Marine Sciences Minor
The minor in marine sciences is designed to allow students access to departmental courses, facilities, and advisors to develop marine specializations related to their majors and to prepare for postgraduate study in marine sciences or a related field.
Requirements
In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:
- take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
- earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.
For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Requirements | ||
| One course emphasizing global oceanic processes: | 3 | |
| Oceanography 1 | ||
 The Marine Environment 1, F | ||
| Three additional courses in marine sciences from the following list: | 9 | |
| First-Year Seminar: Living with Our Oceans and Atmosphere | ||
| First-Year Seminar: The Ends of the Earth: Polar Oceanography and Exploration | ||
| First-Year Seminar: Change in the Coastal Ocean | ||
| First-Year Seminar: Special Topics 2 | ||
| Data Analysis for Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences | ||
| The Microbial World: Foundations in Structure, Metabolism, and Ecology | ||
| North Carolina Estuaries: Environmental Processes and Problems | ||
| Marine Fisheries Ecology | ||
| Undergraduate Research in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences 2 | ||
| Oceanic Processes in Environmental Systems | ||
| Blue Carbon and Coastal Environments | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Marine Physiological Ecology | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Marine Microbiology | ||
| Marine Phytoplankton | ||
| Marine Microbial Symbioses: Exploring How Microbial Interactions Affect Ecosystems and Human Health | ||
| Microbial Ecological Genomics | ||
| Coastal and Estuarine Ecology | ||
| Estuarine and Coastal Marine Science | ||
| Human Impacts on Estuarine Ecosystems | ||
| Barrier Island Ecology and Geology | ||
| The Changing Coasts of Carolina | ||
| Marine Geology | ||
| Geologic and Oceanographic Applications of Geographical Information Systems | ||
| Chemical Oceanography | ||
| Physical Oceanography | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Advanced Coastal Environmental Change | ||
| Total Hours | 12 | |
| 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. |
- 1
Students may not receive credit for both EMES 103 and EMES 401.
- 2
With permission, based on topic.
The following courses can be applied to the marine sciences minor when they are taken as part of the semester at the Institute of Marine Sciences Field Site in Morehead City.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENEC 204 | Environmental Seminar | 1-3 |
| ENEC 395 | Research in Environmental Sciences and Studies for Undergraduates | 1-3 |
| ENEC 698 | Capstone: Analysis and Solution of Environmental Problems | 3 |
Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences (EMES) course descriptions.
Special Opportunities in Marine Sciences
Undergraduate Research
The department offers opportunities to undergraduates to conduct directed research in our laboratories. Students work directly with faculty members and may enroll for credit as part of an honors or research project. The liaison for undergraduate research provides information about research opportunities in marine sciences, and assists undergraduates in finding a faculty advisor/research group that matches their interests.
Experiential Education
There are three opportunities for experiential education in Marine Sciences:
- EMES 220 is taught during Maymester at the main campus with one week at the UNC–Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, NC.
- EMES 395 can be taken with the permission of a faculty advisor.
- EMES 472 is taught at the UNC–Chapel Hill Institute of Marine Sciences in Morehead City, NC, during the summer session and provides an experience in the field.
Department Programs
Majors
Minors
Graduate Programs
Courses
Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences
Murray and Mitchell Halls
