Aquaculture, Aquarium Science, and Aquaponics, B.S.
Contact
Bryan Franks, Ph.D.
Director, School of Marine and Environmental Programs
bfranks1@une.edu
Mission
The mission of the School of Marine and Environmental Programs at the University of New England is to help our students gain an understanding of the natural world, develop critical thinking skills, and become scientifically literate. Together, we lay a foundation for lifelong learning and meaningful contributions to society and offer a baccalaureate education to students interested in all facets of the marine environment.
Our programs encompass a wide variety of disciplines that seek to understand the way the ocean functions, how it is related to earth systems science, and how humans interact with the environment. Students will learn theoretical underpinnings and applications of disciplines from biology to chemistry, geology, and physics. These disciplines are critical to life as we know it on the planet. Students will be able to apply these disciplines to solving real problems encountered in coastal and marine ecosystems and by the human communities that depend on them.
Major Description
The Aquaculture, Aquarium Science, and Aquaponics major provides students the opportunity to develop analytical skills in biology, marine science, and business, and technical skills in the culture and maintenance of marine and freshwater organisms. Students who successfully complete the program should satisfy employment needs in the fields of marine and freshwater aquaculture and in the educational, maintenance and design needs of local, regional and national aquarium museums and businesses. Students who elect to go into graduate programs in these fields should be prepared to do so after maintaining an appropriate GPA in this program.
Honors
We offer qualified students the option of graduating with Honors. This includes significant research, scholarship or creative activity under the direction of a faculty member. Interested students should consult with their major advisor.
Transfer Credit
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Admissions
See Undergraduate Admissions for more information.
Financial Information
Tuition and fees for subsequent years may vary. Other expenses include books and housing. For more tuition and fee information, please consult this catalog’s Financial Information section.
Curricular Requirements
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | ||
| Nor'easter Core Requirements | 40 | |
| Program Required Courses | ||
| BIO 214 & 214L | Genetics and Genetics Lab | 4 |
| BIO 234 & 234L | Environmental Microbiology and Environmental Microbiology Lab | 4 |
| BUMG 313 | Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship | 3 |
| or BUMK 312 | Entrepreneurship/Small Business Management | |
| MAR 221 | Principles of Aquaculture | 3 |
| MAR 222 & 222L | Finfish/Shellfish Culture Tech and Finfish/Shellfish Culture Tech Lab | 4 |
| MAR 223 & 223L | Health, Nutrition, Feeding Cultured Organisms and Health, Nutrition, Feeding Cultured Organisms Lab | 4 |
| MAR 323 & 323L | Aquarium Science and Operations and Aquarium Science and Operations Lab | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Principles of Chemistry and Principles of Chemistry Lab | ||
| University General Chemistry I and University General Chemistry I Lab | ||
| General Chemistry I and General Chemistry I Lab | ||
| Chemistry of Nature and Chemistry of Nature Lab (Chemistry of Nature) | ||
| GIS 161 | GIS I: Fundamentals of Geospatial Science and Technology | 3 |
| MAR 105 & 105L | Ecology and Evolution of Marine Organisms and Eco/Evo of Mar Organisms Lab | 4 |
| MAR 106 & 106L | Cellular and Molecular Biology of Marine Organisms and Cell/Molec Bio/Marine Orgs Lab | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 4 | |
| Discovering the Ocean Environment and Discovering the Ocean Environment Lab | ||
| Oceanography and Oceanography Lab | ||
| MAR 235 | Sustainable Harvest of Aquatic Organisms | 3 |
| MAR 250 & 250L | Marine Biology and Marine Biology Lab | 4 |
| MAR 305 & 305L | Aquatic Health Management and Aquatic Health Management Lab | 4 |
| MAR 495 | Adv Marine Science Internship | 4 |
| MAT 150 | Statistics for Life Sciences | 3 |
| or MAT 151 | Statistics for Environmental Sciences | |
| Select one of the following: 1 | 3-4 | |
Cellular and Molecular Biology Topic Area Course | ||
BIO 203 | (Histology) | |
| Biological Topics (may fulfill Biology Area requirements depending on the subject matter and advisor permission.) | ||
| Immunology | ||
| Cell & Molecular Biology | ||
| Cellular & Molecular Approaches in Marine Sciences | ||
Physiology Topic Area Course | ||
| Intro Anatomy & Physiology I | ||
| Gen Prin Anat/Phys/Pathophys I | ||
| Biological Topics (may fulfill Biology Area requirements depending on the subject matter and advisor permission.) | ||
| Comparative Animal Physiology | ||
| Neuroscience | ||
MAR 326 | (Experimental Animal Physiology) | |
MAR 424 | (Physiological Ecology of Fish) | |
Ecology/Evolutionary Biology Topic Area Course | ||
| Biological Topics (may fulfill Biology Area requirements depending on the subject matter and advisor permission.) | ||
| Conservation Genetics | ||
| Human Evolution | ||
| Evolution | ||
| Ecology | ||
| Animal Behavior and Behavioral Ecology | ||
| Marine Ecology | ||
| Open Elective Courses (Students complete open elective credits as necessary to meet the University’s 120-credit minimum for graduation. The total number of elective credits required will depend on the student’s completed program, core, and other degree requirements.) | 14 | |
| Total Hours | 120-121 | |
- 1
Topic area program required courses are to be selected in consultation with an advisor.
Please note: While some courses can fulfill both core and program requirements, the credits earned do not count twice towards the minimum total required credits for the degree.
Recommended Elective Credits (Not Required)
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| MAF 200 | Intro to Marine Pollution | 3 |
| MAF 210 | Intro to US Ocean Governance | 3 |
| MAR 316 | Science in Society | 3 |
| MAF 315 | US Aquaculture Policy and Management | 3 |
| PHI 201 | Bio-Medical Ethics | 3 |
| MAR 399 | Special Projects in Aquaculture, Aquarium Science or Aquaponics | 4 |
Graduation Requirements
A minimum grade of C- must be achieved in all science and mathematics courses used toward graduation in any of the programs in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs. A 2.00 cumulative average in sciences is a requirement for graduation in any of the programs in the School of Marine and Environmental Programs.
Students in this major can participate in the pre-health graduate school preparation tracks.
Learning Outcomes
- Students will demonstrate a strong content-knowledge foundation in their specific field of study (Marine Biology, Oceanography, Marine Entrepreneurship, Marine Affairs, or Aquaculture, Aquarium Science, and Aquaponics).
- Students will communicate effectively in both oral and written format to convey their scientific knowledge, interdisciplinary training, and findings to peers, professional audiences, decision-makers, and/or the public.
- Students will demonstrate critical thinking and problem-solving skills in their specific field of study by designing, carrying out, and interpreting the results of their experiments by evaluating the literature published by professionals, by making recommendations to policy makers, and/or by creating and innovating in their field.