Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences represent the wide variety of ecosystems that are linked through water. The study of Marine Biology and Coastal Sciences encompasses freshwater lakes and streams, estuaries, and coastal marine habitats. These habitats are critical for numerous plants and animals, but they can be compromised by human activities. Students who pursue this major are interested in understanding the relationships among plants, animals and humans and how to protect and restore these valuable ecosystems.
This major is an interdisciplinary program of study emphasizing the four core sciences of biology, geology, chemistry, and physics. Students completing this program will be well prepared to enter the work force in research, environmental consulting, education and regulatory agencies (e.g., EPA), as well as in non-profit organizations. Additionally, students will be prepared to undertake further graduate work.
The curriculum was designed for students who have had high school biology, chemistry, and physics, and three years of college preparatory mathematics.
Certain pre-qualified students may be accepted into the major; others will need to complete the following:
2.5 overall GPA required
Please note: The Biology, Molecular Biology, and Marine Biology and Coastal Science majors have retention policies. By the end of their second semester in the major (i.e. spring semester), students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 and have completed the following courses with a C- or better grade: BIOL112 or BIOL113, and CHEM106 or CHEM120, and MATH111 or AMAT120.
Students are required to meet with their assigned advisor.
Contact: Dr. Dirk Vanderklein, Science Hall 107A, vanderkleid@montclair.edu.
Program Requirements Overview
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| General Education Requirements | 35 | |
| World Languages and Cultures Requirements | 3-9 | |
| Major Requirements | 70-74 | |
| Free Electives 1 | 12-2 | |
| Total Credits | 120 | |
- 1
Graduate Swing courses will count toward Free Electives for students in combined degree programs.
Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| Major Requirements | ||
| BIOL 351 | Introduction to Aquatic Ecology | 4 |
| BIMS 220 | Introduction to Marine Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 113 | Principles of Biology: Organisms and Diversity | 4 |
| BIOL 213 | Introduction to Ecology | 4 |
| EAES 105 | Physical Geology | 4 |
| EAES 230 | Hydrology | 3 |
| EAES 322 | Environmental Geochemistry | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Research in Aquatic and Coastal Sciences | ||
| Field Methods in the Marine Sciences | ||
| Biology Independent Research | ||
| Independent Study in Geoscience | ||
| Major Electives | ||
| Select three courses from the list below. 2 | 8-12 | |
| Collateral Requirements | ||
| Chemistry Collateral | ||
| CHEM 120 | General Chemistry I | 4 |
| CHEM 121 | General Chemistry II | 4 |
| CHEM 230 | Organic Chemistry I | 3 |
| CHEM 232 | Experimental Organic Chemistry I | 2 |
| Physics Collateral | ||
| Select one of the following sequences: | 8 | |
| University Physics I and University Physics II | ||
| College Physics I and College Physics II | ||
| Mathematics Collateral | ||
| Select two of the following sequences: | 8 | |
| Applied Calculus A | ||
or MATH 122 | Calculus I | |
| Applied Calculus B | ||
or MATH 221 | Calculus II | |
| Data Science and Statistics and Data Science and Biostatistics | ||
| Total Credits | 67-71 | |
- 2
Students in the combined Marine Biology and Coastal Science Major (B.S.)/Marine Biology and Coastal Science (M.S.) program take only 2 elective courses.
Major Electives
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| BIMS 490 | Field Methods in the Marine Sciences | 4 |
| BIOL 300 | Environmental Biology and Related Controversial Issues | 3 |
| BIOL 330 | Introduction to Animal Behavior | 3 |
| BIOL 370 | Principles of Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 380 | Genetics | 4 |
| BIOL 406 | Scanning Electron Microscopy | 4 |
| BIOL 422 | Community Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 429 | Herpetology | 4 |
| BIOL 430 | Ornithology | 4 |
| BIOL 431 | Entomology | 3 |
| BIOL 436 | Phylogenetic Zoology | 4 |
| BIOL 440 | Gross Mammalian Anatomy | 4 |
| BIOL 451 | Comparative Animal Physiology | 3 |
| BIOL 460 | Biological Oceanography | 3 |
| BIOL 461 | Aquatic Ecology | 3 |
| BIOL 467 | Biology of the Fishes | 4 |
| BIOL 480 | Research Community I: Organism Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 481 | Research Community II: Organism Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 482 | Research Community I: Molecular Biology | 4 |
| BIOL 484 | Research Community I: Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 485 | Research Community II: Ecology | 4 |
| BIOL 486 | Special Topics in Biology | 3-4 |
| BIOL 489 | Special Topics in Organismal Biology | 3-4 |
| BIOL 495 | Special Topics in Ecology | 3 |
| CHEM 231 | Organic Chemistry II | 3 |
| CHEM 233 | Experimental Organic Chemistry II | 2 |
| CHEM 310 | Analytical Chemistry | 4 |
| EAES 210 | Introduction to GIS and Remote Sensing | 3 |
| EAES 250 | Introduction to Marine Sciences | 4 |
| EAES 301 | Climatology | 3 |
| EAES 302 | Structural Geology | 3 |
| EAES 303 | Environmental Field Methods | 3 |
| EAES 310 | Geographic Information Systems (GIS) | 3 |
| EAES 311 | Fundamentals of Remote Sensing of Environment | 3 |
| EAES 320 | Igneous Metamorphic Petrology | 4 |
| EAES 330 | Fluvial Geography | 3 |
| EAES 331 | Geohydrology | 3 |
| EAES 332 | Hydroclimatology | 3 |
| EAES 337 | Environmental Isotope Geochemistry | 3 |
| EAES 340 | Sedimentology | 4 |
| EAES 341 | Principles of Soil Science | 3 |
| EAES 350 | Oceanography | 3 |
| EAES 401 | Geo-Ecology | 3 |
| EAES 441 | Stratigraphy | 4 |
| EAES 451 | Coastal Marine Geology | 4 |
General Education Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill General Education categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| A. New Student Seminar | ||
| Complete a 1 credit New Student Seminar course. | 1 | |
| C. Communication | ||
| 1. Writing | 3 | |
| 2. Literature | 3 | |
| 3. Communication | 3 | |
| D. Fine and Performing Arts | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Fine and Performing Arts course. | 3 | |
| F. Humanities | ||
| 1. Great Works and Their Influences | 3 | |
| 2. Philosophical and Religious Perspectives | 3 | |
| G. Computer Science | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Computer Science course. | 3 | |
| H. Mathematics | ||
| Fulfilled by collateral mathematics requirement in the major. | ||
| I. Natural Science Laboratory | ||
| Principles of Biology: Organisms and Diversity (Fulfilled in the major.) | ||
| J. Physical Education | ||
| Complete a 1 credit Physical Education course. | 1 | |
| K. Social Science | ||
| 1. American and European History | 3 | |
| 2. Global Cultural Perspectives | 3 | |
| 3. Social Science Perspectives | 3 | |
| L. Interdisciplinary Studies | ||
| Complete a 3 credit Interdisciplinary Studies course. | 3 | |
| Total Credits | 35 | |
World Languages and Cultures Requirements
Click here for a list of courses that fulfill World Languages and Cultures categories.
| Code | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| World Languages | ||
| Based on language placement exam, complete one or two sequential courses in the same language. Requirement is automatically fulfilled by language major courses. | 3-6 | |
| World Cultures | ||
| Requirement may be fulfilled by course selected in General Education - Social Science: Global Cultural Perspectives. Requirement may also be fulfilled by major coursework. See list of courses. | 0-3 | |
| Total Credits | 3-9 | |
Recommended Roadmap to Degree Completion
This four-year plan is provided as an outline for students to follow in order to complete their degree requirements within four years. This plan is a recommendation and students should only use it in consultation with their academic advisor.
| First Year | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Credits | Spring | Credits |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (A) New Student Seminar | 1 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C2) Literature | 3 |
| GENERAL EDUCATION: (C1) Writing | 3 | GENERAL EDUCATION: (C3) Communication | 3 |
| 4 | 6 | ||
| Total Credits 10 | |||