UAS Academic CatalogMarine Biology, B.S.
Juneau
The B.S. degree in Marine Biology provides students with the opportunity to learn biological principles and skills in lecture, laboratory and field courses with a core curriculum in Marine Biology. Student research is emphasized throughout the program. Program faculty are actively involved in a wide range of disciplines, including marine ecology, evolution, marine mammalogy, invertebrate physiology, cryobiology, biological oceanography, aquatic contaminant studies, and marine fisheries. Students have the option to choose a Fisheries Science Emphasis or to pursue General Electives. The location of the University provides students with a “natural laboratory” that includes extensive marine habitat, rainforest, wetlands, and ice fields all within walking distance of the classrooms. A small student-to-professor ratio ensures a more personal approach to learning than is possible at larger universities. Additional information about the marine biology program can be found at https://uas.alaska.edu/arts_sciences/naturalsciences/biology/index.html.
Admission Requirements
Applicants will be considered for full admission to the B.S. in Marine Biology, and be assigned a faculty advisor, after completion of the following:
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| *Fundamentals of Biology I and *Fundamentals of Biology II | ||
| *Introduction to General Chemistry (or High school chemistry) 1 | ||
| *College Algebra for Calculus (may be met by placement examination) | ||
| *Writing Across Contexts |
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With a C (2.00) or higher
Candidates must complete the General Education Requirements (GERs), the Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement, as well as the specific program requirements listed below for a minimum of 120 credit hours.
Courses in a degree program may be counted only once. Courses used to fulfill the major requirements cannot be used to fulfill the GERs. Specific requirements for GERs in Marine Biology are listed below. The degree must include 44 credits of upper-division (300 or above) courses, 24 of which must be completed at UAS.
| Minimum Credit Hours | 120 |
| General Education Requirements | 36 |
| Alaska Native Knowledge Graduation Requirement | 3 |
| Major Requirements | 46 |
| Marine Biology Core Classes | 11 |
| Biology Electives | 6 |
| General Electives | 21 |
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | ||
| Must include the following: | 36 | |
| *Fundamentals of Biology I | ||
| *Fundamentals of Biology II | ||
| *Calculus I | ||
| Major Requirements | ||
| BIOL S215 | Introduction to Marine Biology | 3 |
| BIOL S271 | Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL S310 | Animal Physiology | 4 |
| BIOL S362 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL S482 | Evolution | 4 |
| CHEM S105 & S105L | *General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM S106 & S106L | *General Chemistry II and General Chemistry II Laboratory | 4 |
| CHEM S321 | Organic Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM S342 | Biochemistry | 4 |
| STAT S200 | *Elementary Statistics | 3 |
| Select one of the following Physics sequences: | 8 | |
| *College Physics I and *College Physics II | ||
| *General Physics I and *General Physics II | ||
| Marine Biology Core Classes | ||
| Select 10-12 credits of the following: | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Current Topics in Biology: (Topics in Marine Mammalogy) 1 | ||
| Marine Ornithology and Herpetology | ||
| Marine Mammalogy | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Marine Animal Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Ichthyology | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Biology Electives | ||
| Select six credits of the following: | 6 | |
| Introduction to Plant Biology | ||
| Communicating Science | ||
| Experimental Design and Data Analysis | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Conservation Biology | ||
| Current Topics in Biology: 1 | ||
| Marine Ornithology and Herpetology | ||
| Marine Mammalogy | ||
| Field Studies in Behavior and Ecology 2 | ||
| Individual Research 2 | ||
| Invertebrate Zoology | ||
| Marine Animal Physiology | ||
| Introduction to Ichthyology | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Field Studies in Biology: 1 | ||
| Aquatic Pollution | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Biology Seminar 1 | ||
| Research in Biology 2 | ||
| Biogeochemistry | ||
| Biogeography and Landscape Ecology | ||
| All Marine Biology students have the option of pursuing a Fisheries Science Emphasis, which will satisfy up to 21 of the 22 General Elective requirements. | ||
| Fisheries Science Emphasis Requirements | 19-21 | |
| Must include (13 credits): | ||
| Introduction to Marine Fisheries Science 3 | ||
| Introduction to Ichthyology | ||
FISH F288 | (Fish and Fisheries of Alaska) 3 | |
FISH F487 | (Fisheries Management) 3 | |
| Select two additional electives in BIOL (UAS) or FISH (UAF) with advisor permission (6-8 credits). | ||
| General Electives | ||
| To include upper-division courses as needed to meet 44 upper division credits required for degree. | up to 22 | |
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Only 4 credits from BIOL S375, 4 credits from BIOL S475, and 2 credits from BIOL S492 may be applied toward the Biology Electives. Others may be applied toward General Electives. Only 2 credits from BIOL S375: Topics in Marine Mammalogy may be applied to the Marine Biology Core Classes credit requirement.
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Up to 6 credits total from BIOL S396, BIOL S398, BIOL S498 may be applied.
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May be applied toward the Biology Electives and General Electives for students not pursuing the emphasis.
FISH courses available from UAF distance or face-to-face at the Lena Point CFOS facility.