Undergraduate Studies

Undergraduate Studies


Undergraduate Studies in Marine Science

Overview

The University of New Hampshire has over 300 undergraduate students who are pursuing marine science as part of their degree programs in any one year. Our undergraduate marine offerings are based on the belief that undergraduates will be better prepared for careers in marine science if they obtain their undergraduate degrees in a core discipline (e.g. Biology, Engineering, History, Chemistry, etc...) while obtaining significant course work and research/field experience in marine science. As a result, UNH has developed two formal undergraduate options (B.S. Biology ­ Marine & Freshwater Option and B.A. Earth Sciences ­ Oceanography Option) that blend a core curriculum in Biology or Earth Sciences with rigorous course work in marine science.

In addition, undergraduates in any degree program at the university are able to pursue formal minors in Ocean Engineering, Oceanography, and Marine Biology. These degree programs and options are offered through individual departments although our Marine Program staff is available to answer student inquires, arrange visits to campus and facilitate contact with the appropriate faculty and programs.

The major role of the Marine Program in undergraduate studies at UNH is to facilitate "experiential learning" through direct participation in faculty research and off-campus educational opportunities in marine science. For example, the summer program at the Shoals Marine Laboratory is operated through a joint partnership between UNH and Cornell University, and UNH students have dedicated scholarship opportunities to participate in these courses. UNH is also a member of the SEA Education Association, a partnership that enables UNH students to participate in semester long sea-going courses and research. The Marine Program and our faculty also provide research based courses (e.g. TECH 797) and Research Opportunities that can be directly incorporated into a students degree program.

Concise summaries of our marine education and outreach programs can be found by following the links on the right. For further information please contact the Marine Program Office at marine.information@unh.edu.