BS in Coastal & Marine Science at Sacred Heart University

As a Coastal & Marine Science major at Sacred Heart, you will study and conduct research as part of a team and become an integral partner in finding solutions to our world’s ever-changing environmental challenges.

Why Earn Your BS in Coastal & Marine Science at Sacred Heart?

Coastal ecosystems are at the interface between marine and terrestrial habitats and are exposed to a wide variety of human and natural stressors. Climate change has caused novel challenges for coastal and marine habitats that are already stressed from human development, pollution, and over-harvest of natural resources. 

The Coastal and Marine Science (CMS) major is an interdisciplinary undergraduate program with a broad science curriculum. The program emphasizes marine and estuarine sciences with hands-on courses that span ecological & environmental science as a whole, irrespective of habitat. The interests of biology students are diverse, but at the undergraduate level, students generally center their studies on biological interactions occurring in an ever-changing environment. Students are encouraged to broaden their perspectives by spending a semester on the SHU campus in Dingle, Ireland. 

Choose from the following areas of exploration:

• Marine Biology
• Ecology
• Conservation Biology
• Animal Behavior
• Environmental Molecular Biology and Biotechnology

As a coastal & marine science major, you will also:

• Benefit from small class sizes that are interactive and engaging both in the classroom and out in the field

• Learn from accomplished faculty who are practitioners in their field
• Have opportunities of short, two-week courses in Dingle, Ireland  
• Collect data and perform ecological restoration allowing for a deeper understanding of complex concepts
• Apply for a STEM scholarship, a grant awarded to SHU students by the National Science Foundation
• Participate in hands-on field studies including plant & animal identification, environmental sampling, ecology, restoration and conservation
• Gain foundational knowledge in advanced biology, mathematics, chemistry, and physics
• Participate in paid summer research programs through faculty grants and SHU’s College of Arts & Sciences Undergraduate Research Initiative
• Conduct laboratory studies in chemical extractions, metabolite assays, enzyme assays, nutrient analysis, DNA extraction, PCR, and sequencing
• Learn computer science and software skills in data management, statistical analyses, Excel, SPSS, graphing techniques, Word, and PowerPoint
• Participate in various clubs and organizations, such as the Biology Club, Green SHUs, and Beta Beta Beta, the National Biological Honor Society