Marine Sciences: Interdisciplinary Studies (CALS)
Oceans are an important facet of our global environment: they cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, they provide us with food, transport and resources, and they play a significant role in controlling climate. However, the world’s oceans remain largely unexplored below the surface, making them one of the last great frontiers for scientific discovery. Marine environments are inherently dynamic and governed by a broad suite of interactive biological, chemical and physical processes.
Overview
The university promotes an interdisciplinary 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 adviser to create an individualized curriculum plan of at least 18 approved elective 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 the program undergraduate coordinator before reaching 70 credits.
Coursework for the Major
The major requires 120 credits and at least 30 credits of coursework in the major must be completed at UF.
Required Coursework
- BSC 2010/2010L and BSC 2011/2011L Integrated Principles of Biology 1 and 2 and laboratories, 8 credits
- CHM 2045/2045L and CHM 2046/2046L General Chemistry 1 and 2 and laboratories, 8 credits
- MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1, 4 credits
- OCE 1001 Introduction to Oceanography, 3 credits
- STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1, 3 credits
- PHY 2004/2004L Applied Physics 1 and Laboratory, 4 credits
- GLY 3083C Introduction to Marine Science, 3 credits
- FAS 4270 Marine Ecological Processes, 3 credits, or
ZOO 4926 Marine Ecology, 3 credits
- FAS 4202C Biology of Fishes, 4 credits
- FAS 4932 Biology and Ecology of Algae, 3 credits
- FNR 3410C Natural Resource Sampling, 3 credits, or
STA 3024 Introduction to Statistics 2, 3 credits, or
STA 4210 Regression Analysis, 3 credits, or
STA 4222 Sample Survey Design, 3 credits
- FNR 4660 Natural Resource Policy and Economics, 3 credits
- ZOO 4205C Invertebrate Biodiversity, 4 credits
- 18 credits of approved marine sciences electives (see list below semester plan)
- 15-16 credits of other electives, sufficient to reach a total of 60 upper-division credits
Critical Tracking
To graduate with this major, students must complete all university, college and major requirements.
Equivalent critical-tracking courses as determined by the State of Florida Common Course Prerequisites may be used for transfer students.
Semester 1:
- Complete OCE 1001 and 1 of the following, excluding labs: BSC 2010/2010L, BSC 2011/2011L, CHM 2045/2045L, CHM 2046/2046L, MAC 2311, PHY 2004/2004L
- 2.5 GPA required for all critical-tracking courses
- 2.0 UF GPA required
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
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Recommended Semester Plan
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.
| Semester 1 |
Credits |
|---|
| CHM 2045 and 2045L General Chemistry 1 (3) and General Chemistry 1 Laboratory (1) (GE-P) |
4 |
| HUM 2305 What is the Good Life (GE-H) |
3 |
| OCE 1001 Introduction to Oceanography (GE-P) |
3 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 2 |
Credits |
|---|
| CHM 2046 and 2046L General Chemistry 2 (3) and General Chemistry 2 Laboratory (1) (GE-P) |
4 |
| MAC 2311 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 1 (GE-M) |
4 |
| Composition (GE-C, WR) |
3 |
| Humanities (GE-H) or Social and Behavioral Sciences (GE-S) |
3 |
| Total |
14 |
| Semester 3 |
Credits |
|---|
AEB 3103 Principles of Food and Resource Economics or
ECO 2023 Principles of Microeconomics or
ECO 2013 Principles of Macroeconomics (GE-S) |
4 |
| BSC 2010 and BSC 2010L Integrated Principles of Biology 1 (3) and Integrated Principles of Biology 1 Laboratory (1) (GE-B) |
4 |
| Humanities (GE-H) |
3 |
| Elective (MAC 2312 Analytic Geometry and Calculus 2 recommended) |
4 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 4 |
Credits |
|---|
| BSC 2011 and 2011L Integrated Principles of Biology 2 (3) and Integrated Principles of Biology 2 Laboratory (1) (GE-B) |
4 |
| PHY 2004 and 2004L Applied Physics 1 (3) and Applied Physics 1 Laboratory (1) (GE-P) |
4 |
| STA 2023 Introduction to Statistics 1 (GE-M) |
3 |
| Electives |
4 |
| Total |
15 |
| Semester 5 |
Credits |
|---|
AEC 3030C Effective Oral Communication or
SPC 2608 Public Speaking |
3 |
FNR 3410C Natural Resource Sampling or
STA 3024 Introduction to Statistics 2 or
STA 4210 Regression Analysis or
STA 4222 Sample Survey Design |
3 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Electives (CHM 2200 Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry [3] and CHM 2200L Fundamentals of Organic Chemistry Laboratory [1] recommended) |
4 |
| Total |
13 |
| Semester 6 |
Credits |
|---|
| FAS 4932 Biology and Ecology of Algae |
3 |
| GLY 3083C Introduction to Marine Science (GE-P) |
3 |
| ZOO 4205C Invertebrate Biodiversity |
4 |
| Approved electives * |
6 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 7 |
Credits |
|---|
AEC 3033C Research and Business Writing in Agricultural and Life Sciences or
ENC 2210 Technical Writing or
ENC 3254 Professional Communication (all are WR) |
3 |
| FAS 4202C Biology of Fishes |
4 |
| FNR 4660 Natural Resource Policy and Economics |
3 |
FAS 4270 Marine Ecological Processes or
ZOO 4926 Marine Ecology |
3 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Total |
16 |
| Semester 8 |
Credits |
|---|
| Approved electives * |
12 |
| Elective |
3 |
| Total |
15 |
* Approved Electives: 18 credits minimum
Students meet with an adviser to establish a curriculum plan for approved electives and may focus their electives toward a specific area or a minor. For a broader program students should choose a minimum of three credits from each area of approved electives. Other options may include study abroad courses.
Ecology and Organismal Biology
FAS 2024 Global and Regional Perspectives in Fisheries (3)
FAS 4305C Introduction to Fishery Science (3)
FAS 4405 Aquariums, Water and Aquaculture (3)
FAS 4932 Aquatic Invertebrate Ecological Physiology (3)
FAS 4932 Field Ecology of Aquatic Organisms (4)
FAS 4932 Coral Reef Ecology (3)
FAS 4932 Invasion Ecology of Aquatic Animals (3)
PCB 4043C General Ecology (4)
PCB 4674 Evolution (4)
VME 4012 Aquatic Animal Conservation Issues (3)
VME 4906 Introduction to Marine Wildlife (3)
WIS 3553C Introduction to Conservation Genetics (4)
WIS 4203C Landscape Ecology and Conservation (3)
ZOO 4403C Marine Biology (4)
Economics and Human Dimensions
AEB 3450 Introduction to Natural Resource and Environmental Economics (3)
FOR 3202 Society and Natural Resources (3) (GE-S)
GEO 4300 Environmental Biogeography (3)
SYD 4510 Environment and Society (3)
WIS 4523 Human Dimensions of Natural Resource Conservation (3)
Physical/Chemical Oceanography
EGN 4932 Physical Oceanography (3)
GLY 3074 Oceans and Global Climate Change (3) (GE-P)
GLY 4734 Coastal Morphology and Processes (3)
GLY 4930 Geochemical Oceanography (3)
OCE 3016 Introduction to Coastal and Oceanographic Engineering (3)
Professional Skills
SUR 3393/3393L Geographic Information Systems (2) and Laboratory (1)
Advanced Open Water and Science Diving
Practicum or Internship
Quantitative Ecological Skills
FAS 4932 Applied Fisheries Statistics (4)
FNR 3410C Natural Resource Sampling (3) *
STA 3024 Introduction to Statistics 2 (3) *
STA 4210 Regression Analysis (3) *
STA 4211 Design of Experiments (3)
STA 4222 Sample Survey Design (3) *
WIS 4501 Introduction to Wildlife Population Ecology (3)
WIS 4601C Quantitative Wildlife Ecology (3)
* Use as an approved elective if not used to meet the quantitative requirement in semester seven.
Additional Electives (with instructor permission)
FAS 6337C Fish Population Dynamics (4)
FAS 6171 Applied Phycology (3)
GLY 6075 Global Climate Change (3)
OCP 6295 Estuarine and Shelf Hydrodynamics 1 (3)
ZOO 6406 Biology of Sea Turtles (3)
ZOO 6456C Ichthyology (4)
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