Explore ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥â€™s Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. Track on the Coast of Maine
The ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. program allows you complete your undergraduate degree and Marine Sciences master’s degree in a total of five years, saving you time and money. This accelerated pathway is available to students earning their bachelor’s degree in ; Marine Science; Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture; or Marine Entrepreneurship.
As a qualified ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ undergraduate, this track enables you to obtain the M.S. degree with the same curriculum requirements as the traditional M.S. in Marine Sciences program through an expedited process that begins during your senior year of undergraduate work.
You'll complete much of your master’s coursework during your fourth year, while also working on your thesis project. Your fifth year will be spent finishing your research and writing your thesis.
Why ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ For Your B.S./M.S. in Marine Sciences
Unlike other marine programs at universities with satellite campuses, our five-year combined degree program in Marine Sciences on the scenic shores of coastal Maine provides an on-campus gateway to a 36,000-square-mile living laboratory in the Gulf of Maine where you can learn, explore, and conduct research.
Be Career Ready
Through coursework, hands-on field work, global experience, research, and internship opportunities at a wide range of institutions, including the New England Aquarium, NOAA, and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, you will join the ranks of other graduates who have gone on to fulfilling careers as marine biology or oceanography researchers, natural resource managers, fisheries observers, conservation advocates, aquatic animal caretakers, environmental educators, commercial divers, and many other exciting professions.
Andy Robinson ’21
Experiential Learning
At ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥, the Marine Science Center is right on campus as opposed to a satellite campus a few hours away like it is at other schools. That stood out. The ability to do research as an undergrad was really important to me. From the start, professors are totally open to bringing on first-year students. A student may be really interested in working with a specific professor or in their subject area, or the student may just be curious. I know of students who signed on with multiple different professors in their first semester to learn about different subjects and what aligned with their interests and then followed a track with a particular project later on. It’s a really great thing to get involved like that so quickly. The staff are so willing to take students’ interests into account and find a way to work them into projects.
For my research, I spent a lot of time out on the boat deploying sensors. I worked with the makerspace to design some GPS drifters that recorded location as they went around the harbor. I got a paper published on that earlier this year, and it will be part of my thesis.
Talk to as many professors as you can about getting involved in research when you are taking the intro-level marine science classes in your first year. You'll get exposure to both marine faculty and marine grad students who are great resources for talking to about your interests and making connections to help you get involved.
Global Opportunities
Before diving into my research, I was able to go on the Galapagos travel course. The course was a 400-level marine class. It was a lot more open-format and discussion-based than my other classes. Each student presented on a few animals and plants that we would see when we took our trip to the Galapagos, which was really cool. It was a good mix of students across the different marine disciplines, environmental science, biology, and maybe one or two other programs mixed in as well. It was open to a lot of programs — there were 14 of us total. The professor really made sure we had a lot of diversity of thought.
The trip was amazing. We spent the first day in the capital of Ecuador going around to some of the historical places, like the colonial palaces and a few indigenous markets. Then we flew out to the Galapagos and spent the next week on a boat with just our group. There were snorkeling excursions and hikes each day. We got the chance to kayak and swim with sea lions. There was even one day when we were getting ready for lunch, and someone spotted a group of dolphins breaching out in the distance, so we all piled into the inflatable dinghies and went motoring off after them.
It was one of those things that I knew I was never going to have the chance to do outside of ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥, have that personal of an experience on a trip. It was really unique.
For my research, I spent a lot of time out on the boat deploying sensors.
Enjoy Unique Marine Sciences Research Experiences
Engage in student-centered research by hopping aboard one of our three research vessels and sailing out to ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥â€™s privately owned research island, or conduct studies indoors in our Ocean Clusters, research-education work groups focused on specific marine topics ranging from aquaculture to phytoplankton.
Our Marine Sciences 4+1 B.S./M.S. program also focuses on a thesis research experience in which you'll conduct research and prepare a thesis on a topic selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. Examples of current and past research projects include:
- Shark bycatch reduction
- Acoustic telemetry fish movements
- Seal diet analysis
- Local groundfish growth and habitat selectivity
- Post-release shark mortality and recovery
- Crustacean physiology
- Food safety of edible kelp
Study in First-Rate Marine Sciences Facilities
When you’re not on the water, you’ll benefit from our top-notch Marine Science Center, which is just steps away from ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥â€™s private beach on the Saco River, estuary habitats, and the ocean.
The building is equipped with a tidal pumping system; a 550,000-gallon storage tank; two flow-through seawater teaching labs; 4,950 square feet of research space; five internal pools; and both wet and dry laboratories, including aquaculture and marine biology research labs.
What Will You Study? Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. Degree Curriculum Overview
Academic and Technical Standards
To enroll in the program you must be an undergraduate at ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ with a 3.5 overall G.P.A., and a 3.5 G.P.A. in all math and science courses. You are not required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) prior to enrollment. However, you must receive sponsorship from a faculty member who will serve as your thesis advisor, and you should begin conducting research on a project that will become your thesis project by your fourth year at ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥. You can declare your intent to enroll in the program as early as the second semester of your sophomore year or as late as the second semester of your junior year.
Application forms are available from prospective faculty advisors.
Curriculum
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAR 503 – Research Methods | 3 |
| MAR 512 – Marine Science Center Seminar | 1 |
| MAR 530 – Graduate Research Seminar | 1 |
| MAR 566 – Adv Oceanography I: Bio & Geo | 3 |
| MAR 568 – Adv Oceanography II: Phy & Chem | 3 |
| Sixteen (16) credits of MAR 590 – Marine Science Research/Thesis (repeated for additional credit) | 16+ |
| Nine (9) credits of 500-level Elective Coursework* | 9 |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 36 |
|---|
*Students may substitute Thesis/Research credits for electives with the approval of their advisor
Graduation Requirements
Students must successfully complete all required courses with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 and successfully pursue, complete, and defend publicly an approved research thesis.
³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ 4+1 tracks
³ÉÈËÖ±²¥ offers 4+1 tracks for Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or Environmental Studies.
Make Connections as a Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. Student
You’ll enjoy our small class sizes that allow you to form close bonds with other Marine Programs students as well as our supportive and caring world-class faculty. Our small class sizes foster a sense of community — not competition — among students
Live and Study Your Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. in Biddeford, Maine
Students in ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥â€™s combination undergraduate/graduate program in Marine Sciences study at our Biddeford, Maine, location, a gorgeous waterfront campus offering more than 4,000 feet of scenic shoreline where the Saco River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to benefitting from the ample research opportunities afforded by our proximity to the ocean, wetlands, and a privately-owned research island, you will enjoy spending time in this popular vacation destination with its friendly, welcoming people and a wide range of outdoor recreation activities.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Biddeford Campus
Apply Today
Ready to begin your future in ³ÉÈËÖ±²¥â€™s Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. program? Get started today.