This option prepares students for graduate study in physical oceanography, meteorology, fluid dynamics, or a related field, as well as immediate employment in environmental agencies or consulting firms and technical positions in marine sciences. Students in SAS may also wish to consider the major in physics with the Ocean Physics option.

Graduation Requirements for the Major

Students majoring in Marine Science must have a cumulative grade-point average of 2.0.
All students in the School of Environmental and Biological Sciences must complete the SEBS Core Requirements, plus the additional Major requirements below.
All students in the School of Arts and Sciences must complete the SAS Core Requirements, plus the additional Major requirements below.
Professional Ethics: Ethical issues in marine sciences are addressed throughout the program in both introductory and advanced courses, especially within the framework of the experience-based educational requirement.

Physical Oceanography option

Required courses (credits)

- 01:119:115-116 General Biology (4,4) or 01:119:103 Principles of Biology (4)

- 01:119:117 Biological Research Laboratory (2). Note: if Principles of Biology used to meet biology requirement, 119:117 is waived.

- 01:160:161-162 General Chemistry (4,4)

- 01:160:171 Introduction to Experimentation (1)

- 01:198:323 Numerical Analysis and Computing (4) or 01:640:373 Numerical Analysis (3)

- 14:440:127 Introduction to Computers for Engineers (3) or 11:670:212 Computational Methods for Meteorology (3)

- 11:628:120 Introduction to Oceanography (3)

- 11:628:320 Dynamics of Marine Ecosystems (4)

- 11:628:363 Oceanographic Methods and Data Analysis: Biology and Chemistry (3) or Oceanographic Methods and Data Analysis: Physical Processes (3)

- 11:628:451 Physical Oceanography (4)