<p>Hello,
My sister is soon going to be applying for colleges next year and we are wondering what schools will be most appropriate for her. Which schools (UC or CSU) are best for Marine Biology, not so much about the education but more about being interactive and get hands-on experience. </p>
<p>UCSB and UCSC come immediately to mind. CSU Humboldt has a good marine sciences department. I know these are not the only ones. </p>
<p>I’ve heard great things about CSULB’s marine biology department from students there, including that it’s really hands-on right off the bat. Worth having your sis take a look, I think. Cool school and local vibe, too!</p>
<p>UCSD! It is very close to the Scripps Oceanography Institute. Also, perhaps CSU Monterrey Bay, in addition to UC Santa Cruz, is very close to the Monterrey Bay. I don’t know too much about the specific programs, but I know people who are interested in marine bio and are applying to these places. </p>
<p>Your student should visit campuses and tour their marine stations. This is what we did for our OOS daughter and UCSB really stood out. UCSB has their marine station right on campus. This means even as undergraduates they can perform lab work on a daily basis - their lab job is integrated into their daily schedule. The marine stations for other colleges in CA and OR were either a long bus ride away or so far away that undergrads only got a 1-semester onsite experience over four years. Beware too the campus that has a great reputation but in fact all the hands on experience is reserved for graduate students - this is what UCSD and Stanford seemed like to us. UCSB has world-famous professors doing cutting edge research right on campus and tons of opportunities for undergrad research. They also have the Channel Islands off the coast, and a great dive program. Lots of kids say they want to do marine bio when what they really want to do is swim with dolphins, or work with trained seals or whales, or just collect specimens while scuba diving. That is not technically marine bio - and for many jobs like that they do not even need to go to college. There is A LOT of field and lab science involved in training to be a marine biologist, it is a very rigorous course of study, so for success its important that your student understand exactly the rigor of what they are undertaking, or better yet, that they select a college that is strong in lots of other majors in case they change their mind. How committed is your student already? Does she read books on marine bio - is she crazy to visit the ocean or aquariums if you are inland - has she participated in enrichment programs in marine bio during her high school summers - has she interned in a lab or explored the major with her HS science teachers? This would indicate a student that might be ready and willing to put up with all the academic training necessary to succeed. I hope this is of help. </p>
<p>"EEMB administers four specialized undergraduate majors (Aquatic Biology, Ecology and Evolution, Physiology, and Zoology) and jointly oversees a general Biological Sciences major with MCDB. The undergraduate Aquatic/ Marine Biology Major has been ranked second in the nation and many undergraduates participate in original field and laboratory research with faculty. EEMB faculty are also known for their excellence in teaching. Two professors have received the campus’ Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award in the Sciences and another has been recognized as the campus’ Outstanding Faculty Mentor of Undergraduate Research.</p>
<p>The Department has been rated in the top 10 departments nationally for its overall research impact (Science Watch), and in the top 10 in ecology, evolution, and behavior (National Research Council). Distinctions earned by EEMB researchers include The Ecological Society of America’s Eminent Ecologist, Robert H. McArthur, and Mercer Awards, the President’s Award from the American Society of Naturalists. Many of the faculty have been elected as Fellows of national societies including the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the American Geophysical Union. EEMB faculty founded the NSF-sponsored National Center for Ecosystems Analysis and Synthesis (NCEAS) in Santa Barbara in 1995. Two NSF Long Term Ecological Research Sites, one in the Santa Barbara Channel and one in French Polynesia, are organized and implemented by faculty in the Department and faculty participate in 3 additional LTER sites in Alaska and Antarctica."</p>
<p>More: <a href=“About | Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology | UC Santa Barbara”>https://www.eemb.ucsb.edu/overview/about</a></p>
<p>it’s got to be UCSB</p>
<p>A university near a water system like ocean lol! </p>
<p>It depends largely on her qualifications. A school like UCSD is great but most high school students can’t get in. Others like Monterey or Humboldt offer good eduation and are less selective. </p>
<p>I second “always asking” on the UCSD graduate access. Undergrads are limited in what they can do at Scripps.</p>