
Marine and Environmental Sciences
The Department of Marine and Environmental Science prepares future generations of climatologists, ecologists, and marine biologists for the front lines of climate change — to reclaim our coral reefs, and oceans, our biodiversity, our air, and certainty for our future.

Research in Marine and Environmental Sciences
World Class Research Centers
Marine Science Center
Researchers at the Marine Science Center engage in vibrant and diverse research. Many core research topics relate to understanding how the projected impacts of climate change will affect marine habitats, and how urban communities along the coast can best prepare for these impacts.
Coastal Sustainability Institute
The Coastal Sustainability Institute focuses on creating cleaner, safer, smarter coastal communities. Researchers are committed to uncovering new ways to adapt to and mitigate threats at the land-sea interface, including sea-level rise and storm surge, collapsing fisheries, and coastal pollution.
Student Research Opportunities
Through research, our students develop a practical expertise and intellectual passion for their chosen field.
Postdoctoral Training Research
The Postdoctoral Research Program in the College of Science is personalized for each postdoctoral researcher’s needs and aspirations. In addition to rich research experiences with our faculty members, our postdocs have comprehensive professional development support for a variety of career paths.
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Marine and Environmental Science Education
Undergraduate Majors
The Bachelor of Science in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (EEB) degree is designed to provide a strong foundation in the fundamentals of ecology and evolutionary biology, including focal points in population, community, and ecosystem ecology; evolutionary ecology and biology; conservation biology; population genetics; behavior; and ecological and evolutionary genomics.
The Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies degree is designed to provide a flexible platform for students whose primary interest is in the area of environmental policy.
Our Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences degree is organized for students who seek a comprehensive understanding of the scientific implications of environmental issues and the ways that environmental scientists from a range of disciplines can approach their solution.
Our Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology degree is designed to provide a strong foundation in marine biology and related disciplines.
Combined Majors
The computer science and environmental and sustainability sciences combined major focuses on geological processes that greatly impact the earth, atmosphere, and water in oceans, lakes, and rivers.
The data science and environmental and sustainability sciences combined major focuses on geological processes that greatly impact the earth, atmosphere, and water in oceans, lakes, and rivers.
The combined major in data science and ecology and evolutionary biology provides a strong foundation in the fundamentals of ecology and evolutionary biology.
This combined major provides students with a strong scientific foundation and practical training for careers or advanced study in fields like toxicology, pollution, bioremediation, environmental protection, education, law, and others related to the chemical basis of the environment and global environmental change.
Through this combined major, successful undergraduates will develop an awareness of the scientific, cultural, political, and economic aspects of the world’s environmental and sustainability problems and potential solutions.
This combined major is designed to provide training that merges the basic and applied science underlying environmental change with the best principles and journalistic practices to enable students to pursue careers across a wide range of science communication fields.
The Departments of Marine and Environmental Sciences and Landscape Architecture provide an education in basic environmental and sustainability sciences and landscape architecture-related disciplines.
Through this combined major, successful undergraduates will develop an awareness of the scientific, cultural, and political aspects of the world’s environmental problems through historical perspectives and backgrounds.
Through this combined major, successful undergraduates will develop an awareness of the international issues that influence the scientific, cultural, societal, political, and economic aspects of the world’s environmental problems and the ways in which such environmental challenges can be ameliorated and/or solved.
Through this combined major, successful undergraduates will develop an awareness of the scientific, cultural, and political aspects of the world’s environmental problems while considering the philosophical, moral, and ethical impacts that such decisions have on human-environment interactions.
In this combined major, successful undergraduates will develop an awareness of the scientific, cultural, societal, and political aspects of the world’s environmental problems through the lens of geopolitical decisions, public policy, and environmental regulations.
This combined major will lead to undergraduates that have a broad awareness of the sociological and scientific foundations of environmental problem solving. They will have the opportunity to develop concrete skills in GIS and scientific communication that will facilitate student success. Due to overlap in course content, students majoring in environmental studies or any environmental studies combined majors may not complete a minor in environmental and sustainability sciences.
Undergraduate Minors
The ecology and evolutionary biology minor is designed to provide students a foundation in the principles of ecology and evolutionary biology, as well as to provide concrete skills that will help students achieve their career goals.
The environmental and sustainability sciences minor provides undergraduates with a strong foundation on a variety of scientific, technical, institutional, economic, behavioral, and conservation-oriented solutions to environmental problems caused by either natural phenomena and/or human activity.
Students may choose to pursue a minor in environmental studies by completing a blend of science, social science, and interdisciplinary courses.
The geosciences minor is designed to provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the breadth of topics in the geosciences. Core foundational classes in Earth science are followed by student-directed electives across a range of course options.
The marine science minor is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in the marine sciences, while offering the opportunity to obtain concrete skills that will enhance employability.
MS Degree Programs
The Master of Science in Marine Biology Program delivers a unique combination of inquiry-based study, fieldwork, research, and workplace experience. Coursework is geared toward preparing you to conduct research both in the lab and in the field while also examining the wildlife, ecosystems, and ecology of three ocean provinces: Nahant, MA, and the Gulf of Maine; Bocas del Toro (Atlantic) and Coiba (Pacific), Panamá; and Friday Harbor Labs (Puget Sound) in Washington state
Graduate Certificate Programs
Accelerated Programs
Our BS/MS PlusOne programs allow students to pursue an advanced degree in a condensed period of time.
The Master of Science in Environmental Science and Policy program emphasizes a broadly interdisciplinary and synthetic approach that integrates knowledge in the environmental sciences (conservation biology, climate change, fisheries science, ecosystem function, biodiversity, restoration ecology) with the social sciences (policy, economics, sociology, political science, and development) and humanities (environmental history, philosophy, and ethics).
The MS in Marine Biology—Three Seas Program provides students the opportunity to study marine biology in three distinct environments at three world-renowned research facilities in New England, the Caribbean, and the Pacific Northwest.
PhD Programs
This doctoral program trains high-caliber and independent scientists whose research addresses fundamental and applied ecological and evolutionary question at local, regional, national, and global scales.
This doctoral program combines training in psychology with the ecological and geophysical sciences, producing boundary-breaking scholars who can accelerate sustainability solutions that are robustly informed by the results of scientific research.
Through the Connected Science Community PhD program, students have the opportunity to participate in the Summer Skills Session the summer before their first year to meet fellow PhD students, develop key skills, explore university resources and learn about post-PhD careers.
Experiential Learning
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Marine Science Center
Offering a pristine New England rocky shore habitat in close proximity to Boston, the Marine Science Center is a globally recognized organization dedicated to marine science research and education. Marine and environmental sciences students often conduct internships, co-op, or capstone course at the center.
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Cooperative Education
Many marine and environmental science students participate in the university’s signature co-op program because it offers excellent preparation and exposure to exciting careers. From working with seals at the New England Aquarium to urban beekeeping with Best Bees Company, students have the chance to explore careers paths and gain experiences they never thought possible.
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Entrepreneurship
Our Science Connects to Innovation Program empowers undergraduate science students through education, resources, and networks to create entrepreneurial solutions—spanning cleaner energy, eco-friendly pesticides, potential anticancer compounds, sustainable foods, and high-tech assistive devices.
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Belonging and Engagement
The College of Science supports a culture where each person feels they belong, regardless of race, color, religion, religious creed, genetic information, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran or disability status. We celebrate the diversity of our community, and we seek to create a space where everyone belongs to further excellence. We commit to being a College where members act with respect, trust, collaboration, and communication, and where inappropriate behavior is reported and acted on without fear of retaliation.
Student Stories
Upcoming events
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Jul 23College of Science
STEM Summer Camp In The UK | London International Youth Science Forum CIC
July 23, 2025, 10:00 am -
Jul 25