Marine Science and Conservation (AB)

Program Code: U-MSC-AB
Degree Designation: Bachelor of Arts
Department: Marine Science & Conservation
Website: nicholas.duke.edu/academics/undergraduate-programs/marine-science-conservation

Program Summary

The Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Science degrees are offered with a major in Marine Science and Conservation, or in an individually designed interdepartmental concentration approved by the Director of Undergraduate Studies in Marine Science and Conservation. Information may be obtained in the office of the Director of Undergraduate Studies. These degree programs are offered through Duke University’s Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina. Course offerings are available in Durham and Beaufort. Full programmatic details are available on our website.

The Marine Science and Conservation majors and minor are offered through the Division of Marine Science and Conservation in the Nicholas School of the Environment. The majority of the Division of Marine Science and Conservation faculty are resident at the Marine Laboratory in Beaufort, NC. Additional courses in marine science are offered in Biology and Global Health in the Trinity College of Arts and Sciences; in the Divisions of Environmental Science and Policy and Earth and Climate Science in the Nicholas School of the Environment; and in the Pratt School of Engineering.

The Duke University Marine Lab provides students with a unique experiential opportunity to live and study in Beaufort for a full academic semester (fall or spring) or during two summer terms. The program emphasizes small class sizes, independent research projects, and integrated classroom, laboratory, and field experiences. Students have daily access to the surrounding marine environment and to modern scientific equipment including a shared-use molecular laboratory, and the Marine Robotics and Remote Sensing (MARSS) Lab.

Residential undergraduate courses are offered year-round (fall, spring, and summer sessions I and II) at the Duke Marine Lab. Fall and spring courses include travel courses which offer students opportunities for extended travel with Duke faculty to Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Singapore, the US Virgin Islands, and Australia. Small class size and an island setting facilitate rewarding student-faculty interactions.

This AB degree is designed to be a general liberal arts major, and targets students interested in studying social science, policy, and governance related to oceans.

Go to Programs by Department to view all related programs.

Academic Requirements

• Co-requisites (complete all)

  • Sciences (complete 3 subrequirements)

    • Chemistry I: CHEM 101DL or CHEM 110DL

    • Chemistry II: CHEM 201DL or CHEM 210DL

    • Biology: BIOLOGY 201L, BIOLOGY 202L, or BIOLOGY 203L

    • Physics: PHYSICS 121L, PHYSICS 151L, or PHYSICS 161D

    • Economics (complete any)

      • ENVIRON 155  Principles of Economics and the Environment

      • ECON 101D and ECON 201D

      • PUBPOL 155D and PUBPOL 303D

  • Math and Statistics (complete any)

    • MATH 111L and MATH 112L

    • MATH 122L  Introductory Calculus II with Applications

    • STA 101L  Data Analysis and Statistical Inference

    • STA 102L  Introductory Biostatistics

    • STA 199L  Introduction to Data Science and Statistical Thinking

• Gateway (complete all)

  • MARSCI 201  The Future of the Oceans: From Science to Policy

• Core (complete all)

  • MARSCI 202  Marine Biology and Ecology: Fantastic Sea Creatures and Where to Find Them

  • MARSCI 203 Marine Social Science

  • MARSCI 204A  Integrative Oceanography

• Capstone (complete any)

  • MARSCI 350S  Marine Science and Conservation Leadership

  • Graduation with Distinction

• Electives (complete 5 courses): MARSCI 205 to MARSCI 599

  • At least 3 must be Marine Science and Conservation "A" courses

  • Up to two courses can be alternative electives from other Duke departments

  • Courses can be a mix of natural, physical and social sciences

  • A maximum of 2 independent study credits can be used for electives

  • A maximum of 1 course from another university can be used as an elective with approval by the director of undergraduate studies

Graduation with Distinction in Marine Science and Conservation

The Marine Science and Conservation degree offers a Graduation with Distinction option. Interested students with a 3.0 grade point average overall and a 3.2 grade point average in the Marine Science and Conservation major should apply by the beginning of their senior year. The application should include a written request to the Director of Undergraduate Studies describing the research project and identifying the faculty advisor who has agreed to supervise the research. At least one research independent study is required as part of the Graduation with Distinction process, although more than one is encouraged. The student will write a thesis describing their research. The thesis will be evaluated by the faculty advisor. The student will also present their results to fellow students and faculty before the end of their final semester.