The Marine Vertebrate Biology major provides students with a solid background in basic biology with an emphasis on marine vertebrate organisms such as fish, sharks, birds, turtles and marine mammals. It provides a more intensive zoology background than the Marine Sciences degree.
Students are encouraged to participate in research and internships. Opportunities for experiential learning are available through field and laboratory courses taught at or near the Stony Brook campus and from a field station at the Stony Brook Southampton campus.
Most students who wish to have a career in research related to the marine environment will need to plan for graduate study. Career possibilities include research, education, or work in government agencies or non-profit organizations. The Marine Vertebrate Biology major is also good preparation for the Master of Arts in Teaching high school biology program or a pre-vet or pre-med program. A few additional courses are required for admission to the MAT program or for veterinary or medical school admission.
The Marine Vertebrate Biology major is administered by the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences, one of the leading oceanographic and atmospheric institutions in the nation.
The School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS) is Stony Brook University's center for education, research, and public service in the ocean, atmospheric, and environmental sciences. Housed within the SoMAS are the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC) and the Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres (ITPA). MSRC is the only state-designated center for marine research, education, and public outreach within the State University of New York system. The SoMAS is one of the nation's leading coastal oceanographic and atmospheric institutions, and the expertise of the SoMAS faculty places SBU at the forefront of addressing and answering questions about regional environmental problems, as well as problems relating to the global ocean and atmosphere. The primary focus of the SoMAS faculty is on fundamental research designed to increase understanding of the processes that characterize the coastal ocean and the atmosphere. The SoMAS is also committed to applying the results of research to solve problems arising from society's uses and misuses of the environment. The SoMAS also includes mission-oriented institutes in several major areas: the Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres, the Living Marine Resources Institute, the Institute for Ocean Conservation Science, the Long Island Groundwater Resource Institute, and the Waste Reduction and Management Institute. The institutes and many research projects add a wealth of varied resources to education and research at Stony Brook.
The SoMAS offers undergraduate majors in atmospheric and oceanic sciences, environmental studies, marine sciences, and marine vertebrate biology, and minors in environmental studies and marine sciences. See the separate entries for atmospheric and oceanic sciences (ATM), environmental studies (ENS), and marine sciences (MAR) in the alphabetical listings of Approved Majors, Minors, and Programs. The SoMAS also offers several cooperative programs in both marine and environmental sciences with departments in the College of Arts and Sciences (Chemistry, Geosciences) and the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences (Chemical and Molecular Engineering).
Research opportunities in marine sciences, atmospheric sciences, and waste management are available to undergraduates. Information on research opportunities may be found by contacting faculty directly or on the SoMAS Web site at http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu
All students should consult with the director of undergraduate studies to design and approve an acceptable course of study before declaring the major.
The major in Marine Vertebrate Biology leads to a Bachelor of Science degree. Completion of the major requires approximately 68 credits. Of these no more than one course (4 credits) with a passing grade lower than C can be credited to the major.
1. Foundation Courses (43-46 credits)
2. Zoology and Marine Vertebrate Core (13 credits)
Two of the following:
3. Marine Biology (12-16 credits)
Three electives from below:
* These courses can be used as electives if not used as an alternative to MAR 349.
Other classes may be substituted with permission of undergraduate director
4. Upper-Division Writing Requirement
The advanced writing component of the major in MVB requires registration in, and satisfactory completion of, the 0-credit MAR 459 or SUS 459 (S/U grading) along with enrollment in an approved advanced course that entails writing of either a term paper or a laboratory report. Completion of MAR 459 or SUS 459 with a grade of S will also result in fulfillment of the WRTD requirement. A list of preapproved courses can be found at http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu/education/undergraduate/ . Successful completion of BIO 459 will also be accepted for MVB majors.
Notes:
1. MAT 131, MAT 132 or MAT 141, MAT 142 or MAT 171
or
AMS 151
,
AMS 161
may be substituted for MAT 125, MAT 126
.
2. PHY 125, PHY 126
/PHY 133
,
PHY 127
/PHY 134
or PHY 131/PHY 133, PHY 132/PHY 134 or PHY 141
/PHY 133
, PHY 142
/PHY 134
may be substituted for the two-semester physics sequences listed above. MAR 352 may also be substituted for PHY 127 / PHY 134 or PHY 132 / PHY 134 or PHY 142 / PHY 134 .
3. BIO 207 may be substituted for BIO 205
.
4. CHE 129/
CHE 130
may be substituted for CHE 131. CHE 152 may be substituted for CHE 131+
CHE 132
.
5. CHE 331 may be substituted for CHE 321.
6. CHE 152,
CHE 154
,
CHE 331
may be substituted for CHE 131/
CHE 132
/
CHE 133
/
CHE 134
/
CHE 321
.
Bachelor of Science Degree in Marine Vertebrate Biology/Master of Science Degree in Marine Vertebrate Biology
Students interested in this program, intended to prepare students for professional employment or graduate school in the field of marine vertebrate biology and marine science, may apply for admission at the end of the junior year. Students in this combined B.S./M.S. program may complete both degrees in 10 semesters plus two summers (although the exact timing will depend on the student’s progress on the research thesis). Entry in the combined B.S./M.S. program is contingent upon a student identifying a thesis advisor, so students should seek out research experience in the laboratories of prospective advisor prior to the end of their junior year. During the fourth year, students take a mixture of undergraduate and graduate courses (6-12 credits). After the 8
th
semester (during the summer), students begin M.S. level research. During the fifth year, students complete the remaining graduate requirements for the M.S., likely needing the following summer to complete the research project. The two to four 500-level MAR courses taken during the senior year may be counted toward required or elective requirements of the undergraduate Marine Science major. Please visit the SoMAS website
http://somas.stonybrook.edu/
for further information on the Marine Sciences programs.
Honors Program in Marine Vertebrate Biology
Graduation with departmental honors in Marine Vertebrate Biology requires the following:
1. Students are eligible to participate in the Honors Program if they have a 3.50 GPA in all courses for the major by the end of the junior year. Students should apply to the SoMAS undergraduate director for permission to participate.
2. Students must prepare an honors thesis based on a research project written in the form of a paper for a scientific journal. A student interested in becoming a candidate for honors should submit an outline of the proposed thesis research project to the SoMAS undergraduate director as early as possible, but no later than the second week of classes in the last semester. The student will be given an oral examination in May on his or her research by his or her research supervisor and the undergraduate research committee. The awarding of honors requires the recommendation of this committee and recognizes superior performance in research and scholarly endeavors. The written thesis must be submitted before the end of the semester in which the student is graduating.
3. If the student maintains a GPA of 3.5 in all courses in their major through senior year and receives a recommendation by the undergraduate research committee, he or she will receive departmental honors.
| FRESHMAN |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 101 | 1 |
| WRT 101 | 3 |
| CHE 131 | 4 |
| CHE 133 | 1 |
| MAT 125 | 3 |
|
SBC
|
3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| First Year Seminar 102 | 1 |
| WRT 102 | 3 |
| CHE 132 | 4 |
| CHE 134 | 1 |
| MAT 126 | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SOPHOMORE |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 201 and BIO 204 | 5 |
| AMS 110 | 3 |
| CHE 321 | 4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 202 and BIO 205 | 5 |
| BIO 354 | 4 |
| SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| JUNIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAR Vertebrate Core Elective | 3 |
| ENS/PHY 119 | 3 |
| MAR Biology Elective | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| BIO 203 | 3 |
| BIO 344 | 3 |
| MAR 349 | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Total | 16 |
| SENIOR |
|---|
| FALL | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAR 352 | 3 |
| MAR Biology Elective | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| MAR 458 | 0 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
| SPRING | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAR Vertebrate Core Elective | 3 |
| MAR Biology Elective | 3 |
| MAR 459 | 0 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Upper-division SBC | 3 |
| Total | 15 |
Major in Marine Vertebrate Biology
School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS)
Director: Joseph Warren
Undergraduate Advisor: Nancy Black
Office: E2361 Melville Library
Phone: (631) 632-9404
Email:
nancy.black@stonybrook.edu
Website:
http://www.somas.stonybrook.edu