Marine Biology
| Degree: | Bachelor of Science (B.S.) |
| Major: | Marine Biology |
| Department: | Biology Building 58C, Room 104 (850) 474-2748 http://uwf.edu/biology/ |
| College: | Hal Marcus College of Science and Engineering |
| CIP Code: | 26.1302 |
| Semester Hours Required For Degree: 120 | |
The University of West Florida is one of only a few institutions in the United States which offers a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology. The program is provided through the Department of Biology. The curriculum includes a series of seven core courses fundamental to all areas of biology. Elective courses emphasize theoretical and practical aspects of aquatic/marine biology. Wetlands and estuarine marshes of the main campus, as well as the nearby Santa Rosa Island campus and the Gulf of Mexico, provide living specimens for study and serve as laboratories supporting elective courses. Graduates may seek careers in marine biology, fisheries management, aquaculture, pollution biology, and marine toxicology, and find employment in local, state, and federal departments of environmental regulation and education, as well as the private sector. Graduates are also well prepared to pursue advanced degrees. Prospective students need to be aware that some biology lab courses involve the use of live animals; students may wish to seek details from course instructors before enrolling.
Program Requirements
In addition to general University requirements, students seeking the B.S. in Marine Biology must meet the requirements listed below.
Minimum grade of "C-" or better is required in all courses in the program including Major-Related, Elective and Common Prerequisites.
Consult with your academic advisor for courses which may satisfy both the General Education requirements and common prerequisites.
General Education
In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.
General Education Curriculum:
Marine Biology majors should satisfy the mathematics (6 sh) and natural science (6 sh) components of General Education with course work taken from the common prerequisites shown below.
Multicultural Requirement
Civic Literacy Requirement
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.
| Students Included in Cohort | Civic Literacy Competency Requirement |
| Cohort 1: Students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to fall 2018 | None |
| Cohort 2: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2018 – summer A 2021 | Complete a course or exam |
| Cohort 3: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in summer B 2021 (on or after July 1, 2021) and thereafter | Complete both a course and exam |
Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.
There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan.
Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.
Common Prerequisites
State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.
| BSC 2010+L | Biology I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| BSC 2011+L | Biology II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2045+L | General Chemistry I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2046+L | General Chemistry II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| MAC 2311 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I * | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Elements of Statistics * | 3 |
| Choose one option from the following: | 8 | |
| Option 1 | ||
| Organic Chemistry I (+Lab) | ||
| Organic Chemistry II (+Lab) | ||
| Option 2 | ||
| Algebra-Based Physics I (+Lab) * | ||
| Algebra-Based Physics II (+Lab) * | ||
| Total Hours | 31 | |
- *
Indicates common prerequisites which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.
A minimum grade of "C-" or better is required in all courses in the program to include all Specialization, Subcore, Major-Related, and Common Prerequisites. Biology Program minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.
Lower Division Electives
| Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to complete at least 60 semester hours in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement. | 0-10 | |
| Total Hours | 0-10 | |
Major Required Courses
| BOT 4404C | Aquatic Botany | 4 |
| BSC 2844 | Biology Skills (Recommended in 1st year) | 1 |
| MCB 4631 | Molecular Aquatic Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| OCE 3007 | Concepts of Oceanography and Marine Biology (Recommended in 2nd year) | 3 |
| PCB 3063+L | Genetics (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 3043+L | Ecology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 4673 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| PCB 4723 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| STA 4173 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| ZOO 4254C | Marine Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| ZOO 4304C | Marine Vertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Major GPA Calculation:
The upper-division courses (3000-4000 level) with the following prefixes will be used in calculating the major grade point average: BCH, BOT, BSC, MCB, PCB, and ZOO.
Major Related:
| Students must take one of the following courses that are not completed as part of the Common Prerequisites in the lower division: | ||
| CHM 2210+L | Organic Chemistry I (+Lab) | 4 |
| PHY 2053+L | Algebra-Based Physics I (+Lab) | 4 |
Upper-Division Electives
| Choose from the following list of electives | 20 | |
| Scientific and Research Diving | ||
| Biochemistry I | ||
| Biochemistry I Laboratory * | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Tools for Data Science | ||
| Databases for Data Science | ||
| Writing for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Majors | ||
| Environmental Writing | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Environmental Impact Assessment | ||
| Environmental Science, Politics and Policy | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (+Lab) | ||
| Applications in Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Microbiology Laboratory * | ||
| Biology of Coral Reefs | ||
| Coastal Marine Ecology | ||
| Advanced Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Developmental Biology Lab * | ||
| Marine Ecological Physiology | ||
| Marine Ecological Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Molecular Ecology | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Molecular Biology Lab * | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology Laboratory | ||
| Sensory Biology | ||
| Statistics for Data Science I | ||
| Statistics for Data Science II | ||
| Biology Seminar | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Sampling Theory | ||
| Regression Analysis | ||
| Elasmobranch Biology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Avian Science | ||
| Marine Mammalogy | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Total Hours | 20 | |
- *
Indicates concurrent prerequisite with the lecture.
Accelerated Bachelor's (B.S.) in Marine Biology/Master's (M.S.) in Biology Option
Minimum Requirements For Admission:
- Overall undergraduate GPA of 3.25 or better
- Undergraduate Major GPA of 3.5 or better
- Completion of all Bachelor of Sciences in Biology core requirements
- A grade of B (3.0) or better in each Bachelor of Sciences in Biology core courses
- Two letters of recommendation
Process:
A prospective student who meets the minimum requirements for admission to the Accelerated BS to MS program must schedule a meeting with their undergraduate advisor and the Biology graduate coordinator to discuss and develop a degree plan for the student's Accelerated BS to MS program. The student must then submit an Accelerated BS to MS program in Biology application and letter of recommendation to the Biology graduate coordinator.
Program Requirements:
Students must have completed 75 undergraduate credit hours, including credits earned from advanced placement, prior to applying to the Accelerated BS/MS program in Biology. Transfer students must have completed a minimum of two semesters and at least 24 credit hours at the University of West Florida prior to application to the Accelerated BS/MS program. For admission into the Accelerated BS/MS program in the summer semester, application materials must be submitted by March 1. For admission into the Accelerated BS/MS program in the fall semester, application materials must be submitted by June 1. For admission into the Accelerated BS/MS program in the spring semester, application materials must be submitted by October 1. Admission into the Accelerated BS/MS program does not guarantee admission into the Biology M.S. program upon completion of the Marine Biology B.S. undergraduate degree. Students must still submit an Express Admission application for the Biology M.S. program. Students who are a part of the BS/MS program cannot be provisionally or conditionally admitted into the Biology M.S. program.
Upon admission into the Master’s in Biology program, 12 graduate credit hours completed as an undergraduate student will count for 12 semester hours of coursework for the master’s program. Students in the Accelerated Bachelor's/Master's program in Biology must earn a grade of B (3.0/4.0) or better in each of the graduate-level courses that are being applied to both degrees. Courses completed with a grade of B- or below cannot be applied to the master’s degree. Any dual listed 4000/5000 level Biology courses are permitted. The student must take the class at the 5000-level to count for accelerated credit.
If a student in the program completes the bachelor’s degree requirements with an overall GPA of less than 3.0/4.0 the student is no longer eligible to apply the graduate credit hours to both degrees. A student who becomes ineligible to continue participating in or withdraws from the Accelerated BS/MS program cannot apply any graduate credit hours toward both degrees (i.e., the student can only apply the credit hours towards completion of the BS degree or toward a future master’s degree).
Students who are enrolled in the program are eligible for graduate assistantship positions only after completing their bachelor’s degree.
Marine Biology Specialization
The Marine Biology specialization includes a series of seven core courses fundamental to all areas of biology. Elective courses emphasize theoretical and practical aspects of aquatic/marine biology. Wetlands and estuarine marshes of the main campus, as well as the nearby Santa Rosa Island campus and the Gulf of Mexico, provide living specimens for study and serve as laboratories supporting elective courses.
Minimum grade of "C-" or better is required in all courses in the program to include all Core, Specialization, Subcore, Major-Related, and Common Prerequisites. Marine Biology program minimum GPA of 2.0 is required for graduation.
General Education
In addition to the General Education requirements listed on this page, students must satisfy all additional University requirements, including the Gordon Rule, multicultural, and foreign language requirements. With appropriate planning and coordination with an academic advisor, students may satisfy some of the general University requirements through the General Education curriculum. For a complete listing of general degree requirements, refer to the "University Requirements" section of this catalog.
General Education Curriculum:
Marine Biology majors should satisfy the mathematics (6 sh) and natural science (6 sh) components of General Education with course work taken from the common prerequisites shown below.
Multicultural Requirement
Civic Literacy Requirement
The 2017 Florida Legislature amended Section 1007.25, Florida Statutes, to require students initially entering a State University System (SUS) and/or Florida College System (FCS) institution in 2018-2019 and thereafter to demonstrate competency in civic literacy. The 2021 Legislature further amended Florida Statutes, requiring students to complete both a civic literacy course and an exam. As a result, there are three cohorts of students currently matriculating at Florida public institutions subject to varying requirements. As demonstrated in the table below, the exact civic literacy requirements are based on the academic term in which a student first enrolled in a Florida public institution.
| Students Included in Cohort | Civic Literacy Competency Requirement |
| Cohort 1: Students first entering the SUS or FCS prior to fall 2018 | None |
| Cohort 2: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in fall 2018 – summer A 2021 | Complete a course or exam |
| Cohort 3: Students first entering the SUS or FCS in summer B 2021 (on or after July 1, 2021) and thereafter | Complete both a course and exam |
Additionally, the 2021 Legislature made two additional exceptions: approving the use of accelerated mechanisms for meeting the course competency requirement and exempting high school students who pass the Florida Civic Literacy Exam in high school from the postsecondary exam requirement. These two changes are in effect for Cohort 3.
There are multiple ways to satisfy this requirement. Students should work with their academic advisor to determine which option is best for their degree requirements/degree plan.
Additional information can be found on our Civic Literacy website.
Common Prerequisites
State-mandated common prerequisites must be completed prior to graduation, but are not required for admission to the program. See the Common Prerequisite Manual for course substitutions from Florida colleges and universities.
| BSC 2010+L | Biology I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| BSC 2011+L | Biology II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2045+L | General Chemistry I (+Lab) * | 4 |
| CHM 2046+L | General Chemistry II (+Lab) * | 4 |
| MAC 2311 | Analytic Geometry and Calculus I * | 4 |
| STA 2023 | Elements of Statistics * | 3 |
| Choose one option from the following: | 8 | |
| Option 1 | ||
| Organic Chemistry I (+Lab) | ||
| Organic Chemistry II (+Lab) | ||
| Option 2 | ||
| Algebra-Based Physics I (+Lab) * | ||
| Algebra-Based Physics II (+Lab) * | ||
| Total Hours | 31 | |
- *
Indicates common prerequisites which can be used to satisfy General Education requirements.
Lower Division Electives
| Students must complete sufficient 1000/2000 level electives to complete at least 60 semester hours in the lower division. Current UWF students may use elective courses at any level (1000-4000) to meet this elective requirement. | 0-10 | |
| Total Hours | 0-10 | |
Major Required Courses
| BOT 4404C | Aquatic Botany | 4 |
| BSC 2844 | Biology Skills (Recommended in 1st year) | 1 |
| MCB 4631 | Molecular Aquatic Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| OCE 3007 | Concepts of Oceanography and Marine Biology (Recommended in 2nd year) | 3 |
| PCB 3043+L | Ecology (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 3063+L | Genetics (+Lab) | 4 |
| PCB 4673 | Principles of Evolution | 3 |
| PCB 4723 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| STA 4173 | Biostatistics | 3 |
| ZOO 4254C | Marine Invertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| ZOO 4304C | Marine Vertebrate Zoology | 4 |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
The upper-division courses (3000-4000 level) with the following prefixes will be used in calculating the major grade point average: BCH, BOT, BSC, MCB, PCB, and ZOO.
Major Related
| Students must take one of the following courses that are not completed as part of the Common Prerequisites in the lower division: | ||
| CHM 2210+L | Organic Chemistry I (+Lab) | 4 |
| PHY 2053+L | Algebra-Based Physics I (+Lab) | 4 |
Upper-Division Electives
| Choose from the following list of electives: | 20 | |
| Scientific and Research Diving | ||
| Biochemistry I | ||
| Biochemistry I Laboratory | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Tools for Data Science | ||
| Databases for Data Science | ||
| Writing for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Majors | ||
| Environmental Writing | ||
| Environmental Law | ||
| Environmental Impact Assessment | ||
| Environmental Science, Politics and Policy | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (+Lab) | ||
| Applications in Geographic Information Systems | ||
| Microbiology | ||
| Microbiology Laboratory * | ||
| Biology of Coral Reefs | ||
| Coastal Marine Ecology | ||
| Advanced Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Developmental Biology | ||
| Developmental Biology Lab * | ||
| Marine Ecological Physiology | ||
| Marine Ecological Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Molecular Ecology | ||
| Molecular Biology | ||
| Molecular Biology Lab * | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Sensory Biology | ||
| Biology Seminar | ||
| Statistics for Data Science I | ||
| Statistics for Data Science II | ||
| Nonparametric Statistics | ||
| Sampling Theory | ||
| Regression Analysis | ||
| Elasmobranch Biology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Avian Science | ||
| Marine Mammalogy | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
- *
Indicates concurrent prerequisite with the lecture.
Up to 3 sh of directed study credit may be applied to electives. Students should confer with an advisor when selecting electives.
Graduate Level Courses
| Up to 12 credit hours of advisor-approved 5000-level courses listed below will be allowed to substitute for the undergraduate degree requirements. Other 5000-level courses may be allowed to substitute with advisor approval. | 1-12 | |
| Approved Substitutions for Major Required Courses | ||
| Molecular Aquatic Microbial Ecology | ||
| Principles of Evolution | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| Marine Vertebrate Zoology | ||
| Approved Substitutions for Elective Courses + | ||
| Biogeography | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Tools for Data Science | ||
| Databases for Data Science | ||
| Geographic Information Systems (+Lab) | ||
| Biology of Coral Reefs | ||
| Marine Ecological Physiology | ||
| Marine Ecological Physiology Laboratory * | ||
| Coastal Marine Ecology | ||
| Molecular Ecology | ||
| Advanced Molecular Biology and Bioinformatics for Biologists | ||
| Sensory Biology | ||
| Biology Seminar | ||
| Statistics for Data Science I | ||
| Statistics for Data Science II | ||
| Elasmobranch Biology | ||
| Ichthyology | ||
| Avian Science | ||
| Marine Mammalogy | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Total Hours | 1-12 | |
- *
Indicates concurrent prerequisite with the lecture.
- +
1-3 credit hours of directed independent study at the 5000-level may be applied to electives. Students should confer with an advisor when selecting electives.