Marine Biology Major Approved Elective List
The following is the department’s list of approved upper-division courses which can be applied to the electives requirement of the Marine Biology Major. Please note that not all of these courses are approved for the Marine Biology Minor.
Requirement Summary
- At least one course minimum from Biodiversity, Ecology and Ecosystems, and Organismal Processes
- Minimum of 2 courses taken with lab sections
- Maximum of 6 credits total of independent research
- 3 courses must be taken at the 400 level
- Additional elective courses to bring total credits to 25
How to Use the Table
Use the search box to filter the table by department, course number, or any word in the title. Click on column headers to sort the table by elective category. Current and prospective students can use the MyPlan tool to search for individual course details and add to an academic plan.
| Course Number | Title | Credits | Biodiversity | Ecology and Ecosystems | Organismal Processes | Lab | Research |
| BIOL 423 | Marine Ecological Processes | 3 | ✓ | ||||
| BIOL 433 | Marine Ecology | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| BIOL 434 | Invertebrate Zoology | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 305 | Biology of Fishes | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 375 | Marine Mammals of the Salish Sea | 5 | ✓ | ||||
| FHL 440 (BIOL 445) | Marine Botany | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 446 | Marine Botany: Diversity and Ecology | 9 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 450 | Nearshore Ecology Research Experience | 6 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 460 | Aquatic Animals Research Apprenticeship | 6 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 470 | Research in Marine Biology | 1-15 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 471 | Comparative Anatomy and Physiology of Marine Organisms | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 492 | Ecology and Conservation of Marine Birds and Mammals | 9 | ✓ | ||||
| FHL 430 (BIOL 430) | Marine Zoology | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FHL 432 (BIOL 432) | Marine Invertebrate Zoology | 9 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FISH 310 | Biology of Shellfishes | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FISH 311 | Biology of Fishes | 3/5 | ✓ | ✓ (5 cr. only) | |||
| FISH 324 | Aquatic Animal Physiology and Reproduction | 3/5 | ✓ | ✓ (5 cr. only) | |||
| FISH 404 | Diseases of Aquatic Organisms | 5 | ✓ | ||||
| FISH 424 | Biology and Culture of Aquatic Organisms | 5 | ✓ | ||||
| FISH 427 | Tropical Marine Biology | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FISH 450 | Salmonid Behavior and Life History | 5 | |||||
| FISH 464 | Arctic Marine Vertebrate Ecology | 4 | ✓ | ||||
| FISH 475 | Marine Mammalogy | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FISH 478 | Topics in Sustainable Fisheries | 3 | |||||
| FISH 340 (BIOL 340) | Genetics and Molecular Ecology | 5 | ✓ | ✓ | |||
| FISH 454 (Q SCI 454) | Ecological Modeling | 5 | |||||
| FISH 458 (Q SCI 458) | Modeling and Estimation In Conservation and Resource Management | 4 | |||||
| FISH 312 | Fisheries Ecology | 3/5 | ✓ (5 cr. only) | ||||
| OCEAN 409 | Marine Pollution | 3 | |||||
| OCEAN 431 | Special Topics in Biological Oceanography | 3 | ✓ | ||||
| OCEAN 450 | Climatic Extremes | 4 | |||||
| OCEAN 454 | Hydrothermal Systems: An Interdisciplinary View | 3 | ✓ | ||||
| OCEAN 482 | The Changing Arctic Ocean | 3 | ✓ | ||||
| OCEAN 492 | Friday Harbor Research Apprenticeship | 15 | ✓ | ✓ |
updated April 2019