Universidade Santiago de Compostela

Master's Degree in Marine Biology

This master's degree is organized into three semesters and six modules. In the first semester the basic module is taught (30 ECTS). In the second semester, students must take module 2, which has 12 mandatory ECTS, take 12 ECTS of the subjects offered in the Advanced I or II modules and two more subjects from the optional subjects module.

Teaching is in person and by video conference, from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m., so that students from each participating university do not have to travel except to carry out internships.

The languages used in the master's degree are Spanish and Galician.

• Provide students with the most recent and new techniques and tools to design and execute experimental work, as well as to analyze and evaluate theoretical and practical problems related to the field of marine biology.
• Train them in skills and competencies that allow their integration into R+D+ departments or research centers of other institutions, both public and personal.
• Provide them with fundamental knowledge in the sustainable management of marine resources.
• Provide them with general complementary tools that will be useful in the future in other biological and biotechnological areas related to the conservation and management of the marine environment.
• Achieving these objectives requires obtaining a series of knowledge and acquiring a series of skills and abilities.

Among the knowledge that students can acquire in this program, those about:

• Organization, structure, functioning and study methods of marine organisms and ecosystems.
• Evaluation and study methods of polluting processes and other attacks on the marine environment.
• Response of marine ecosystems to anthropogenic activity.
• Molecular analysis techniques and their applications in aquaculture, fishing, traceability, conservation and evolution.
• The skills and abilities that students will be able to acquire will be diverse.

In general, it can be highlighted that they will receive instruction on:

• Search and use of scientific and technical bibliography.
• Basic software management for data analysis and process evaluation.
• Management of instruments for sampling natural communities and quantification of environmental variables. Application of statistical data processing techniques.
• Writing and preparation of technical reports and scientific articles.
• Undertaking of initiatives and decision-making related to environmental impacts on marine ecosystems.

There is a need for professionals trained in marine biology both for the regional administration, local administrations, fishermen's and shellfish harvesters' associations, as well as for environmental risk and impact assessment companies, etc.

The training of specialists who can take charge of the evaluation, management and correct assessment of the diversity and marine resources of a specific geographical area is required, guaranteeing their conservation within the current legal framework. Likewise, it is equally essential to train personnel dedicated to carrying out teaching and research tasks in the field of marine biology.