Earth and Marine Sciences Major, B.S.
Students in the EMES program will explore the biological, chemical, and physical processes that shape our planet from the mountains to the sea. Through an interdisciplinary curriculum, students build a strong foundation in the Earth system while learning to ask big questions about how landscapes form, oceans function, ecosystems respond to change, and natural resources are sustained. The program combines classroom learning with fieldwork, laboratory investigation, and data analysis to help students understand the dynamic processes driving our changing world.
Students can tailor the major through a concentration in Geoscience or Marine Biology and Ecology. In the Geoscience concentration, students study topics such as geology, hydrology, tectonics, and surface processes, gaining the knowledge and technical skills needed to understand Earth materials, water resources, and environmental change. The geoscience concentration is designed to permit students to pursue professional licensure in geology. In the Marine Biology and Ecology concentration, students examine aquatic systems from microbes to marine food webs, exploring the biology, chemistry, and ecology of marine environments. Across both concentrations, students develop hands-on experience in observation, experimentation, quantitative analysis, and scientific communication. With its Mountains-to-Sea perspective and strong emphasis on experiential learning, the major equips students to understand Earth’s past, engage its present, and help shape a more sustainable future.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the Earth and Marine Sciences program (B.S.), students should be able to:
- Recognize foundational concepts in earth and marine sciences and identify how these disciplines are relevant to humans and society.
- Assess real-world problems in the earth and marine sciences and apply scientific reasoning to solve them.
- Communicate clearly and effectively to a range of audiences.
- Collect, analyze and evaluate earth and marine science data from both field and laboratory settings.
In addition to the program requirements, students must
- earn a minimum final cumulative GPA of 2.000
- complete a minimum of 45 academic credit hours earned from UNC–Chapel Hill courses
- take at least half of their major core requirements (courses and credit hours) at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the major core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for major or specific courses.
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
Students can pursue one of two concentrations, as outlined below.
Geoscience Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| EMES 200 |  The Solid Earth | 3 |
| EMES 201 | Earth's Surface: Processes, Landforms, and History | 3 |
| EMES 203 | Data Analysis for Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | 3 |
| Select four fundamentals courses (at least one with a lab) | 13 | |
| Earth's Critical Mineral Resources | ||
| Structural Geology | ||
| Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | ||
| Petrology and Plate Tectonics | ||
| Earth and Life through Time | ||
| Geochemistry | ||
| Introduction to Geophysics | ||
| Surface Processes and Landscape Evolution | ||
| Groundwater Hydrology | ||
| Select three EMES specialization courses numbered 300 and higher | 9-12 | |
| Six credits of a capstone experience: | 6 | |
| Undergraduate Research in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences (6 credit hours total) | ||
| Summer Field Course in Geology and Summer Field Course in Geology | ||
| Honors in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences and Honors in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| CHEM 101 & 101L | General Descriptive Chemistry I and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I H, F | 4 |
| CHEM 102 & 102L | General Descriptive Chemistry II and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II H, F | 4 |
| MATH 231 | Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F | 4 |
| MATH 232 | Calculus of Functions of One Variable II H, F | 4 |
| PHYS 114 | General Physics I: For Students of the Life Sciences F | 4 |
| or PHYS 118 | Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity | |
| Select two of the following options: | 6-8 | |
| Introduction to Programming H | ||
or COMP 116 | Introduction to Scientific Programming | |
| General Physics II: For Students of the Life Sciences F | ||
or PHYS 119 | Introductory Calculus-based Electromagnetism and Quanta | |
| Total Hours | 63-68 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
Marine Biology and Ecology Concentration
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| EMES 103 & 103L | The Marine Environment and The Marine Environment Laboratory F | 3-4 |
| or EMES 202 | Oceanography | |
| EMES 203 | Data Analysis for Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | 3 |
| EMES 204 | The Microbial World: Foundations in Structure, Metabolism, and Ecology | 3 |
| or BIOL 250 | Evolutionary Biology | |
| or BIOL 260 | Introduction to Ecology | |
| Select four fundamentals courses (at least one with a lab) 1 | 13 | |
| Marine Life in a Fluid World | ||
| Marine Life in a Fluid World Laboratory 1 | ||
| Marine Fisheries Ecology | ||
| Marine Physiological Ecology 1 | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Marine Biology Lab 1 | ||
| Marine Microbial Symbioses: Exploring How Microbial Interactions Affect Ecosystems and Human Health | ||
| Microbial Ecological Genomics 1 | ||
| Coastal and Estuarine Ecology 1 | ||
| Biogeochemical Processes 1 | ||
| Human Impacts on Estuarine Ecosystems 1 | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Quantitative Ecology 1 | ||
| Select four EMES specialization courses numbered 300 and higher | 12-16 | |
| Three credits of a Applied Learning Experience: | 3 | |
| Undergraduate Research in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | ||
| Independent Study in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | ||
| Principles and Methods of Teaching Earth Science | ||
| Marine Physiological Ecology | ||
| Marine Biology and Marine Biology Lab | ||
| Microbial Ecological Genomics | ||
| Quantitative Ecology | ||
| Restoration Ecology | ||
| Honors in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences and Honors in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | ||
| Capstone: Analysis and Solution of Environmental Problems (with permission based on topic) | ||
| Additional Requirements | ||
| CHEM 101 & 101L | General Descriptive Chemistry I and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory I H, F | 4 |
| CHEM 102 & 102L | General Descriptive Chemistry II and Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory II H, F | 4 |
| MATH 231 | Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F | 4 |
| MATH 232 | Calculus of Functions of One Variable II H, F | 4 |
| PHYS 114 | General Physics I: For Students of the Life Sciences F | 4 |
| or PHYS 118 | Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity | |
| Select two of the following options: | 6-8 | |
| Introduction to Programming H | ||
or COMP 116 | Introduction to Scientific Programming | |
| General Physics II: For Students of the Life Sciences F | ||
or PHYS 119 | Introductory Calculus-based Electromagnetism and Quanta | |
| Total Hours | 63-70 | |
| H | Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply. |
| F | FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute. |
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This course fulfills the fundamentals lab requirement
Special Opportunities
Honors in Earth and Marine Sciences
The honors program is open to undergraduates with an overall grade point average of 3.3 or better as of the beginning of the fall semester of the senior year. To participate in this program, the student chooses a research topic in consultation with a chosen faculty sponsor and conducts the research during the last two semesters in residence. The research project should represent the equivalent time expenditure of six hours of course credit and is taken as EMES 691H (fall semester) and EMES 692H (spring semester).
Upon recommendation of the faculty, students may be awarded the degree with honors or highest honors. Highest honors is reserved for students who have distinguished themselves in both coursework and independent research. In order to obtain this distinction the student must maintain a grade point average of 3.60 or higher and complete a research project that is worthy of peer-reviewed publication.
Departmental Involvement
The department encourages all undergraduates to engage actively in its research, teaching, and community engagement activities. Opportunities include:
- Undergraduate research with faculty labs and field teams
- Peer teaching and outreach activities
- Student groups such as the Geology Club, TriBeta Biological Honors Society, Epsilon Eta Environmental Sciences Fraternity, and interdisciplinary environmental student communities
- Departmental seminar series, networking opportunities, annual spring research symposium, and social events
Information about events is posted on the department website and in Murray and Mitchell Halls.
Experiential Education
Many department courses emphasize experiential learning through opportunities to learn how to collect and analyze data from the field, learn laboratory-based skills (ex. mass spec, microscopy, identification/classification of biotic or abiotic samples), and data analysis. Students also have multiple options to complete a capstone or applied learning experience both on campus and at the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) in Morehead City, NC.
Teaching Opportunities
Undergraduates can earn course credit (EMES 291) while serving as an Undergraduate Learning Assistant (ULA), take pedagogy classes (ex. EMES 412), or participate in the BEST Minor program that offers a path for undergraduates to gain the knowledge and licensure to become a high-school teacher.
Study Abroad
The UNC Study Abroad program has both international and domestic opportunities for students to extend their experience beyond Carolina. The Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS) hosts a fall field site where EMES faculty offer a full semester of in-residence course offerings and experiential learning at the marine station. Other programs with EMES-affiliated courses include the Sustainable Triangle field site, as well as international locations including Galapagos, Florida, and Belize. For non-EMES courses affiliated with a study abroad program, students must receive approval from the director of undergraduate studies prior to taking courses abroad for EMES credit. More information about current and future programs can be found at the UNC Study Abroad website.
Undergraduate Awards
EMES majors are eligible for multiple awards and scholarships in recognition of their outstanding performance or to provide financial assistance to support independent research projects, travel for research, presenting at scientific conferences, attending geology field camp, or tuition support. Applications for these awards and fellowships are typically considered once or twice a year.
Undergraduate Research
EMES students are encouraged to pursue independent research under the guidance of a faculty mentor on campus or at the Institute of Marine Sciences (IMS). Research may be taken for 1–4 credit hours through EMES 395 or as part of an Honors thesis. Research topics span the full breadth of Earth, marine, and environmental sciences, ranging from climate and ocean processes to ecology, geomorphology, tectonics, environmental health, geochemistry, hydrology, and more.
Department Programs
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Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences
Murray and Mitchell Halls
