Curriculum 

Stockton’s Marine Science (MARS) program encompasses two general areas of study: Marine Biology and Oceanography. Within each of these broad areas of study are several focus areas that students may choose from, as a function of their selected electives. Examples include physical oceanography, marine geology, ocean chemistry, resource management, estuarine/marine ecology, and marine technology/survey. 

The Marine Science program has the following concentrations of study:

• B.A. / B.S. Marine Science - Marine Biology Concentration
• B.A. / B.S. Marine Science - Oceanography Concentration
• B.A. Marine Science - Education Concentration
• Minor in Marine Science

Curriculum Worksheets

To see the curriculum for your area of interest you’ll use the web program, Degree Works. This program is accessible even if you are not currently a student with Stockton University.

• If you are a current student at Stockton University, access your portal forDegree Works, then look for the “what if” option to explore the various paths towards degree completion.
• Prospective freshman or transfer students use the button below: 

Current Curriculum & Transfer Equivalency

Instructions on How to Use Curriculum Tool

• At the next page you are prompted with three (3) options. Select the one that says “continue without signing in.”

• Respond to each prompt using the pull-down menu in the center of the page. [Please be patient. It may take a few seconds for the system to process your request. If you see a NO symbol, you need to wait a moment!] 

Prompts include:

• Enrollment dates (Choose intended semester attending)
• Intended level (Choose“undergraduate”)
• What degree you will pursue? (Choose “Bachelor of Science” or “Bachelor of Arts”)
• What is your intended major? (Choose “Marine Science”)
• What is your intended concentration? (Choose “Oceanography” or “Marine Biology”)
• What is your intended minor? (Choose “none” or select one - it is not required)
• For prospective students, choose “I’m all done" button.
• For transfer students, use the “class” button to see how courses already taken fit into the Stockton degree path.
• You will see an overview of the degree you have selected, including all requirements.
• At the bottom of the screen, you could save or print worksheet. 

Faculty

 

 

Opportunities

Located on an eight-acre waterfront site in the Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, the Stockton University Marine Field Station makes available the facilities, research vessels, sampling equipment, and staff to provide Stockton students with hands-on learning experiences in a marine environment second to none. The Field Station offers several teaching and research laboratories and offices, five research vessels ranging in size from 16’ – 36’, various marine sampling equipment, general-use laboratory equipment, state-of-the-art water sampling equipment and numerous marine technology instruments, including a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) multibeam sonar, side scan sonar, magnetometer, mobile LiDAR, and Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers. Undergraduate students engaged in Marine Science and Marine Science-related courses (Biology, Environmental Science, Geology) access the facility regularly throughout their academic career. All students are encouraged to further utilize the facility for independent study projects and to become part of the numerous faculty and staff-led research teams. There are many opportunities to carry out Marine Science research at the undergraduate level at Stockton and at State and Federal agencies and institutions nearby. The Field Station is also home to the Coastal Research Center, a contract and grant-funded institute focused on research and monitoring of New Jersey’s coastal zone issues ranging from beach access, inlet dynamics, and pre and post-storm surveys of coastal beaches.

Both the Field Station and the Coastal Research Center provide part-time work and volunteer opportunities for MARS students, as do numerous local agencies. Students may propose their own field, laboratory, or library research projects to prospective faculty sponsors, and/or work on suitable internships. Student interns have been placed locally in field/laboratory positions, including at the Adventure Aquarium, Atlantic City Aquarium, Rutgers Field Stations (Tuckerton, Port Norris, Cape May), Jacques Cousteau National Estuarine Research Reserve, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, Brigantine Marine Mammal Stranding Center, and at area shellfish hatcheries. Through the Washington Internship program, MARS majors have been placed at the National Aquarium, the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Academy of Sciences and the Smithsonian Institute/Natural History Museum.

For research projects that necessitate the processing of larger quantities of numerical data, students can make use of the University’s Computer Center, which is tied into the statewide Educational Computer Network. Stockton is a member of the New Jersey Marine Sciences Consortium and has access to Consortium marine stations, boats, and equipment. Stockton students can take, with the approval of the MARS program, summer courses at the NJMSC facilities at Sandy Hook.

Learn more about the MARS program ELO's.  These essential learning outcomes guide all Stockton University students from first-year through graduation to the intellectual and marketable talents needed to prepare for personal and professional success in the 21st century.

Careers

Graduates of the Marine Science program seek employment directly with their B.A. or B.S. degrees, or go on to graduate school to work for M.S. or Ph.D. degrees. There are a number of employment opportunities in this field, both in the private and public sectors. Students concentrating in Oceanography, and those taking additional electives in marine geology, marine technology, and underwater surveying should do well in an increasingly quantitative field.

Stockton graduates in Marine Science have been very successful in obtaining entry-level positions in their field with local, state, and federal agencies. Such positions have involved laboratory work, fieldwork on marine habitats, data analysis, K-12 and public education and law enforcement. Some have gone on to consulting jobs with private firms, while others have entered postgraduate study at major universities.

All Marine Science students are required to take a 1-credit seminar course that prepares them for successful careers after graduation. Regardless of area of interest, undergraduate students who seek additional hands-on experiences outside of the classroom tend to flourish at the next level.

Sample list of potential careers: