Faculty

View the Marine Science Minor Advisory Committee.  

Marine Science Program

The undergraduate minor in Marine Science introduces students to the global importance of marine ecosystems and their significance to society as a source of food and energy and in regulating climate. Students will learn about the different components of the ocean including its sea floor, chemical constituents, physical dynamics, and organisms - through discipline-specific and interdisciplinary courses. The minor is jointly offered and administered by the School of Marine Science (SMS)/Virginia Institute of Marine Sciences (VIMS) and Arts & Sciences. As one of the leading marine research and education institutions in the United States, SMS/VIMS has a critical role and responsibility to provide high-quality information and educational resources concerning the marine environment to all segments of society in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the U.S. The undergraduate minor in marine science addresses the growing national demand for undergraduate education in the earth and environmental sciences in general, and in the marine sciences specifically.

Students pursuing a minor in Marine Science are required to take 18 credits of coursework. Two introductory courses (6 credits total) are required: MSCI 330  and a field course (MSCI 331  or MSCI 332  or other courses with permission).The remaining credits are divided between electives and upper level courses in the sub-disciplines of marine sciences. Marine science minors are welcome to take a field course as early as the summer following their freshman or sophomore year. The fundamentals courses provide an in-depth study of biological and physical subdisciplines of marine sciences; a menu of elective courses provides opportunities for students to explore their specific interests. 

Declaration Process: To be eligible for a minor in Marine Science, students must have completed, or currently be taking, the required introductory course, MSCI 330 . To declare, students must meet with one of the co-directors of the Marine Science Minor Program and submit a declaration form to the Registrar’s office.

Programs and Course Descriptions

Programs

• Marine Science, Minor

Courses

• MSCI 201 - Marine Science Mash-Up
• MSCI 330 - Introduction to Marine Science
• MSCI 331 - Field Studies in Coastal Marine Environments
• MSCI 332 - Coastal Environments in North Wales: Geology, Ecology, and Human Dimensions
• MSCI 340 - Marine Biology
• MSCI 398 - Marine Science Seminar
• MSCI 401A - Motion of the Ocean - Fundamentals of Physical Oceanography
• MSCI 401B - Fundamentals of Marine Science, Chemical Oceanography
• MSCI 401C - Fundamentals of Marine Geology
• MSCI 401D - Fundamentals of Marine Science, Biological Oceanography
• MSCI 401E - Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry, Toxicology, and Pathobiology
• MSCI 401F - Fundamentals of Marine Fisheries Science
• MSCI 401R - Fundamentals of Marine Science Recitation
• MSCI 404 - Microbial Processes in a Changing Coastal Environment
• MSCI 421 - Marine Geology: Environments, Processes, and Records
• MSCI 490 - Research in Marine Science
• MSCI 497 - Problems in Marine Science
• MSCI 498 - Special Topics in Marine Science