BS in Marine Biology

Please note: program not currently accepting new students.
 

Admission to the Program

Admission to the program is through formal declaration of the major through the Department of Biology.

University Requirements

General Education Requirements

• A total of ten courses, consisting of one foundation course and one second-level course in an approved sequence from each of the five curricular areas
• No more than two courses may be taken in the same discipline

Major Requirements

• 67 credit hours with grades of C or better

Course Requirements

• BIO-110 General Biology I 5:1 (4)
• BIO-140 Seminar in Marine Biology: Marine Science (2)
• BIO-210 General Biology II 5:2 (4)
• BIO-240 Oceanography 5:2 (3)
• BIO-241 Seminar in Marine Biology: Biological Oceanography (2)
• BIO-323 Introduction to Ecology (3)
• BIO-324 Seminar in Marine Biology: Marine Ecology (2)
• BIO-340 Marine Biology (3)
• BIO-364 Evolution (3)
• BIO-499 Senior Seminar in Biology (3)
• CHEM-110 General Chemistry I 5:1 (4)
• CHEM-210 General Chemistry II 5:2 (4)
• MATH-221 Calculus I (4)
• MATH-222 Calculus II (4) or STAT-202 Basic Statistics (4)
• PHYS-110 Principles of Physics I 5:1 (4)
• 18 credit hours from the following or other courses at the 300-level or above by the department chair:

• BIO-342 Marine Mammals (3)
• BIO-345 Research Experience in Marine Biology (1-6)
• BIO-410 Invertebrate Zoology with Lab (4)
• BIO-420 Applied Oceanography with Laboratory (4)
• BIO-425 Advanced Marine Ecology with Laboratory (4)
• BIO-441 Marine Population Genetics (3)
• BIO-444 Larval Ecology (3)
• BIO-445 Ichthyology with Laboratory (4)
• BIO-520 Topics in Marine Zoology with Laboratory (4)
• CHEM-410 Biophysical Chemistry (3)
• CHEM-411 Biophysical Chemistry Laboratory (1)

University Honors Program

All University Honors students must complete at least 12 credit hours of advanced-level (300-level and above) Honors courses including a 3 to 6 credit hour Honors Senior Capstone Project. Students may graduate with University Honors in the major if they complete at least 12 advanced-level Honors courses including the Senior Capstone Project in the department. Each department has three levels of University Honors requirements: Level I Options (100-200-level Honors classes); Level II Options (300-level and above Honors classes); and Level III Options (Honors Senior Capstone). The department Honors coordinator advises students in the University Honors Program regarding departmental options. For more information, go to the University Honors Program.

 

Combined Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees

American University offers students the opportunity to earn both undergraduate and graduate degrees through its accelerated bachelor’s/master’s programs. Undergraduate students may complete up to 3 credits for every 9 credits required for the graduate degree that may be applied to the requirements for both degree programs. The department that oversees the graduate program the student enters will determine if the courses the undergraduate student completes will satisfy master’s degree requirements.

Bachelor’s/master’s students must complete at least 18 in-residence credit hours at the graduate level after the bachelor’s degree is earned and maintain continuous, sequential enrollment in the two programs. Students must finish the master’s degree requirements within three years from the date of first enrollment in the master’s program.