¸£Àû±ÆÕ¾

Marine Sciences (BS): Geology Concentration

This is an archived copy of the 2022-2023 catalog. To access the most recent version of the catalog, please visit .

To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the !

The degree of Bachelor of Science in Marine Science may be obtained by selecting one of five concentrations: Biological Oceanography, Chemistry, Geology, Meteorology, or Physics.

The degree of Bachelor of Science in Natural Resources is available with a concentration in Marine and Coastal Resources.

Marine scientists explore all aspects of the seas and coastal regions, seeking to understand how the oceans, their biological communities, the solid earth and the atmosphere interact. As professionals with interdisciplinary training, marine scientists are needed to advise business, industry and governments on the potential impact of human activities and the wise use of marine resources. Marine scientists work for consulting firms; regulatory agencies; the mass media; business and industry; federal, state and local governments; academic laboratories; research and education organizations; and nonprofit environmental watchdog groups.

Contact

For more information about our marine science programs, visit ourÌýÌýor contact:

Maggie Puryear
Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs

mwpollar@ncsu.edu
919.513.1093Ìý

Plan Requirements

Core Courses/Marine Science
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý100Earth System Science: Exploring the Connections4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý200Introduction to Oceanography3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý210Oceanography Lab1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý250Introduction to Coastal Environments3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý459Field Investigation of Coastal Processes5
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý460Principles of Physical Oceanography3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý462Observational Methods and Data Analysis in Marine Physics3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý495Junior Seminar in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences1
Geology Concentration
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý101Geology I: Physical3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý110Geology I Laboratory1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý202Geology II: Historical3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý211Geology II Laboratory1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý251Introduction to Coastal Environments Laboratory1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý410Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý411Marine Sediment Transport3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý450Introductory Sedimentology and Stratigraphy4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý451Structural Geology4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý570Geological Oceanography3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý470Introduction to Geophysics3
´Ç°ùÌý²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý471 Exploration and Engineering Geophysics
Advised Elective 4
Select one of the following Restricted Electives:3
Principles of Biological Oceanography
Marine Meteorology
Principles of Chemical Oceanography
Principles of Biological Oceanography
Principles of Chemical Oceanography
Basic Math & Sciences
°ä±áÌý101Chemistry - A Molecular Science 13
°ä±áÌý102General Chemistry Laboratory1
°ä±áÌý201Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 13
°ä±áÌý202Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory1
±Ê³ÛÌý205
&²¹³¾±è;Ìý±Ê³ÛÌý206
Physics for Engineers and Scientists I
and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1
4
±Ê³ÛÌý208
&²¹³¾±è;Ìý±Ê³ÛÌý209
Physics for Engineers and Scientists II
and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory
4
²Ñ´¡Ìý141Calculus I 14
²Ñ´¡Ìý241Calculus II 14
²Ñ´¡Ìý242Calculus III4
Statistics Elective3
Select one of the following Computer Science electives:3
Introduction to Computing: Python
Introduction to Computing-FORTRAN
Introduction to Computing - MATLAB
Introduction to Computing - Java
Introduction to GIS
Introduction to Scientific Computing
College Requirements
°ä°¿³§Ìý100Science of Change 32
·¡±·³ÒÌý101Academic Writing and Research 14
Select one of the following Advanced Writing courses:3
Communication for Engineering and Technology
Communication for Business and Management
Communication for Science and Research
GEP Courses
GEP Humanities6
GEP Social Sciences6
GEP Health and Exercise Studies2
GEP Additional Breadth (Humanities/Social Sciences/Visual and Performing Arts)3
GEP U.S. Diversity (verify requirement)
GEP Global Knowledge (verify requirement)
Foreign Language Proficiency (verify requirement)
Total Hours120

Advised Elective

´¡·¡°äÌý360Ecology4
´¡·¡°äÌý380Water Resources: Global Issues in Ecology, Policy, Management, and Advocacy3
´¡·¡°äÌý400Applied Ecology3
´¡·¡°äÌý419Freshwater Ecology4
´¡·¡°äÌý420Introduction to Fisheries Science3
´¡·¡°äÌý423Introduction to Fisheries Sciences Laboratory1
´¡·¡°äÌý424Marine Fisheries Ecology3
´¡·¡°äÌý441Biology of Fishes3
´¡·¡°äÌý442Biology of Fishes Laboratory1
´¡·¡°äÌý460Field Ecology and Methods4
´¡±·³§Ìý330Laboratory Animal Science3
´¡±·³§Ìý415Comparative Nutrition3
ANS 454/554Lactation, Milk and Nutrition3
´¡±·°ÕÌý371Human Variation3
µþ°ä±áÌý351General Biochemistry
µþ°ä±áÌý452Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory
BCH 453/553Biochemistry of Gene Expression
µþ°ä±áÌý454Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory
BCH 455/555Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms
µþ±õ°¿Ìý315General Parasitology
µþ±õ°¿Ìý330Evolutionary Biology
µþ±õ°¿Ìý361Developmental Biology
µþ±õ°¿Ìý370Developmental Anatomy of the Vertebrates
µþ±õ°¿Ìý405Functional Histology
µþ±õ°¿Ìý414Cell Biology
µþ±õ°¿Ìý424Endocrinology
µþ±õ°¿Ìý432Evolutionary Medicine
µþ±õ°¿Ìý434Hormones and Behavior
µþ±õ°¿Ìý440The Human Animal: An Evolutionary Perspective
µþ±õ°¿Ìý444The Biology of Love and Sex
BIO 488/588Neurobiology
µþ±õ°ÕÌý410Manipulation of Recombinant DNA
µþ±õ°ÕÌý462Gene Expression Analysis: Microarrays
BIT 462/562Gene Expression Analysis: Microarrays
µþ±õ°ÕÌý464Protein Purification
µþ±õ°ÕÌý465Real-time PCR Techniques
µþ±õ°ÕÌý466Animal Cell Culture Techniques
µþ±õ°ÕÌý467PCR and DNA Fingerprinting
µþ±õ°ÕÌý468Genome Mapping
µþ±õ°ÕÌý471RNA Interference and Model Organisms
µþ±õ°ÕÌý473Protein Interactions
BIT 474/574Plant Genetic Engineering
µþ±õ°ÕÌý476Applied Bioinformatics
µþ±õ°ÕÌý481Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation
µþ³§°äÌý478Research Fundamentals in Biological Sciences3
°ä°¿²ÑÌý436Environmental Communication3
°ä³§Ìý430Advanced Agroecology4
·¡±·°ÕÌý305Introduction to Forensic Entomology3
·¡±·°ÕÌý402Forest Entomology3
·¡±·°ÕÌý425General Entomology3
·¡³§Ìý300Energy and Environment3
·¡³§Ìý400Analysis of Environmental Issues3
¹ó°¿¸éÌý402Forest Entomology3
¹ó³§Ìý301Introduction to Human Nutrition3
FS 401/501Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism3
FS 405/505Food Microbiology3
FS 406/506Food Microbiology Lab1
FW 444/544Mammalogy
FW 465/565African Ecology and Conservation
³Ò±·Ìý301Genetics in Human Affairs
³Ò±·Ìý311Principles of Genetics
³Ò±·Ìý312Elementary Genetics Laboratory
GN 421/521Molecular Genetics
³Ò±·Ìý423Population, Quantitative and Evolutionary Genetics
³Ò±·Ìý425Advanced Genetics Laboratory
³Ò±·Ìý427Introductory Bioinformatics
³Ò±·Ìý434Genes and Development
GN 441/541Human and Biomedical Genetics
³Ò±·Ìý451Genome Science
³Ò±·Ìý456Epigenetics, Development, and Disease
³Ò±·Ìý461Advanced Bioinformatics
±õ¶Ù³§Ìý303Humans and the Environment
²Ñ´¡Ìý331Differential Equations for the Life Sciences
²Ñ´¡Ìý432Mathematical Models in Life Sciences
²ÑµþÌý351General Microbiology
²ÑµþÌý352General Microbiology Laboratory
²ÑµþÌý354Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab
MB 405/505Food Microbiology
MB 406/506Food Microbiology Lab
²ÑµþÌý411Medical Microbiology
²ÑµþÌý412Medical Microbiology Laboratory
²ÑµþÌý414Microbial Metabolic Regulation
MB 420/520Fundamentals of Microbial Cell Biotransformations
MB 435/535Bacterial Pathogenesis
²ÑµþÌý441Immunology
²ÑµþÌý451Microbial Diversity
²ÑµþÌý452Microbial Diversity Lab
²ÑµþÌý455Microbial Biotechnology
²ÑµþÌý461Molecular Virology
²ÑµþÌý470Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý300Environmental Geology
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý369Life on Earth: Principles of Paleontology
±·¸éÌý303Humans and the Environment
±·¸éÌý406Conservation of Biological Diversity
±·°Õ¸éÌý301Introduction to Human Nutrition
NTR 401/501Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism
NTR 410/510Maternal and Infant Nutrition
NTR 415/515Comparative Nutrition
±·°Õ¸éÌý419Human Nutrition and Chronic Disease
NTR 421/521Life Cycle Nutrition
±·°Õ¸éÌý454Lactation, Milk and Nutrition
±ÊµþÌý321Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology
±ÊµþÌý360Ecology
PB 403/503Systematic Botany
±ÊµþÌý421Plant Physiology
PB 480/580Introduction to Plant Biotechnology
±ÊµþÌý481Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation
PO 404/404Avian Anatomy and Physiology
PO 415/515Comparative Nutrition
PO 466/566Animal Cell Culture Techniques
±Ê±ÊÌý315Principles of Plant Pathology4
³§³§°äÌý332Environmental Soil Microbiology
TOX 401/501Principles of Toxicology
°Õ°¿³ÝÌý415Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry
´Ü°¿Ìý317Primate Ecology and Evolution
´Ü°¿Ìý333Captive Animal Biology
´Ü°¿Ìý350Animal Phylogeny and Diversity
´Ü°¿Ìý402Invertebrate Biology
´Ü°¿Ìý410Introduction to Animal Behavior

Statistics Electives

µþ±«³§Ìý350Economics and Business Statistics3
·¡°äÌý351Econometrics I3
³§°ÕÌý305Statistical Methods4
³§°ÕÌý307Introduction to Statistical Programming- SAS1
³§°ÕÌý308Introduction to Statistical Programming - R1
³§°ÕÌý311Introduction to Statistics3
³§°ÕÌý312Introduction to Statistics II3
³§°ÕÌý350Economics and Business Statistics3
³§°ÕÌý370Probability and Statistics for Engineers3
³§°ÕÌý371Introduction to Probability and Distribution Theory3
³§°ÕÌý372Introduction to Statistical Inference and Regression3
³§°ÕÌý380Probability and Statistics for the Physical Sciences3

Semester Sequence

Critical Path Courses – Identify using the code (CP) which courses are considered critical path courses which represent specific major requirements that are predictive of student success in a given program/plan. Place the (CP) next to the credit hours for the course.

This is a sample.

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
°ä°¿³§Ìý100 Science of Change 2
²Ñ´¡Ìý141 Calculus I (CP) 1 4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý100 Earth System Science: Exploring the Connections 2 4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý101 Geology I: Physical (CP) 2 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý110 Geology I Laboratory (CP) 2 1
ÌýHours14
Spring Semester
°ä±áÌý101 Chemistry - A Molecular Science (CP) 1 3
°ä±áÌý102 General Chemistry Laboratory 3 1
·¡±·³ÒÌý101 Academic Writing and Research 1 4
²Ñ´¡Ìý241 Calculus II 1 4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý202 Geology II: Historical 2 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý211 Geology II Laboratory 2 1
ÌýHours16
Second Year
Fall Semester
°ä±áÌý201 Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 3
°ä±áÌý202 Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 3 1
²Ñ´¡Ìý242 Calculus III 3 4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý200 Introduction to Oceanography (CP) 2 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý210 Oceanography Lab 2 1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý410 Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology 2 4
ÌýHours16
Spring Semester
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý250 Introduction to Coastal Environments 2 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý251 Introduction to Coastal Environments Laboratory 2 1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý450 Introductory Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 2 4
±Ê³ÛÌý205 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 3
±Ê³ÛÌý206 Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 3 1
ÌýHours12
Third Year
Fall Semester
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý460 Principles of Physical Oceanography 2 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý451 Structural Geology 2 4
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
±Ê³ÛÌý208 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II 3 3
±Ê³ÛÌý209 Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory 3 1
GEP Social Sciences 3
ÌýHours15
Spring Semester
Advanced Writing Elective 3
Computer Science Option Elective 3 3
GEP Health and Exercise Studies 1
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý462 Observational Methods and Data Analysis in Marine Physics 2 3
Statistical Science Option Elective 3 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý495 Junior Seminar in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences 1
ÌýHours14
Summer
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý459 Field Investigation of Coastal Processes 2 5
ÌýHours5
Fourth Year
Fall Semester
GEP Humanities 3
GEP Additional Breadth (Humanities/Social Sciences/Visual and Performing Arts) 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý411 Marine Sediment Transport 2 3
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý570 Geological Oceanography 2 3
MEA Restricted Elective 2 3
ÌýHours15
Spring Semester
Advised Elective 2 4
²Ñ·¡´¡Ìý470
Introduction to Geophysics 2
or Exploration and Engineering Geophysics
3
GEP Humanities 3
GEP Social Sciences 3
ÌýHours13
ÌýTotal Hours120

Career Opportunities

MEAS undergraduate degree programs provide talented students with the foundation of scientific knowledge required for careers in government, industry, or academia. Many students pursue graduate degrees and pursue careers in industry, at government agencies and in academia.

Marine Sciences graduates go on to become oceanographers, to manage our coastal resources, model air-sea interaction, and explore global climate change. They conduct basic and applied research, serving as environmental consultants for industry and governmental agencies, policy and management experts for governmental agencies, and environmental science educators. Graduates with a Natural Resources degree are versed in the fundamental processes and interdisciplinary nature of the coastal zone. As scientists, managers, administrators, and regulators, they make decisions regarding use and conservation of coastal and marine resources.

Geology graduates address society’s needs for dealing effectively with earth processes, such as water resources and the stability of land forms. They work for engineering firms, permit-issuing agencies, and industries that rely on geological resources. Historical geologists are familiar with the evolution of earth through time and provide a perspective on potential long-term reactions of the earth systems to change. Those who concentrate in Environmental Geology are trained to assess and monitor geological resources such as ground water. Marine geologists are experts in the complex issues facing industry, municipalities, and residents in the dynamic and ecologically vulnerable coastal zone.

Meteorology graduates enjoy careers in weather forecasting, air quality assessment, development of weather products and services, broadcast communications, and advanced research. Marine meteorologists study ocean-generated weather systems. Their research is yielding practical benefits such as refined prediction of storm surge, which has streamlined evacuation efforts during severe storms along the Carolina coast. Meteorology graduates with an air quality emphasis work for environmental firms, regulatory agencies, and in applied research. Study of air quality and how air pollution is transported and dispersed is a rapidly expanding field in the atmospheric sciences.

MEAS graduates play a key service role for the State of North Carolina, assisting in everything from forecasting severe storms and analyzing the impact of atmospheric pollutants on agriculture and our estuaries, to determining the effects of toxic waste disposal on quality of surface and ground water.