Marine Sciences | CALS

major

From oceans to coastal wetlands, students will learn about marine organisms and their behaviors and interactions with the environment. Marine Sciences students study oceanography, statistics, fisheries and aquatic sciences, and invertebrate biodiversity. Students can focus elective courses on ecology, organismal biology, economics, human dimensions, and/or quantitative or professional skills.

About this Program

To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college, and major requirements.

Related Programs

The university promotes an integrated approach to marine science education and research to prepare students for a variety of rewarding academic and professional careers. This major, offered cooperatively with the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, allows students to tailor a curriculum that suits their interests and career goals.

The curriculum provides students with the core scientific and quantitative skills necessary for success. Lower-division courses build a strong foundation in basic sciences and math while upper-division courses provide opportunity for specialization. Students in the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences (CALS) complete an upper-division core that concentrates on biological and ecological marine science essentials while also giving students a critical understanding of how statistics and economics are integrated into marine science and resource management.

Students work closely with a faculty advisor to create an individualized curriculum plan of at least 18 approved elective credits and 15-16 planned credits. These can include courses on resource management, human dimensions, conservation, quantitative population assessment and others. Students must complete their plans along with the approval of a faculty advisor before reaching 70 credits.

Coursework for the Major

The major requires 120 credits and at least 30 credits of upper-division coursework in the major must be completed at UF.

Required Coursework

BSC 2010
2010L
Integrated Principles of Biology 1
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1
4
BSC 2011
2011L
Integrated Principles of Biology 2
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 2
4
CHM 2045
2045L
General Chemistry 1
and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory
4
CHM 2046
2046L
General Chemistry 2
and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory
4
FAS 4202CBiology of Fishes4
OCE 1001Introduction to Oceanography3
STA 2023Introduction to Statistics 13
Select one:3
Marine Ecological Processes
Special Topics in Zoology (Marine Ecology)
FAS 4932Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Biology and Ecology of Algae)3
Select one:3
Natural Resource Sampling
Introduction to Statistics 2
Regression Analysis
Sample Survey Design
FNR 4660Natural Resource Policy and Economics3
GLY 3083CFundamentals of Marine Sciences3
MAC 2311Analytic Geometry and Calculus 14
PHY 2004
2004L
Applied Physics 1
and Laboratory for Applied Physics 1
4
ZOO 4205CInvertebrate Biodiversity4
Approved marine sciences electives18
Planned electives, sufficient to reach a total of 60 upper-division credits15-16
Total Credits86-87

Critical Tracking records each student’s progress in courses that are required for entry to each major. Please note the critical-tracking requirements below on a per-semester basis.

Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.

Semester 1

Semester 2

  • Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
  • 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 3

  • Complete 1 additional critical-tracking course, excluding labs
  • 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 4

  • Complete 2 additional critical-tracking courses, excluding labs
  • 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 5

  • Complete all critical-tracking courses, including labs
  • 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
  • 2.0 UF GPA required
  • 2.0 Upper Division GPA required

Semester 6

Semester 7

  • Complete 3 additional remaining required major courses
  • 2.0 Upper Division GPA required
  • 2.0 UF GPA required

Semester 8

  • Complete all remaining required major courses
  • 2.0 Upper Division GPA required
  • 2.0  UF GPA required

Students are expected to complete the Writing Requirement while in the process of taking the courses below. Students are also expected to complete the General Education International (GE-N) and Diversity (GE-D) requirements concurrently with another General Education requirement (typically, GE-C, H, or S).

To remain on track, students must complete the appropriate critical-tracking courses, which appear in bold. These courses must be completed by the terms as listed above in the Critical Tracking criteria.

This semester plan represents an example progression through the major. Actual courses and course order may be different depending on the student's academic record and scheduling availability of courses. Prerequisites still apply.

Plan of Study Grid
Semester OneCredits
Quest 1 (Gen Ed Humanities) 3
CHM 2045
2045L
General Chemistry 1
and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences)
4
OCE 1001 Introduction to Oceanography (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences) 3
State Core Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement 3
State Core Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences 3
 Credits16
Semester Two
Quest 2 3
CHM 2046
2046L
General Chemistry 2
and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
4
MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (Critical Tracking; State Core Gen Ed Mathematics) 4
State Core Gen Ed Humanities 3
 Credits14
Semester Three
Select one: 4
Principles of Food and Resource Economics
Principles of Microeconomics
Principles of Macroeconomics (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences)
BSC 2010
2010L
Integrated Principles of Biology 1
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
4
Gen Ed Composition; Writing Requirement 3
MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 (recommended elective) 4
 Credits15
Semester Four
BSC 2011
2011L
Integrated Principles of Biology 2
and Integrated Principles of Biology Laboratory 2 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
4
PHY 2004
2004L
Applied Physics 1
and Laboratory for Applied Physics 1 (Critical Tracking; Gen Ed Biological Sciences and Physical Sciences)
4
STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (Gen Ed Mathematics) 3
FAS 2024 Sustainable Fisheries (Recommended elective) 3
 Credits14
Semester Five
AEC 3030C
Effective Oral Communication
or Introduction to Public Speaking
3
Select one: 3
Natural Resource Sampling
Introduction to Statistics 2
Regression Analysis
Sample Survey Design
CHM 2200
2200L
Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry
and Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory (recommended electives)
4
Elective 3
 Credits13
Semester Six
FAS 4932 Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Critical Tracking) 3
GLY 3083C Fundamentals of Marine Sciences (Gen Ed Biological and Physical Sciences; Critical Tracking) 3
ZOO 4205C Invertebrate Biodiversity (Critical Tracking) 4
Approved electives 6
 Credits16
Semester Seven
Select one: 3
Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences (Writing Requirement)
Technical Writing (Writing Requirement)
Professional Writing in the Discipline (Writing Requirement)
FAS 4202C Biology of Fishes (Critical Tracking) 4
Select one: 3
Marine Ecological Processes (Critical Tracking)
Special Topics in Zoology (Marine Ecology; Critical Tracking)
FNR 4660 Natural Resource Policy and Economics (Critical Tracking) 3
Elective 3
 Credits16
Semester Eight
Approved electives 12
Electives 4
 Credits16
 Total Credits120

APPROVED ELECTIVES | 18 CREDITS MINIMUM

Students meet with a faculty advisor to establish a curriculum plan for approved electives and planned electives and may focus these toward a specific area or a minor. For a broader program, students should select a minimum of three credits from each area of approved electives. Other options may include study abroad courses.

Ecology and Organismal Biology

FAS 2024Sustainable Fisheries3
FAS 4305CIntroduction to Fishery Science3
FAS 4305CIntroduction to Fishery Science3
FAS 4932Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Aquatic Invertebrate Ecological Physiology)3
FAS 4932Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Field Ecology of Aquatic Organisms)4
FAS 4932Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Coral Reef Ecology)3
FAS 4932Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Invasion Ecology of Aquatic Animals)3
PCB 4043CGeneral Ecology4
PCB 4674Evolution4
VME 4012Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues3
VME 4906Problems in Veterinary Science (Introduction to Marine Wildlife)3
WIS 3553CIntroduction to Conservation Genetics4
WIS 4203CLandscape Ecology and Conservation3
ZOO 4403CMarine Biology4

Economics and Human Dimensions

AEB 3450Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics3
FOR 3202Society and Natural Resources (Gen Ed Social and Behavioral Sciences)3
GEO 4300Environmental Biogeography3
WIS 4523Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation3

Physical/Chemical Oceanography

EGN 4932Special Topics (Physical Oceanography)3
GLY 3074Oceans and Global Climate Change (Gen Ed Physical Sciences)3
GLY 4734Coastal Morphology and Processes3
GLY 4930Special Topics in Geology (Geochemical Oceanography)3

Professional Skills

GIS 3072CGeographic Information Systems3
Advanced Open Water and Science Diving
Practicum or Internship

Quantitative Ecological Skills

FAS 4932Topics in Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (Applied Fisheries Statistics)4
FNR 3410CNatural Resource Sampling 13
STA 3024Introduction to Statistics 2 13
STA 4210Regression Analysis 13
STA 4211Design of Experiments3
STA 4222Sample Survey Design 13
WIS 4501Introduction to Wildlife Population Ecology3
WIS 4601CQuantitative Wildlife Ecology3
1

Use as an approved elective if not used to meet the quantitative requirement in semester seven. 

Additional Approved Electives | With instructor permission

FAS 6337CFish Population Dynamics4
GLY 6075Global Climate Change: Past, Present, and Future3
OCP 6295Estuarine and Shelf Hydrodynamics I3
ZOO 6406Biology of Sea Turtles3
ZOO 6456CIchthyology4

This major provides integrative understanding of the basic concepts, theories, and observational findings related to marine materials and processes, geologic time, the diversity of marine life, the structure and function of marine organisms, and ecosystems and marine resource management.

The Marine Sciences major is administered jointly by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences and the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences and utilizes faculty, courses and resources of the Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences Program (CALS), the Department of Geological Sciences (CLAS), the Department of Biology (CLAS), and the Department of Civil and Coastal Engineering (Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering).

Before Graduating Students Must

  • Achieve a passing score on the subject test. The content of the examination has been reviewed and approved by the Marine Sciences Committee.
  • Achieve a passing score on the analytical skills test. The content of the examination has been reviewed and approved by the Marine Sciences Committee.
  • Achieve a passing score on the bioethics quiz. The content of the examination has been reviewed and approved by the Marine Sciences Committee.
  • Achieve a passing score on the scientific literacy paper. This paper is assessed using a rubric that has been reviewed and approved by the Marine Sciences Committee.
  • Complete requirements for the baccalaureate degree, as determined by faculty.

Students in the Major Will Learn to

Student Learning Outcomes | SLOs

Content

  1. Demonstrate competence in the basic terminology, concepts, methodologies, and theories used within the marine sciences.

Critical Thinking

  1. Analyze information in the marine sciences and develop reasoned solutions to problems using the processes and applications of scientific inquiry.
  2. Discriminate ethical behavior from unethical behavior in scientific research.

Communication

  1. Communicate knowledge, ideas and reasoning clearly, effectively and objectively in written or oral forms appropriate to the marine sciences.

Curriculum Map

I = Introduced; R = Reinforced; A = Assessed

Courses SLO 1 SLO 2 SLO 3 SLO 4
FAS 4202C R R R R
FAS 4932 (Biology and Ecology of Algae) R R R R
GLY 3083C I I I I
OCE 1001 I I I
ZOO 4205C R R R R
ZOO 4926 (Marine Ecology) or FAS 4932 (Marine Ecological Processes) A A A A

Assessment Types

  • Marine sciences subject and analytical skills tests
  • Bioethics quiz
  • Scientific paper