Our Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology aims to provide students with a solid foundation in marine biology, with flexibility to explore ocean and coastal processes, marine biogeochemistry, the ecology and evolution of marine organisms, and the ocean’s role and responses in global change. Core, skills-based courses are designed to prepare students for in-depth examination of the contemporary issues facing marine organisms and ecosystems, while helping to develop resumés that are strengthened by experiential learning. This major also provides options for students following a prevet or premed track.
Faculty teaching the courses are experts who are dedicated to marine research and experiential learning, providing students the opportunities to learn new, valuable skills and to expand their professional science network. Students may actively participate in field and lab work, internships at Northeastern University’s Marine Science Center in Nahant, MA, study abroad through Dialogue of Civilizations programs or the long-standing Three Seas Program (see below). Additional opportunities exist for students in this strong, interdisciplinary program that prepares students for direct entry into the job market or a competitive graduate program.
Students majoring in Marine Biology cannot be combined with majors in Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, or Environmental and Sustainability Sciences, nor can they minor in Biology, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, or Environmental and Sustainability Sciences.
Three Seas Program
The Three Seas Program, now in its 38th year, delivers a unique combination of inquiry-based, global study, fieldwork, and research across three distinct locations: the Gulf of Maine, tropical coastal Panama, and the Pacific Northwest. This optional, two-semester program is designed to teach students to plan and execute marine field research to enhance their future opportunities, whether in top doctoral programs or careers with government agencies or private consulting firms. Students finish the program as active scientists who are certified in scientific diving, have an expanded skill set, and have a robust professional network.
For more information, please see the Three Seas Program website.
Complete all courses listed below unless otherwise indicated. Also complete any corequisite labs, recitations, clinicals, or tools courses where specified and complete any additional courses needed beyond specific college and major requirements to satisfy graduation credit requirements.
Universitywide Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the Universitywide Requirements.
NUpath Requirements
All undergraduate students are required to complete the NUpath Requirements.
Marine Biology Major Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction to College | ||
| ENVR 1000 | Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern | 1 |
| or INSC 1000 | Science at Northeastern | |
| Foundations Courses | ||
| EEMB 1101 and EEMB 1102 | Foundations in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Lab for EEMB 1101 | 5 |
| EEMB 1105 and EEMB 1106 | Foundations in Ecological and Evolutionary Genomics and Lab for EEMB 1105 | 5 |
| Genetics | ||
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | Genetics and Molecular Biology and Lab for BIOL 2301 | 5 |
| Ecology | ||
| EEMB 2302 and EEMB 2303 | Ecology and Lab for EEMB 2302 | 5 |
| Evolution | ||
| EEMB 2400 | Introduction to Evolution | 4 |
| Marine Biology | ||
| EEMB 2700 and EEMB 2701 | Marine Biology and Lab for EEMB 2700 | 5 |
| Conservation | ||
| EEMB 3460 | Conservation Biology | 4 |
| Scientific Communication | ||
| ENVR 4000 | Science Communication and Professional Development | 4 |
| Capstone | ||
| Complete one of the following: | 1-4 | |
| Biology Capstone | ||
| Earth and Environmental Science Capstone | ||
| Senior Thesis | ||
Marine Biology Options
Requirements for Students Not Participating in Three Seas
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| ENVR 3125 | Global Oceanic Change | 4 |
| ENVR 3600 | Oceanography | 4 |
| Complete four of the following: | 16-20 | |
| Comparative Neurobiology | ||
| Ecology and Evolution of Behavior | ||
| Genetics and Evolution in Action | ||
| Physiological Adaptations to the Environment | ||
| Ecosystems Ecology | ||
| Ecological and Conservation Genomics | ||
| Disease Ecology | ||
| Population Dynamics and Lab for EEMB 5130 | ||
| Animal Behavior | ||
| Coastal Sustainability: Ecology and Coupled Human-Natural Systems in Southeast Asia | ||
| Coastal Sustainability: The Blue Economy of the Gulf of Maine | ||
| Geographic Information Systems and Lab for ENVR 3300 | ||
| Wetlands | ||
| Environmental Pollution | ||
| Ecosystem-Based Management | ||
| Ancient Marine Life and Lab for ENVR 5242 | ||
| Marine Spatial Planning | ||
| Elective courses available at Nahant campus: | ||
| New England Marine Biomes | ||
| Experimental Design Marine Ecology | ||
| Advanced Field Methods in Marine Ecology | ||
| Sustainability of the Land-Sea Interface | ||
Three Seas Students
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Three Seas courses at Nahant/Northeastern campus: | ||
| EEMB 5510 | New England Marine Biomes | 4 |
| EEMB 5522 | Experimental Design Marine Ecology | 3-4 |
| or EEMB 5525 | Advanced Field Methods in Marine Ecology | |
| EEMB 5542 | Marine Spatial Planning | 4 |
| EEMB 5546 | Sustainability of the Land-Sea Interface | 3 |
| EEMB 5589 | Diving Research Methods | 2 |
| Three Seas courses (abroad): | ||
| EEMB 5504 and EEMB 5505 | Biology of Corals and Lab for EEMB 5504 | 3 |
| EEMB 5506 and EEMB 5507 | Biology and Ecology of Fishes and Lab for EEMB 5506 | 3 |
| EEMB 5508 | Marine Birds and Mammals | 3 |
| EEMB 5518 and EEMB 5519 | Ocean and Coastal Processes and Lab for EEMB 5518 | 3 |
| EEMB 5520 | Tropical Marine Ecology | 2 |
| EEMB 5538 | Conservation and Restoration of Marine Systems | 3 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Marine Invertebrate Zoology and Botany and Lab for EEMB 5533 | ||
| Changing Global Oceans and Lab for EEMB 5540 | ||
Supporting Courses for Marine Biology
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Mathematics | ||
| MATH 1251 | Calculus and Differential Equations for Biology 1 | 4 |
| or MATH 1241 | Calculus 1 | |
| or MATH 1341 | Calculus 1 for Science and Engineering | |
| Introduction to Data | ||
| ENVR 1500 and ENVR 1501 | Introduction to Environmental, Social, and Biological Data and Lab for ENVR 1500 | 5 |
| Biostatistics | ||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | Biostatistics and Lab for ENVR 2500 | 5 |
| Chemistry | ||
| CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | General Chemistry for Science Majors and Lab for CHEM 1161 and Recitation for CHEM 1161 | 5 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | Organic Chemistry 1 and Lab for CHEM 2311 | 4 |
| or ENVR 3410 | Environmental Geochemistry | |
| or ENVR 4504 | Environmental Pollution | |
| Physics | ||
| Complete a lecture/lab set for Physics 1: | 5 | |
| Physics 1 | ||
| Physics for Life Sciences 1 and Lab for PHYS 1145 (recommended) | ||
| Physics for Engineering 1 and Lab for PHYS 1151 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1151 | ||
| Physics 1 and Lab for PHYS 1161 and Recitation for PHYS 1161 | ||
| Physics 1 for Bioscience and Bioengineering and Lab for PHYS 1171 and Interactive Learning Seminar for PHYS 1171 | ||
Marine Biology Major Credit/GPA Requirements
Complete 89 semester hours in the major with a cumulative GPA of 2.000.
Program Requirement
137 total semester hours required
Four Years, Two Co-ops in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| EEMB 1101 and EEMB 1102 | 5 | CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 and CHEM 1163 | 5 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| ENVR 1000 | 1 | EEMB 1105 and EEMB 1106 | 5 | Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 |
| ENVR 1500 and ENVR 1501 | 5 | PHYS 1161 and PHYS 1162 and PHYS 1163 | 5 | ||||
| MATH 1251 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | 8 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Elective | 4 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EESC 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| ENGW 3307 | 4 | ||||||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | 5 | ||||||
| 20 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| EEMB 2302 and EEMB 2303 | 5 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Elective | 4 |
| EEMB 2400 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EEMB 2700 and EEMB 2701 | 5 | ||||||
| Marine biology elective | 4 | ||||||
| 18 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| EEMB 3460 | 4 | BIOL 4701, ENVR 4900, or ENVR 4997 | 1-4 | ||||
| ENVR 3600 (Oceanography) | 4 | ENVR 3125 | 4 | ||||
| Marine biology elective | 4 | ENVR 4000 | 4 | ||||
| Marine biology elective | 4 | Marine biology elective | 4 | ||||
| 16 | 13-16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 137-140 | |||||||
Marine Biology—Three Seas Program, Four Years, One Co-op in Spring/Summer 1
| Year 1 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| EEMB 1101 and EEMB 1102 | 5 | CHEM 1161 and CHEM 1162 | 5 | Vacation | 0 | Elective | 4 |
| ENVR 1000 | 1 | EEMB 1105 and EEMB 1106 | 5 | Elective | 4 | ||
| ENVR 1500 and ENVR 1501 | 5 | EEMB 2400 | 4 | ||||
| MATH 1251 | 4 | PHYS 1161 and PHYS 1162 and PHYS 1163 | 5 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | ||||||
| 19 | 19 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 2 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| BIOL 2301 and BIOL 2302 | 5 | Co-op | 0 | Co-op | 0 | Elective | 4 |
| CHEM 2311 and CHEM 2312 | 5 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EESC 2000 | 1 | ||||||
| ENGW 3307 | 4 | ||||||
| ENVR 2500 and ENVR 2501 | 5 | ||||||
| 20 | 0 | 0 | 8 | ||||
| Year 3 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | Summer 1 | Hours | Summer 2 | Hours |
| EEMB 2302 and EEMB 2303 | 5 | Elective | 4 | Vacation | 0 | EEMB 5525 | 3 |
| EEMB 2700 and EEMB 2701 | 5 | Elective | 4 | EEMB 5546 | 3 | ||
| EEMB 3460 | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| Elective | 4 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| 18 | 16 | 0 | 6 | ||||
| Year 4 | |||||||
| Fall | Hours | Spring | Hours | ||||
| EEMB 5504 and EEMB 5505 | 3 | BIOL 4701, ENVR 4900, or ENVR 4997 | 1-4 | ||||
| EEMB 5506 and EEMB 5507 | 3 | ENVR 4000 | 4 | ||||
| EEMB 5508 | 3 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EEMB 5518 and EEMB 5519 | 3 | Elective | 4 | ||||
| EEMB 5520 | 2 | ||||||
| EEMB 5538 | 3 | ||||||
| EEMB 5540 and EEMB 5541 | 3 | ||||||
| 20 | 13-16 | ||||||
| Total Hours: 147-150 | |||||||