Marine Biology Major
The Bachelor of Arts in Marine Biology provides students with a selection of courses needed to prepare for a career in marine biology or for further study in graduate or professional programs. This curriculum includes study of the ocean’s marine environment, including the organisms that live there, their physiology, behaviors and interactions, and the ecosystems they inhabit.
The Bachelor of Arts Degree in Marine Biology from the College of Natural and Health Sciences at the University of Tampa facilitates student attainment of the following programmatic learning goals and objectives.
Goal 1: Core Concepts
To provide students with a broad conceptual background, interconnected framework and real-world experience in marine biology:
A. Students will demonstrate an understanding of genetics, cell structure, cell function, and the molecular processes inside cells.
B. Students will demonstrate an understanding of form, function, and diversity of marine life.
C. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the principles of evolution and marine ecology.
D. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the physical, chemical, and geologic aspects of the marine environment. Student will further demonstrate how these, and anthropogenic changes impact marine life.
Goal 2: Technical, Computational & Ethical Skills
To provide students with technical, computational, and ethical skills used in marine biology research:
A. Students will demonstrate proper and safe laboratory practices, proper use of equipment, and the ability to use and evaluate scientific techniques.
B. Students will demonstrate the ability to perform appropriate quantitative analysis of experimental data and draw valid conclusions from their analyses.
C. Students will demonstrate the ability to work effectively with computational, mathematical, and statistical approaches to acquire, analyze, and/or model experimental datasets.
D. Students will demonstrate ethical conduct while undertaking research projects in marine biology.
Goal 3: Process of Science
To provide students with the ability to develop hypotheses and design approaches to evaluate them, as well as to access and critically evaluate information in marine biology:
A. Students will demonstrate the ability to develop testable hypotheses, design appropriate experiments, and present reasoned analyses and interpretations of results.
B. Students will demonstrate the ability to find and effectively use electronic resources to access information regarding marine biology.
C. Students will demonstrate the ability to critically evaluate the primary literature in marine biology.
Goal 4: Science Communication
To provide students with the ability to effectively communicate the findings of marine biological science research and connect these findings into the existing body of knowledge:
A. Students will demonstrate the ability to report the results of their experiments in a written paper that conforms to the scientific conventions of that field.
B. Students will demonstrate the ability to orally communicate the findings of their experiments or the work of others.
Degree Requirements
Requirements for a B.A. in Marine Biology
| Biology Core Curriculum | 25-28 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 25-28 |
Introduction to Marine Science
| MAR 200 | Introduction to Marine Science | 3 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3 |
Ecology requirements (Choose one)
Cellular/physiological requirement (Choose a minimum of 3 credits from Category I)
BIO
| Category I course | 3-4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 3-4 |
Organismal invertebrate requirement (Choose one)
| BIO 224 | Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| MAR 226 | Marine Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Organismal vertebrate requirement (Choose one)
| BIO 225 | Vertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| BIO 250 | Comparative Vertebrate Anatomy | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Organismal botany requirement
| MAR 327 | Marine Botany | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
Major Electives (Choose two)
Any upper division biology courses above
BIO 199 and MAR courses above 200 or any of the following courses:
CHE 315,
ENS 235,
ENS 242,
ENS 307,
ENS 310,
ENS 323,
ENS 335,
ENS 346, 349, 380. Note: Biology Department Majors and minors are limited to a maximum of two ENS courses as upper-division biology courses for the Department of Biology major or minor.
Collateral and prerequisite courses required for a B.A. in Marine Biology
| CHE 232 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHE 233L | Organic Chemistry I Laboratory | 1 |
| or | |
| MAR 201 | Marine Geology | 4 |
| or | |
| PHY 200 | General Physics I | 4 |
| or | |
| PHY 205 | General Physics with Calculus I | 4 |
| Total Credit Hours: | 4 |
The following number of credit hours is required in each of the three course areas for the Bachelor of Science in Marine Science-Biology major.
Credit hour summary for B.A. in Marine Biology major:
Biology Core Curriculum 25
Major Courses 30-31
Collateral Courses 4
Total Credit hours for Major 59-63