Marine Sciences (BS): Geology Concentration
To see more about what you will learn in this program, visit the Learning Outcomes website!
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.
For more information about our marine science programs, visit our website or contact:
Maggie Puryear, Associate Director of Undergraduate Programs
Email: mwpollar@ncsu.edu
Phone: 919-513-1093
Plan Requirements
Marine Sciences (BS): Geology Concentration: 120 Total Units
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses/Marine Science | ||
| MEA 100 | Earth System Science: Exploring the Connections | 4 |
| MEA 200 | Introduction to Oceanography | 3 |
| MEA 210 | Oceanography Lab | 1 |
| MEA 250 | Introduction to Coastal Environments | 3 |
| MEA 459 | Field Investigation of Coastal Processes | 5 |
| MEA 460 | Principles of Physical Oceanography | 3 |
| MEA 462 | Observational Methods and Data Analysis in Marine Physics | 3 |
| MEA 495 | Junior Seminar in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences | 1 |
| Geology Concentration | ||
| MEA 101 | Geology I: Physical | 3 |
| MEA 110 | Geology I Laboratory | 1 |
| MEA 202 | Geology II: Historical | 3 |
| MEA 211 | Geology II Laboratory | 1 |
| MEA 251 | Introduction to Coastal Environments Laboratory | 1 |
| MEA 410 | Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology | 4 |
| MEA 411 | Marine Sediment Transport | 3 |
| MEA 450 | Introductory Sedimentology and Stratigraphy | 4 |
| MEA 451 | Structural Geology | 4 |
| MEA 570 | Geological Oceanography | 3 |
| MEA 470 | Introduction to Geophysics | 3 |
| or MEA 471 | Exploration and Engineering Geophysics | |
| Advised Elective | 4 | |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Principles of Biological Oceanography | ||
| Marine Meteorology | ||
| Principles of Chemical Oceanography | ||
| Principles of Biological Oceanography | ||
| Principles of Chemical Oceanography | ||
| Basic Math & Sciences | ||
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| CH 201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory | 1 |
| PY 205 & PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I and Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 1 | 4 |
| PY 208 & PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II and Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory | 4 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I 1 | 4 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III | 4 |
| Statistics Elective | 3 | |
| Select one of the following: | 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 | ||
| COS 100 | Science of Change | 2 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| Select one of the following: | 3 | |
| Communication for Engineering and Technology | ||
| Communication for Business and Management | ||
| Communication for Science and Research | ||
| GEP Courses | ||
| GEP Humanities | 6 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 6 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 2 | |
| 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 Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | A grade of C- or higher is required. |
| 2 | Students should consult their academic advisors to determine which courses fill this requirement. |
Advised Elective
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| AEC 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| AEC 380 | Water Resources: Global Issues in Ecology, Policy, Management, and Advocacy | 3 |
| AEC 400 | Applied Ecology | 3 |
| AEC 419 | Freshwater Ecology | 4 |
| AEC 420 | Introduction to Fisheries Science | 3 |
| AEC 423 | Introduction to Fisheries Sciences Laboratory | 1 |
| AEC 424 | Marine Fisheries Ecology | 3 |
| AEC 441 | Biology of Fishes | 3 |
| AEC 442 | Biology of Fishes Laboratory | 1 |
| AEC 460 | Field Ecology and Methods | 4 |
| ANS 330 | Laboratory Animal Science | 3 |
| ANS 415 | Comparative Nutrition | 3 |
| ANS 454/554 | Lactation, Milk and Nutrition | 3 |
| ANT 371 | Human Variation | 3 |
| BCH 351 | General Biochemistry | 3 |
| BCH 452 | Introductory Biochemistry Laboratory | 2 |
| BCH 453/553 | Biochemistry of Gene Expression | 3 |
| BCH 454 | Advanced Biochemistry Laboratory | 4 |
| BCH 455/555 | Proteins and Molecular Mechanisms | 3 |
| BIO 315 | General Parasitology | 3 |
| BIO 330 | Evolutionary Biology | 3 |
| BIO 361 | Developmental Biology | 3 |
| BIO 370 | Developmental Anatomy of the Vertebrates | 3 |
| BIO 405 | Functional Histology | 3 |
| BIO 414 | Cell Biology | 3 |
| BIO 424 | Endocrinology | 3 |
| BIO 432 | Evolutionary Medicine | 3 |
| BIO 434 | Hormones and Behavior | 3 |
| BIO 440 | The Human Animal: An Evolutionary Perspective | 3 |
| BIO 444 | The Biology of Love and Sex | 3 |
| BIO 488/588 | Neurobiology | 3 |
| BIT 410 | Manipulation of Recombinant DNA | 4 |
| BIT 462 | Gene Expression Analysis: Microarrays | 2 |
| BIT 462/562 | Gene Expression Analysis: Microarrays | 2 |
| BIT 464 | Protein Purification | 2 |
| BIT 465 | Real-time PCR Techniques | 2 |
| BIT 466 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 |
| BIT 467 | PCR and DNA Fingerprinting | 2 |
| BIT 468 | Genome Mapping | 2 |
| BIT 471 | RNA Interference and Model Organisms | 2 |
| BIT 473 | Protein Interactions | 2 |
| BIT 474/574 | Plant Genetic Engineering | 2 |
| BIT 476 | Applied Bioinformatics | 2 |
| BIT 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 |
| BSC 478 | Research Fundamentals in Biological Sciences | 3 |
| COM 436 | Environmental Communication | 3 |
| CS 430 | Advanced Agroecology | 4 |
| ENT 305 | Introduction to Forensic Entomology | 3 |
| ENT 402 | Forest Entomology | 3 |
| ENT 425 | General Entomology | 3 |
| ES 300 | Energy and Environment | 3 |
| ES 400 | Analysis of Environmental Issues | 3 |
| FOR 402 | Forest Entomology | 3 |
| FS 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 |
| FS 401/501 | Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 |
| FS 405/505 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| FS 406/506 | Food Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| FW 444/544 | Mammalogy | 3 |
| FW 465/565 | African Ecology and Conservation | 4 |
| GN 301 | Genetics in Human Affairs | 3 |
| GN 311 | Principles of Genetics | 4 |
| GN 312 | Elementary Genetics Laboratory | 1 |
| GN 421/521 | Molecular Genetics | 3 |
| GN 423 | Population, Quantitative and Evolutionary Genetics | 3 |
| GN 425 | Advanced Genetics Laboratory | 2 |
| GN 427 | Introductory Bioinformatics | 3 |
| GN 434 | Genes and Development | 3 |
| GN 441/541 | Human and Biomedical Genetics | 3 |
| GN 451 | Genome Science | 3 |
| GN 456 | Epigenetics, Development, and Disease | 3 |
| GN 461 | Advanced Bioinformatics | 3 |
| IDS 303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
| MA 331 | Differential Equations for the Life Sciences | 3 |
| MA 432 | Mathematical Models in Life and Social Sciences | 3 |
| MB 351 | General Microbiology | 3 |
| MB 352 | General Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| MB 354 | Inquiry-Guided Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| MB 405/505 | Food Microbiology | 3 |
| MB 406/506 | Food Microbiology Lab | 1 |
| MB 411 | Medical Microbiology | 3 |
| MB 412 | Medical Microbiology Laboratory | 1 |
| MB 414 | Microbial Metabolic Regulation | 3 |
| MB 420/520 | Fundamentals of Microbial Cell Biotransformations | 2 |
| MB 435/535 | Bacterial Pathogenesis | 3 |
| MB 441 | Immunology | 3 |
| MB 451 | Microbial Diversity | 3 |
| MB 452 | Microbial Diversity Lab | 2 |
| MB 455 | Microbial Biotechnology | 3 |
| MB 461 | Molecular Virology | 3 |
| MB 470 | Emerging and Re-emerging Infectious Diseases | 3 |
| MEA 300 | Environmental Geology | 4 |
| MEA 369 | Life on Earth: Principles of Paleontology | 3 |
| NR 303 | Humans and the Environment | 3 |
| NR 406 | Conservation of Biological Diversity | 3 |
| NTR 301 | Introduction to Human Nutrition | 3 |
| NTR 401/501 | Advanced Nutrition and Metabolism | 3 |
| NTR 410/510 | Maternal and Infant Nutrition | 3 |
| NTR 415/515 | Comparative Nutrition | 3 |
| NTR 419 | Human Nutrition and Chronic Disease | 3 |
| NTR 421/521 | Life Cycle Nutrition | 3 |
| NTR 454 | Lactation, Milk and Nutrition | 3 |
| PB 321 | Introduction to Whole Plant Physiology | 3 |
| PB 360 | Ecology | 4 |
| PB 403/503 | Systematic Botany | 4 |
| PB 421 | Plant Physiology | 3 |
| PB 480/580 | Introduction to Plant Biotechnology | 3 |
| PB 481 | Plant Tissue Culture and Transformation | 2 |
| PO 404/404 | Avian Anatomy and Physiology | 4 |
| PO 415/515 | Comparative Nutrition | 3 |
| PO 466/566 | Animal Cell Culture Techniques | 2 |
| PP 315 | Principles of Plant Pathology | 4 |
| SSC 332 | Environmental Soil Microbiology | 3 |
| TOX 401/501 | Principles of Toxicology | 4 |
| TOX 415 | Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry | 4 |
| ZO 317 | Primate Ecology and Evolution | 3 |
| ZO 333 | Captive Animal Biology | 3 |
| ZO 350 | Animal Phylogeny and Diversity | 4 |
| ZO 402 | Invertebrate Biology | 4 |
| ZO 410 | Introduction to Animal Behavior | 3 |
Statistics Electives
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| BUS 350 | Economics and Business Statistics | 3 |
| EC 351 | Econometrics I | 3 |
| ST 305 | Statistical Methods | 4 |
| ST 307 | Introduction to Statistical Programming- SAS | 1 |
| ST 308 | Introduction to Statistical Programming - R | 1 |
| ST 311 | Introduction to Statistics | 3 |
| ST 312 | Introduction to Statistics II | 3 |
| ST 350 | Economics and Business Statistics | 3 |
| ST 370 | Probability and Statistics for Engineers | 3 |
| ST 371 | Introduction to Probability and Distribution Theory | 3 |
| ST 372 | Introduction to Statistical Inference and Regression | 3 |
| ST 380 | Probability and Statistics for the Physical Sciences | 3 |
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.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall Semester | Hours | |
| COS 100 | Science of Change | 2 |
| MA 141 | Calculus I (CP) 1 | 4 |
| MEA 100 | Earth System Science: Exploring the Connections 2 | 4 |
| MEA 101 | Geology I: Physical (CP) 2 | 3 |
| MEA 110 | Geology I Laboratory (CP) 2 | 1 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| CH 101 | Chemistry - A Molecular Science (CP) 1 | 3 |
| CH 102 | General Chemistry Laboratory 3 | 1 |
| ENG 101 | Academic Writing and Research 1 | 4 |
| MA 241 | Calculus II 1 | 4 |
| MEA 202 | Geology II: Historical 2 | 3 |
| MEA 211 | Geology II Laboratory 2 | 1 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| CH 201 | Chemistry - A Quantitative Science 1 | 3 |
| CH 202 | Quantitative Chemistry Laboratory 3 | 1 |
| MA 242 | Calculus III 3 | 4 |
| MEA 200 | Introduction to Oceanography (CP) 2 | 3 |
| MEA 210 | Oceanography Lab 2 | 1 |
| MEA 410 | Introduction to Mineralogy and Petrology 2 | 4 |
| Hours | 16 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| MEA 250 | Introduction to Coastal Environments 2 | 3 |
| MEA 251 | Introduction to Coastal Environments Laboratory 2 | 1 |
| MEA 450 | Introductory Sedimentology and Stratigraphy 2 | 4 |
| PY 205 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I 1 | 3 |
| PY 206 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists I Laboratory 3 | 1 |
| Hours | 12 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| MEA 460 | Principles of Physical Oceanography 2 | 3 |
| MEA 451 | Structural Geology 2 | 4 |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| PY 208 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II 3 | 3 |
| PY 209 | Physics for Engineers and Scientists II Laboratory 3 | 1 |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Advanced Writing Elective | 3 | |
| Computer Science Option Elective 3 | 3 | |
| GEP Health and Exercise Studies | 1 | |
| MEA 462 | Observational Methods and Data Analysis in Marine Physics 2 | 3 |
| Statistical Science Option Elective 3 | 3 | |
| MEA 495 | Junior Seminar in the Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences | 1 |
| Hours | 14 | |
| Summer | ||
| MEA 459 | Field Investigation of Coastal Processes 2 | 5 |
| Hours | 5 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall Semester | ||
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Additional Breadth | 3 | |
| MEA 411 | Marine Sediment Transport 2 | 3 |
| MEA 570 | Geological Oceanography 2 | 3 |
| MEA Restricted Elective 2 | 3 | |
| Hours | 15 | |
| Spring Semester | ||
| Advised Elective 2 | 4 | |
| Geophysics Option Elective 2 | 3 | |
| GEP Humanities | 3 | |
| GEP Social Sciences | 3 | |
| Hours | 13 | |
| Total Hours | 120 | |
| 1 | A grade of C- or higher is required. |
| 2 | No more than one D will be accepted in MEA core courses and concentration courses. |
| 3 | No more than one D will be accepted in other basic math or science courses. |
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.