for fulfilling the requirements outlined in the catalog relevant to their enrollment year and for staying informed about any updates to policies, provisions, or requirements.