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Coastal & Marine Sciences Major Curriculum

The major curriculum is designed to provide students with an understanding of the processes and functions of coastal, estuarine, and marine environments. Core coursework educates students in the natural sciences subfields of geology, biology, chemistry, and physics as they relate to the interdisciplinary field of coastal and marine sciences. Students will also explore the effects of marine systems processes on human populations, economies, and societies, and learn how natural and anthropogenic factors shape coastal ecosystems.

Courses for the Coastal & Marine Sciences major are held in-person at the main W&M Williamsburg campus, with the exception of the required immersion semester experience. All immersion semester courses will be taken in-person at the nearby W&M's Batten School & VIMS Gloucester Point campus. Opportunities to participate in elective field courses at the VIMS Eastern Shore Laboratory campus and on international study abroad programs are also available. 

The full Curriculum for the bachelor's degree program in Coastal & Marine Sciences is below.

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Major Proficiency Courses - 16-18 credit hours

Natural Sciences Courses

Natural Sciences (10 credits)

BIOL 204 + Lab (3 credits)
Introduction to Organisms, Ecology and Evolution
CHEM 103 or CHEM 205 (3 credits)
General Chemistry | Advanced General Chemistry 1

PHYS 101 / 101H or PHYS 107 (3 credits) 
General Physics | Honors Physics | Physics for the life Sciences

Students choose one Chemistry option and one Physics option.
Disciplinary Persepectives Courses

Disciplinary Perspectives (3-4 credits)

ANTH 315 – Environmental Archaeology (3 credits)
BIOL 203 + Lab – Molecules, Cells, Development (4 credits | COLL 200)
CHEM 206 – Organic Chemistry I (4 credits | Pre-req: CHEM 103 or 205)
CONS 201 – Integrative Conservation (3 credits | COLL 200)
CONS 210 – Conservation GIS (3 credits)
CONS 370 / SOCL 370 – Environmental Justice (3 credits | COLL 350)
ECON 101 – Microeconomics (3 credits)
ENSP 101 – Environment & Sustainability (3 credits | COLL 200)
GEOL 101 + 160 – Physical Geology + Lab (4 credits | COLL 200)
GEOL 110 + 160 – Physical Geography + Lab (4 credits | COLL 200)
GEOL 250 – Geologic Evolution of Virginia (4 credits)
GIS 201 – GIS & Spatial Analysis (3 credits)
PHYS 102 / 102H / 108 – Physics II options (3 credits; varies prereqs)
PUBP 201 – Public Policy (3 credits)
Quantitative Skills Courses

Quantitative Skills (3-4 credits)

BUAD 231 – Business Statistics (3 credits)
CSCI 141 + Lab – Programming (4 credits)
ECON 307 – Statistics (3 credits | Pre-req: ECON 101 & 102)
MATH 111 – Calculus I (4 credits)
MATH 131 – Calculus for Life Sciences (4 credits)

Major Curriculum- 36 credits

Major Common Core Courses

Major Common Core (24 credits)

MSCI 230 – Introduction to Marine Science (3 credits | COLL 200)
MSCI 250 – People, Society and the Coast (Pre-req: MSCI 230)
MSCI 305 – Coastal & Marine Geology (Pre-req: MSCI 230)
MSCI 310 – Motion of the Ocean (Pre-req: MSCI 230 + Physics)
MSCI 315 – Biological Oceanography (Pre-req: MSCI 230 + BIOL 204)
MSCI 320 – Marine Chemistry (Pre-req: MSCI 230 + CHEM)
MSCI 360 – Field Methods (Co-req: MSCI 365)
MSCI 365 – Quantitative Methods (Co-req: MSCI 360)
Major Elective Courses

Major Electives- (9 credits)

MSCI 201 – Marine Science Mash-up (1 credit)
MSCI 331 / 332 / 333 – Coastal Environments (1–3 credits)
MSCI 340 – Marine Biology (Pre-req: BIOL 204)
MSCI 343 – Marine Fisheries (Pre-req: MSCI 230 + BIOL 204)
MSCI 390 – Research (1–3 credits)
MSCI 392 – Internship (coming soon)
MSCI 398 – Seminars (1 credit)
MSCI 404, 411, 425 – Advanced topics (varied prereqs)
ANTH 350 - Special Topics in Anthropology: Voices in Conservation (3 credits)
BIOL 404 - Special Topics in Biology: Parasitology (3 credits) Pre-req: varies
BIOL 427 - Wetlands Ecosystems (3 credits) Pre-req: BIOL 204
BIOL 457 - Marine Invertebrate Biology (3 credits) Pre-req: BIOL 302
BIOL 460 - Advanced Seminar in Biology: Marine Ecology (3 credits) COLL 400 Pre-req: varies
BIOL 461 - Marine Ecology and Conservation (3 credits) COLL 400 Pre-req: BIOL 204 & BIOL 302
ECON 322 - Environmental and Natural Resource Economics (3 credits) COLL 200 Pre-req: ECON 101
GEOL 310 - Regional Field Geology: Coastal Environment Bahamas (1-3 credits) COLL 300 Pre-req: GEOL 101 (or GEOL 110) & GEOL 160
GEOL 324 - Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanorgaphy (3 credits) Pre-req: GEOL 160 & GEOL 101 (or GEOL 110 or GEOL 150)
GEOL 325 - Paleontology (3 credits) Pre-req BIOL 204 or GEOL 160 or GEOL 250
GIS 420 - Advanced GIS Analysis and Programming (3 credits) Pre-req: GIS 201
GOVT 391 - Water in International Affairs (3 credits)

 
Major Capstone Courses

Major Capstone (3 credits)

MSCI 460 – Senior Seminar (COLL 400)
MSCI 491 – Advanced Research (COLL 400)
MSCI 495 / 496 – Honors Thesis (application required)

 Anticipated Additional (Future) Offerings

General Elective Courses

General Electives

MSCI 100 - Critical Questions in Marine Science (3 credits) COLL 100

MSCI 399 - Marine Science Seminars (1 credit) Pre-req: MSCI 230

MSCI 415 - Current Research in Marine Science (1 credit, pass/fail) Pre-req: MSCI 230

MSCI 420 - Marine Environmental Chemistry (3 credits) Pre-req: BIOL 204 & CHEM 103 (or CHEM 205)

MSCI 429 - Fish Physiology (3 credits) Pre-req: MSCI 315

MSCI 455 - Marine Resource Economics (3 credits) Pre-req: MSCI 230

MSCI 4xx - Disease Ecology (3 credits) Pre-req: BIOL 204 & CHEM 103 (or CHEM 205)

MSCI 4xx - Indigenous Wayfinding (3 credits) Pre-req: MSCI 230

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