Florida Institute of Technology
BS in Marine Conservation
Melbourne, USA
BSc
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
Jan 2027
TUITION FEES
USD 21,173 / per semester
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
Key Summary
About: Students study marine conservation at Florida Tech, gaining biology and ecology skills. They do hands-on fieldwork in mangroves, seagrass, Indian River Lagoon creeks, and sea turtle nesting beaches. Small classes give personalized mentorship, single advisor; research covers climate change, lagoon restoration, overfishing, toxic algae.
Career Outcomes: Graduates work in government, NGOs, aquariums, zoos, research, and consulting. Roles include conservation scientist, marine or wildlife biologist, research technician, environmental educator, and policy analyst. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) flags competitive demand for fish and marine mammal studies; Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) cites growth for biological and wildlife science jobs.
What is a BS in Marine Conservation?
Students interested in the long-term sustainability of populations and ecosystems are ideal candidates for an interdisciplinary marine conservation degree at Florida Tech. This field of study examines how to mitigate the pressures that development and climate change impose on natural systems.
Students build a strong foundation in biology and a well-rounded background in conservation science and ecological principles. With an emphasis on marine systems, students in the program learn how to conserve biological diversity, and protect rare, threatened, and endangered marine life.
Why Pursue a BS in Marine Conservation at Florida Tech?
There’s no better place to get a degree in marine conservation than at Florida Tech. Students spend a considerable amount of time learning outdoors in nearby natural laboratories, including mangroves, seagrass beds, creeks of the Indian River Lagoon, and the largest turtle nesting beaches in the United States. Here students learn how to conserve biological diversity and protect rare, threatened, and endangered plants and animals. At Florida Tech, marine conservation is not just something students study—it’s something they get out into the field and experience through hands-on research activities.
Small Classes — Personalized Attention
Students earning a degree in marine conservation benefit from the department’s small class size and personalized faculty mentorship, something larger universities cannot offer. Working with one faculty advisor who counsels them for their entire four-year program, students develop a strong working relationship for study, research, and internship opportunities. Professors are passionate about research, engaging students in a multidisciplinary program right from their first year.
Florida Tech’s biology department faculty prepare students for a career by involving them in hands-on research. This includes projects such as the effects of climate change, restoring lagoon health, effects of overfishing, toxic algae, and others. Undergraduate students seeking to major in marine conservation often publish research results in scientific journal publications and do research exchanges with other conservation and ecology universities.
Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations
Students build leadership and professional experience through internships (see below) and participation in academic organizations like Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta, the national biological honor society), which recognizes students for outstanding academic achievements and teaches students from all disciplines about biology and its importance. The department of biological sciences also has an excellent track record of undergraduate publications. Students can also participate in student government as well as over 100 other campus-wide student organizations.
Gain Practical Experience
In addition to biology and conservation, students in the marine conservation degree program build knowledge in chemistry, physics, and mathematics through hands-on undergraduate research activities. Florida Tech’s “fast start” approach means that first-year students get involved in research, engaging with faculty research teams in the lab and in the field.
Curriculum
Candidates for the degree must successfully complete the following curriculum.
Freshman Year
Fall (16 credit hours)
- CHM 1101 General Chemistry 1
- COM 1101 Composition and Rhetoric
- FYE 1000 University Experience
- MAR 1020 Biological Discovery 2
- MAR 1040 Introduction to Biodiversity and Physiology
- MTH 1001 Calculus 1 or MTH 1010 Honors Calculus 1
Spring (15 credit hours)
- CHM 1102 General Chemistry 2
- COM 1102 Writing About Literature
- MAR 1010 Biological Discovery 1
- MAR 1030 Introduction to Biotechnology
- MTH 1002 Calculus 2 or MTH 1020 Honors Calculus 2
Sophomore Year
Fall (16 credit hours)
- BIO 2110 General Genetics
- CHM 2001 Organic Chemistry 1
- CHM 2011 Organic Chemistry Laboratory 1
- PHY 1001 Physics 1
Select the first HUM Core Course:
- HUM 2051 Civilization 1: Ancient Through Medieval
- HUM 2141 World Art History 1: Pre-History to Early Global Awareness
- HUM 2211 British Literature and Culture
- HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1
- HUM 2331 American History: Pre-Columbian to Civil War Era
- HUM 2551 Survey of Ancient and Medieval Philosophy
Spring (16 credit hours)
- CHM 2002 Organic Chemistry 2
- CHM 2012 Organic Chemistry Laboratory 2
- MAR 2801 Biometry
- MAR 3701 Evolution
- PHY 2002 Physics 2
Junior Year
Fall (17 credit hours)
- BUS 4426 Environmental and Resource Economics
- MAR 3410 General Ecology
- MAR 3510 Invertebrate Zoology
- SUS 1500 Introduction to Sustainability
Select the second HUM Core Course:
- HUM 2052 Civilization 2: Renaissance Through Modern
- HUM 2142 World Art History 2: Early Modern to Post-Colonial
- HUM 2212 British and American Literature 1 (may not be repeated for credit)
- HUM 2213 British and American Literature 2
- HUM 2332 American History: From Reconstruction to the Present
- HUM 2552 Survey of Modern and Contemporary Philosophy
Spring (17 credit hours)
- COM 2225 Writing for the Media
- MAR 4410 Community Ecology
- MAR 4710 Marine Biology
- Humanities Elective (HU) 3000-level or higher recommended Credit Hours: 3
- Restricted Elective (BIO, CHM, ENS, OCN) Credit Hours: 3
Summer (3 credit hours)
- BIO xxxx Field Biology Course Credit Hours: 3
Senior Year
Fall (15 credit hours)
- MAR 4030 Conservation Biology
- MAR 4517 Introduction to Modeling for Ecology and Biology
- Restricted Electives (BIO, CHM, ENS, OCN) Credit Hours: 8
Spring (14 credit hours)
- MAR 4411 Conservation Genetics
- MAR 4720 Marine Ecology
- Restricted Elective (BIO, CHM, ENS, OCN) Credit Hours: 3
- Social Science Elective Credit Hours: 3
Total Credits Required: 129
Career Outlook
Graduates work in both commercial enterprises and government agencies, often doing scientific research and analysis related to conservation. Biological science graduates are also working at research-based non-governmental organizations, zoos, and aquariums, state and federal agencies, schools, museums, and other educational nonprofits, dealing with the pressures that urban development, fishing, and climate change have on natural resources. Individuals working in marine conservation careers work with landowners and federal, state, and local governments to devise ways to use and improve the land while safeguarding the environment.
According to NOAA, the employment outlook in the field is very competitive with the study of fish and marine mammal population dynamics being in the most demand.
The Occupational Outlook Handbook, published by the US Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Standards (BLS), provides information about specific jobs including median annual pay, working conditions, and job outlook, among other things. While the Labor Bureau does not cite marine conservation careers separately, they do cite job growth for biological and wildlife scientists. Most jobs are related to the threats to wildlife and natural resources from human population growth, climate change, invasive species, and pollution.
Jobs for environmental science and protection technicians are on the rise due to public interest in hazards such as fracking facing the environment. The employment of conservation scientists and foresters is expected to increase by 7% through 2024. The greatest growth for conservation scientists and foresters is expected to be in federally-owned forest lands. In recent years, preventing wildfires has become a top concern for government agencies.