Overview
The Marine Biology and Ecology degree is a Bachelor of Science degree (BSMAS) and is designed to give students a strong background in biology and quantitative skills, as well as research experience in biomedicine, genomics, evolution, physiology, microbiology, immunology, and ecology. The strength of the Marine Biology & Ecology program is the opportunity for undergraduates to fully participate in research with Marine Biology and Ecology diverse faculty. These research opportunities provide skills to excel in medicine, graduate school, and other diverse fields.
Curriculum Requirements
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Marine Biology and Ecology Core Requirements | ||
| MSC 111 | Introduction to Marine Science | 3 |
| MSC 112 | Introduction to Marine Science Lab | 1 |
| MBE 230 | Introduction to Marine Biology | 3 |
| MBE 232 | Introduction to Marine Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| MBE 306 | Marine Ecology 1 | 3 |
| or MBE 366 | Tropical Coastal Ecosystems | |
| or MSC 422 | Marine Ecology of the Galapagos | |
| MBE 307 | Physiology of Marine Organisms 1 | 3 |
| MBE 308 | Genetics and Evolution 1 | 3 |
| MBE 329 | Marine Vertebrate Zoology | 3-4 |
| or MBE 323 | Invertebrate Zoology | |
| or MBE 324 | Biology of Fishes | |
| Marine Biology Upper Level (300+) Electives Core Requirement | ||
| Select 16 credit hours of approved electives in Marine Biology and Ecology at the 300-level or above; must include research intensive semester. 2 | 16 | |
| Biology Requirements | ||
| BIL 150 & BIL 151 | General Biology and General Biology Laboratory | 5 |
| BIL 160 & BIL 161 | Evolution and Biodiversity and Evolution and Biodiversity Laboratory | 5 |
| BIL 255 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| Chemistry Requirements | ||
| CHM 121 | Principles of Chemistry 3 | 4 |
| CHM 221 | Introduction to Structure and Dynamics | 4 |
| Computational Science Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Foundations of Computational Marine Science | ||
| Marine Genomics | ||
| Spatial Applications in Marine Science | ||
| Scientific Programming and Simulation Modelling | ||
| Computer Programming I | ||
| Python Programming for Everyone | ||
| Geographic Information Systems I | ||
| Rosenstiel School Science Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Survey of Modern Meteorology | ||
| Earth System History | ||
| The Earth System | ||
| Introduction to Marine Geology | ||
| Chemical Oceanography | ||
| Physical and Chemical Processes in Coastal Ecosystems | ||
| Introduction to Physical Oceanography 4 | ||
| Origin and Geology of the Galapagos Islands. | ||
| Mathematics Requirements | ||
| MTH 161 | Calculus I 5 | 4 |
| or MTH 171 | Calculus I | |
| MTH 162 | Calculus II | 4 |
| or MTH 171 | Calculus I | |
| Statistics Requirement | ||
| Select one of the following: | 3-4 | |
| Environmental Statistics (recommended) | ||
| Introduction to Probability and Statistics (recommended) | ||
| Advanced Biostatistics | ||
| Introduction to Biobehavioral Statistics Section B | ||
| Physics Requirements | ||
| Select one of the following options: | 10 | |
| Option 1 (recommended): | ||
| University Physics I for the Sciences | ||
| Physics Laboratory 1 | ||
| University Physics II for the Sciences | ||
| Physics Laboratory 2 | ||
| Option 2: | ||
| University Physics I | ||
| University Physics II | ||
| University Physics III | ||
| University Physics II Lab | ||
or PHY 225 | University Physics III Lab | |
| Option 3: | ||
| College Physics I | ||
| Physics Laboratory 1 | ||
| College Physics II | ||
| Physics Laboratory 2 | ||
| Minor Requirement (complete a minor or equivalent coursework) | ||
| Select a minor in any field of your choice. Minor requirement can be replaced with 15 to 18 credits in upper-level (200+) electives in STEM fields (MBE, MSC, RSM, OCE, ATM, GSC, BIL, BMB, NEU, MIC, CHM, CSC, MTH, PHY) or with up to 18 credits of pre-health academic requirements. If selected minor is less than 15 credits, remaining credits can be taken in any field of study. | 15-18 | |
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Written Communication Skills: | ||
| WRS 105 | First-Year Writing I | 3 |
| WRS 107 | First-Year Writing II: STEM | 3 |
| or WRS 106 | First-Year Writing II | |
| or ENG 106 | Writing About Literature and Culture | |
| Quantitative Skills: | ||
| Calculus I (fulfilled through the major) | ||
or MTH 171 | Calculus I | |
| Areas of Knowledge: | ||
| Arts and Humanities Cognate | 9 | |
| People and Society Cognate | 9 | |
| STEM Cognate (9 credits) (fulfilled through the major) | ||
| Total Credit Hours | 123 | |
- 1
Equivalent Biology course with permission from MBE program director.
- 2
Research-intensive semester requirement can be satisfied by any of the following four options: (1) the Saltwater Semester (SWS) program is a full semester of 17 credits taken at the Rosenstiel School marine campus doing authentic field and laboratory research with novel experiments focused on course concepts, (2) the UGalapagos study abroad program is a full semester of 17 credits (15 of which can be used towards this requirements) taken in Galapagos, Ecuador, (3) 8 credits in Rosenstiel Research-intensive courses which must be approved by the MBE program director, or (4) a research-intensive semester conducting independent research which must include a minimum of 3 credits in MBE 411 (or equivalent research course such as MSC/ATM/GSC 411, or BIL 495) and one credit in MBE 412 thesis research is recommended.
- 3
Principles of Chemistry must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher. Chemistry laboratories will count as STEM electives and should be taken by Pre-Medical and Pre-Veterinary students.
- 4
MSC 351 and MSC 352 taken together in the Galapagos may be used to complete the MSC 301 requirement and 3 credits of major electives.
- 5
Calculus I must be passed with a grade of "C-" or higher.
Suggested Plan of Study
This is only a sample. There are numerous ways students can create plans of study for the Marine Biology and Ecology major. Students should feel empowered to use the information listed in the Academic Bulletin to take charge of their education, pursue their own academic interests, and create their own, unique plans of study.
| Freshman Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credit Hours | |
| MSC 111 | Introduction to Marine Science | 3 |
| MSC 112 | Introduction to Marine Science Lab | 1 |
| BIL 150 | General Biology | 4 |
| BIL 151 | General Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| WRS 105 | First-Year Writing I | 3 |
| MTH 161 | Calculus I | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIL 160 | Evolution and Biodiversity | 4 |
| BIL 161 | Evolution and Biodiversity Laboratory | 1 |
| CHM 121 | Principles of Chemistry | 4 |
| WRS 107 | First-Year Writing II: STEM | 3 |
| MTH 162 | Calculus II | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Sophomore Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| MBE 230 | Introduction to Marine Biology | 3 |
| MBE 232 | Introduction to Marine Biology Laboratory | 1 |
| BIL 255 | Cellular and Molecular Biology | 3 |
| CHM 221 | Introduction to Structure and Dynamics | 4 |
| MSC 204 | Environmental Statistics | 3 |
| A&H Course #1 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
or other Approved Computer Science course | ||
| MBE 306 | Marine Ecology | 3 |
| MBE 307 | Physiology of Marine Organisms | 3 |
| MBE 308 | Genetics and Evolution | 3 |
| CSC 120 | Computer Programming I | 4 |
| GSC 111 | Earth System History | 4 |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Junior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| Saltwater Semester, UGalapagos, or other upper-level MBE electives with research (up to 17 credits). | 17 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| MBE 329 | Marine Vertebrate Zoology | 3 |
| Minor course or STEM Elective #1 | 3 | |
| A&H Course #2 | 3 | |
| P&S Course #1 | 3 | |
| P&S Course #2 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Senior Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| PHY 201 | University Physics I for the Sciences | 4 |
| PHY 106 | Physics Laboratory 1 | 1 |
| Minor course or STEM Elective #2 | 3 | |
| Minor course or STEM Elective #3 | 3 | |
| A&H Course #3 | 3 | |
| P&S Course #3 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Spring | ||
| PHY 202 | University Physics II for the Sciences | 4 |
| PHY 108 | Physics Laboratory 2 | 1 |
| Minor course or STEM Elective #4 | 3 | |
| Minor course or STEM Elective #5 | 3 | |
| Minor course or STEM Elective #6 | 3 | |
| Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Total Credit Hours | 129 | |
Mission
The mission of the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science is to deepen our collective knowledge of our planet through cutting-edge scientific research on the oceans, atmosphere, geology, biota, and the human dimension, while training the next generation of scientists. We transfer the knowledge gained to our students, the national and international scientific community, and to policymakers and the public.
The educational mission of the BS degree in Marine Biology and Ecology at the University of Miami is to graduate students with the ability to integrate knowledge of the marine system, and its biota, ecology, physiology, and genetics to provide students a foundation for successful careers.
Goals
The MBE departmental major curriculum will provide the rigor, flexibility, depth and integration to enable students to:
- Design their course of study that provides both depth and breadth in marine biology and ecology and science related courses.
- Undertake active research experiences, which will allow them to gain a strong understanding of the scientific process.
- Learn from the diverse and outstanding group of professors, researchers, and classmates.
- Prepare themselves for the public and private sector employment, graduate school, and successful careers.
Student Learning Outcomes
Students completing the MBE departmental major will be able to:
- Master a broad set of fundamental biological knowledge including how to search for, understand the primary scientific literature, and understand how fundamental biological principles relate to the marine environment.
- Solve problems competently by identifying the relevant features of the problem and developing a strategy to solve the problem.
- Use computers and computational approaches to acquire and process data as well as use software to analyze data.
- Understand and synthesize the objectives of research experiments, properly conduct experiments, and appropriately record, analyze, and communicate the results.
- Effectively communicate the concepts, results, and implications of their laboratory experiments and independent research both orally and in the written form to experts in the field, scientists in other disciplines, and the general public.
