Use the following tables to plan for a Minor in Marine Biology. Students can use the MyPlan online academic planning tool to check course availability and create a full academic plan over quarters and years.
In addition to the tables below, students can also download or print the following requirements worksheet:
Marine Biology Minor Requirements Worksheet
Minor Requirements
General Requirements
- 35 credits minimum
- Minimum of 2.0 cumulative GPA in all minor coursework
- Minimum 15 credits at the 300-400 level
- At least 18 credits must be unique to the marine biology minor (i.e. may not overlap with a student’s major requirements)
- The 3 credits applied to the ‘Integrative Experience’ requirement can not overlap with a student’s major requirements
- A maximum of 5 credits may overlap with requirements for another minor
Core Coursework
| Course number | Title | Credits | Offered |
| FISH/OCEAN/BIOL 250 | Marine Biology | 5 | A, Su |
| OCEAN 210 | Integrative Oceans | 4 | A |
| BIOL 180 | Introduction to Biology | 5 | A, W, Sp, Su |
| Q SCI 381 | Introduction to Probability and Statistics | 5 | A, W, Sp, Su |
Approved Electives
Students must take at least 13 credits from the following approved electives lists, including at least 1 course from Oceanography, 1 course from Aquatic & Fishery Sciences, and 1 course from either Biology or Friday Harbor Labs. Additional marine biology courses may be petitioned to count
Oceanography
| Course number | Title | Credits | Offered |
| OCEAN 409 | Marine Pollution | 3 | W |
| OCEAN 430 | Biological Oceanography | 4 | A |
| OCEAN 431 | Special Topics in Biological Oceanography | 3 | Sp |
| OCEAN 454 | Hydrothermal Systems: An Interdisciplinary View | 3 | W |
| OCEAN 481 | Puget Sound & Estuarine Oceanography | 3 | W |
| OCEAN 482 | The Changing Arctic Ocean | 3 | Sp (even years) |
| OCEAN 496 | Study Abroad: Coastal Ecosystems of Micronesia | 6 | Su |
Biology
| Course number | Title | Credits | Offered |
| BIOL 311 | Biology of Fishes | 3/5 | W |
| BIOL 423 | Marine Ecological Processes | 3 | W |
| BIOL 433 | Marine Ecology | 5 | Sp (odd years) |
| BIOL 434 | Invertebrate Zoology | 5 | W, Sp, Su |
| BIOL 451 | Invertebrate Paleontology | 5 | W |
Friday Harbor Labs
Note: Courses with the FHL prefix take place in residence at Friday Harbor Labs, UW’s marine field station located on San Juan Island. Learn more about incorporating a quarter at FHL into your academic plan.
| Course number | Title | Credits | Offered |
| FHL 305 | Biology of Fishes | 5 | A |
| FHL 430 | Marine Zoology | 5 | Sp |
| FHL 432 | Marine Invertebrate Zoology | 9 | Su |
| FHL 440 | Marine Botany | 5 | Sp |
| FHL 492 | Ecology & Conservation of Marine Birds & Mammals | 9 | Su |
Aquatic & Fishery Science
| Course number | Title | Credits | Offered |
| FISH 310 | Biology of Shellfishes | 5 | Sp |
| FISH 311 | Biology of Fishes | 3/5 | W |
| FISH 312 | Fisheries Ecology | 3/5 | Sp |
| FISH 323 | Conservation and Management of Aquatic Resources | 5 | A |
| FISH 324 | Aquatic Animal Physiology and Reproduction | 3/5 | W |
| FISH 404 | Fish Diseases | 5 | Sp |
| FISH 423 | Aquatic Invasion Ecology | 4 | A |
| FISH 424 | Biology and Culture of Aquatic Organisms | 5 | Sp |
| FISH 427 | Tropical Marine Biology | 5 | W |
| FISH 437 | Fisheries Oceanography | 4 | W |
| FISH 441 | Integrative Environmental Physiology | 5 | A |
| FISH 464 | Arctic Marine Ecology | 4 | W, odd yrs |
| FISH 475 | Marine Mammalogy | 5 | Sp |
Integrative Experience
Integrative experience credits cannot count towards a student’s major. Most students complete this requirement by engaging in library research projects through the Seminar in Marine Biology (FISH/OCEAN/BIOL 477) on the Seattle campus or through laboratory or field research credits from FHL. Alternatively, students who have been engaged in research with the same faculty member for two or more quarters may apply to do independent research projects via FISH/BIOL/OCEAN 479.
| Course number | Title | Credits | Offered |
| FISH/BIOL/OCEAN 477 | Seminar in Marine Biology | 3 | W |
| FHL 450, 460, or 470 | Research Experience in Marine Biology (FHL) | 6 | A, Sp |
| OCEAN 492 | Research Apprenticeship in Marine Biology (FHL) | 15 | A, Sp |
| FISH/BIOL/OCEAN 479 | Independent Research in Marine Biology | 3+ | A, W, Sp, Su |