Marine Sciences Minor
The Marine Sciences minor is designed to give students access to specialized courses, facilities, and faculty mentors who study the biological, physical, geological, and chemical processes in ocean and coastal systems. This minor allows students to build marine‑focused skills that complement their primary field of study, broaden their career options, and prepare them for graduate or professional programs related to marine biology, environmental chemistry, ocean physics, data science, marine policy, coastal management, and more.
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 | |
 The Marine Environment 1, F | ||
| Oceanography 1 | ||
| Additional 9 credit hours in marine sciences courses from the following list: | 9 | |
| First-Year Seminar: Global Warming: Science, Social Impacts, Solutions | ||
| 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 | ||
| Coastal Environmental Change | ||
| Marine Life in a Fluid World | ||
| Marine Life in a Fluid World Laboratory | ||
| Fluid Mechanics for Environmental Sciences | ||
| Marine Fisheries Ecology | ||
| Undergraduate Research in Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences 2 | ||
| Physical Oceanography | ||
| Environmental Systems Modeling | ||
| Major World Rivers and Global Change: From Mountains to the Sea | ||
| Ancient Climates: Greenhouse and Icehouse Worlds | ||
| Blue Carbon and Coastal Environments | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Marine Physiological Ecology | ||
| Marine Biology | ||
| Marine Biology Lab | ||
| Marine Phytoplankton | ||
| Marine Microbial Symbioses: Exploring How Microbial Interactions Affect Ecosystems and Human Health | ||
| Microbial Ecological Genomics | ||
| Coastal and Estuarine Ecology | ||
| Diving into Ichthyology | ||
| Biogeochemical Processes | ||
| Human Impacts on Estuarine Ecosystems | ||
| Marine Geology | ||
| GIS and Remote Sensing for Earth and Ocean Sciences | ||
| Earth and Marine Sciences Speaker Series | ||
| Chemical Oceanography | ||
| Biological Oceanography | ||
| Advanced Coastal Environmental Change | ||
| Quantitative Ecology | ||
| Data Analysis for Earth and Marine Sciences | ||
| Modelling in Earth and Marine Sciences | ||
| 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 202.
- 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
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 Research
Students may 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, environmental health, geochemistry, hydrology, and more.
Department Programs
Majors
Minors
Graduate Programs
Courses
Department of Earth, Marine, and Environmental Sciences
Murray and Mitchell Halls
