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Minor Curriculum

The undergraduate minor in Coastal & Marine Sciences requires a total of 18 credit hours, which include a required Introductory course, a field course, one course each from Physical and Biological Sciences electives, plus 6–7 additional elective hours. All non-field courses are held at the Williamsburg campus of W&M.

Questions and inquiries should be directed to William & Mary Admissions.

Required introductory course (3 credits)

  • MSCI 230 - Introduction to Marine Science (3 credits) (COLL 200)
    We encourage students to take this course the spring of their freshman year.

Field Course (3 credits)

Select one course from the following:

  • MSCI 331 - Field Studies in Coastal Marine Environments (3 credits)
    We encourage students to take this course during the summer following either their freshman or sophomore year.
  • MSCI 332 - Coastal Environments in North Wales: Geology, Ecology, and Human Dimensions (3 credits) (COLL 300)
  • MSCI 333 - Coastal Environments: Topics (3 credits)
    A rotating set of field and/or study abroad classes in different locations, commonly during either a Winter or Summer session.
  • Other field courses of appropriate length and scope may be used to fulfill the field course requirement with permission from the Program Co-Directors.

Elective Courses (12 credits) 

Existing courses that can be used to meet this requirement are listed below. Additional courses may be used to satisfy this requirement with approval from the Coastal & Marine Sciences Minor Co-Directors, or in some cases, the full Coastal & Marine Sciences Minor Advisory Committee. Select at least one course of 3 or more credits (inclusive of required recitation section) from the Physical category and one from the Biological category.

Physical Sciences Category Courses:

  • MSCI 305 - Coastal and Marine Geology (3 credits)
  • MSCI 310 - Motion of the Ocean (3 credits)
  • MSCI 320 - Coastal and Marine Chemistry (3 credits)
  • GEOL 324 - Paleoclimatology & Paleoceanography (3 credits)
  • MSCI 411 - Marine Pollution (2 credits) (undergoing approval)

Biological Sciences Category Courses:

  • MSCI 315 - Biological Oceanography (3 credits)
  • MSCI 340 - Marine Biology (3 credits)
  • MSCI 401E - Fundamentals of Environmental Chemistry, Toxicology, and Pathobiology (currently on pause)
  • MSCI 401F - Fundamentals of Marine Fisheries Science (3 credits)
  • BIOL 404 - Parasitology (3 credits)
  • BIOL 427 - Wetland Ecosystems (4 credits)
  • BIOL 457 - Marine Invertebrate Biology (4 credits)
  • BIOL 460 - Marine Ecology (3 credits)
  • BIOL 461 - Marine Ecology and Conservation (3 credits)

Recitation

Through Fall 2024, some of our 2-credit MSCI 401A–F courses required co-enrollment in a 1-credit Recitation class. This has been phased out with curriculum updates, allowing all of those associated courses to be three-credit, in-person classes on the W&M campus. Students who completed the earlier version would have also enrolled for MSCI 401R - Fundamentals of Marine Science Recitation (1 credit).

Additional Electives

Additional electives that can be used to fulfill the 18 credits for the minor include:
  • MSCI 201 - Marine Science Mash-up (1 credit)
  • MSCI 250 - People, Society, & the Coast (3 credits)
  • MSCI 398 - Marine Science Seminars (1–3 credits)
    Courses taught by VIMS PhD students. Topics vary from year to year, typically with 2–3 courses offered per semester. Seminars can be repeated for credit if the topic is different.
  • MSCI 404 - Microbial Processes in a Changing Coastal Environment (2 credits)
  • MSCI 490 - Research in Marine Science (1–3 credits)
    Students should register for this course for semi-independent, faculty-mentored research. A section can be created for any faculty member at VIMS or William & Mary, with permission. Note that some faculty prefer that students instead register for     MSCI 497 - Problems in Marine Science, for 1–3 credits.
  • MSCI 498 - Special Topics in Marine Science (1–3 credits)
  • GEOL 325 - Paleontology (3 credits)
  • Miscellaneous MSCI electives (1–3 credits)
    Rotating elective courses. Check the Catalog for details.