BS in Marine Biology

What is a BS in Marine Biology?

Whether you want to explore the mysteries of deep-sea organisms, discover marine animal interrelationships, or become a leader in marine veterinary science, you can reach your goals with a marine biology degree from Florida Tech. One of the first undergraduate marine biology programs in the country, Florida Tech is also one of the strongest.

Oceans cover over 70% of our world, yet scientists estimate that only a fraction of the oceans has been explored. Marine biology encompasses so much of the biology of these oceans and marine organisms, from viruses to whales, and from molecular biology to global warming. Studying for a marine biology degree can include a wide variety of other scientific disciplines, from aquaculture and oceanography to chemistry, meteorology, and zoology.

Gain Practical Experience

Established in 1971, the marine biology degree program is the most popular of the biological sciences programs at Florida Tech. This course of study is very hands-on, with small classes and intensive faculty-student interaction. As a student in the marine biology department, you can undertake exciting collaborative research with a peer or professor, or work independently on a topic of your choosing. Hands-on experience in the field is close by, as Florida Tech is strategically located near the estuarine habitats of the Indian River Lagoon and the Atlantic Ocean marine ecosystems. As a result, students get practical experience, an enhanced job search portfolio, and a stronger sense of themselves as a scholar—the perfect preparation for graduate and professional school and employment.

A Strong Learning Relationship between Faculty and Students

All Florida Tech marine biology faculty members hold doctoral degrees in their fields. They teach all lectures and provide close supervision over graduate teaching assistants in the labs. Students benefit from small class sizes within a tight-knit community of scholars and learners in collaboration. In fact, Florida Tech is one of the most popular marine biology colleges because the faculty is so accessible.

For curriculum and career planning, students meet regularly with faculty advisors who typically have only 20 to 30 undergraduate advisees each, staying with them for all four years. Students have the opportunity, and are strongly encouraged, to volunteer in research labs where they work with faculty, graduate students, and fellow undergrads on research projects. Many students also present their research at regional and national professional meetings, and some students are published in research journals.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, marine biology majors build leadership and professional experience through exciting internships and participation in academic organizations like Beta Beta Beta (TriBeta, the biological sciences honor society), student government, and over 100 other student organizations.

TriBeta works to teach others the importance of studying biology. This active student organization holds regular field trips around Florida and puts on fun events such as BBQs and picnics to bring faculty and students from all departments together. It is the perfect way to network with other biological sciences students to learn about marine biology internships, research students, and hands-on activities.

It All Started With 37 Cents

Florida Tech was founded in 1958 as "Brevard Engineering College." It all started as an idea in the mind of Jerome P. Keuper, a visionary physicist working at Cape Canaveral.

As university lore would have it, Keuper expressed his desire to create a scientific and technological university to a friend over drinks at a local pub. Overhearing the conversation, a fellow patron pushed 37 cents in change across the bar and said, “There’s your first donation, Jerry. Now, go and build that college.”

So, Keuper did. And what started with 37 cents as a night school for the early “missilemen” of the U.S. space program is now a comprehensive national research university recognized worldwide for excellence in preparing students for careers of the future.

Core Values

• Research for the Benefit of All Humankind
• Education for a Lifetime of Success
• Global Citizenship for a Better World

Mission Statement

Florida Institute of Technology’s mission is to provide high-quality education to a culturally diverse student body in order to prepare students for entering the global workforce, seeking higher-education opportunities, and serving within their communities. The university also seeks to expand knowledge through basic and applied research and to serve the diverse economic, cultural, and societal needs of our local, state, national and international constituencies.

In support of this mission, we are committed to:

• Promoting student development by fostering and sustaining a productive institutional culture of assessment that leads to the continuous improvement of academic and administrative programs
• Developing an organizational culture that values and encourages intellectual curiosity, a sense of belonging and shared purpose among faculty, students, and staff, and the pursuit of excellence in all endeavors
• Recruiting and developing excellent faculty to become leaders in their respective fields and internationally recognized scholars
• Achieving recognition as an effective, innovative, technology-focused educational and research institution
• Recruiting and retaining an excellent, highly select, and culturally diverse student body
• Continually improving the quality of campus life for all members of the university community
• Providing personal and career growth opportunities for both traditional and nontraditional students and members of the faculty and staff
• Securing and maintaining professional accreditation for all appropriate programs

We Are Florida Tech

What we are is a private, coeducational, residential, research-intensive, doctoral-granting university located in Melbourne on Florida’s sunny “Space Coast.” But who we are is so much more. We are a community of researchers, scholars, and learners hailing from all around the world. We are engineers, aviators, innovators, leaders, educators, athletes, and astronauts. We have the brains of rocket scientists and the hearts of Panthers. We are Florida Tech.

We Are Relentless

Florida Tech is a university of leaders and learners—a diverse community of students, staff, faculty, and alumni who are united in the relentless pursuit of greatness.

We Are International

Students from more than 90 countries worldwide choose to live and learn at Florida Tech, making us a truly global university. When we say #YouAreWelcomeHere, we mean it.

We Create The Future

One of the primary tenets of Florida Tech’s mission is advancing science and technology for the benefit of Earth and all of its inhabitants. So, that’s what we do.

We Have Panther Pride

You may feel it the first time you visit the campus, the day you graduate, or at some point in between. But when you do, you’ll see that Panther Pride is more than school spirit. It’s a family.

We Make Connections

Florida Tech is proud to be part of the Brevard County community and welcomes its neighbors to explore the many personal, professional, corporate, and cultural opportunities we have to offer.

We Are STEM

There's a reason Florida Tech is known as Florida's STEM University™. To put it simply: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are in our DNA. This makes STEM a driving force behind who we are, what we do, and why we exist.