Oceanography and Marine Sciences

Oceanography is a holistic science involving the intersection of all sciences, many applied sciences, technology and often engineering. The core courses in this degree present that diversity while fulfilling the base requirements for entry into a bachelor’s program. Degree elective courses have the flexibility to explore oceanographic connections to the atmosphere (weather and climate), regional and global environmental quality, marine environment sciences including ethics, policy and natural resource management, marine biology, ecology, and archaeology, paleoceanography, and fisheries while introducing habitat sampling as supported by data collection techniques and technology. An interested student can forge a degree plan in preparation for transfer into any of these areas while gaining a general oceanography foundation that is typically required to move into a specialized program.

Program learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this degree, the student should be able to:

1. Explain the role of plate tectonics on ocean basin formation and destruction, inclusive of processes that operate at mid ocean ridges and deep sea trenches.
2. Describe the chemical qualities of the marine environment (seawater) ranging from salinity and pH to available gases, noting the controls on such qualities as they span physical and biologic interactions.
3. Illustrate and explain the origin of coastal landforms and how they define nearshore and shoreline habitats inclusive of currents, sediment transport and deposition, and tidal influences.
4. Using environmental and taxonomic categorizations, classify different types of marine life with descriptive qualities of organisms and their habitats.
5. Explain the role of the oceans on a planetary scale, starting with their role within the hydrosphere and as they interact with the geosphere, atmosphere and biosphere.
6. Apply ecologic principles to marine environments, noting physical, chemical and biologic interactions that define a given ecosystem.

In addition to the degree core, there are many specific GE course combinations in the Humanities and Social Sciences, as well as specific Science courses among the electives list above, that can support transfer into marine science specializations for the transfer student, including Oceanography, Coastal Marine Conservation, Marine Biology/Marine Ecology, Marine Resources Management/Fisheries, Marine Archaeology, Paleoceanography, and Ocean-Atmosphere interdisciplinary programs. See Earth Science Department faculty or a counselor.