opinions on marine science major in US?

<p>Hi guys, I'm an international student from spain getting ready to apply as a freshman. I've considered studying in the US and found some universities but not sure how good they are. Here are the universities i'm considering:
university of miami
university of southern mississippi
california state long beach
university of tampa
alaska southeast
texas A&M galveston.
If you experienced anything or heard anything about these your opinion is more than welcome :)</p>

<p>Check out post #10 on this CC thread. It’s informative, and you should also check out the links in the post – <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/science-majors/1283876-marine-biology-biology-environmental-science.html[/url]”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/science-majors/1283876-marine-biology-biology-environmental-science.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>I’m not qualified to comment on the programs that you listed in your note, but that won’t stop me from doing so. Miami clearly has a top-notch program. The next three on your list are certainly lower tier type schools, so I’d be wary. Can’t comment on Texas A & M, but my guess is that it’s probably pretty reasonable.</p>

<p>Several of the UC’s offer marine biology as a major – UCSD and UCSB have pretty well-respected programs. I believe that UCLA also offers marine biology as a major, as does UCSC. But of course the UC’s have their problems, and are not such a bargain at out of state tuition rates. Finally, it may be too late to apply (I think the deadline was Dec 1).</p>

<p>Finally, a road-less-travelled program is at little Eckerd College in Florida. It’s one of the schools in that book titled something like Colleges That Change Lives. It’s literally on the water, and marine science is a big focus of the school.</p>

<p>Good luck.</p>

<p>I’m in the marine science program here, and all I can say is that I wouldn’t have chosen any other school over Miami for marine science. If you have any specific questions, shoot me a message and I’ll get back to you!</p>

<p>Thanks both!!! AsleepAtTheWheel, i’ve checked the Eckerd college and it looks quite good, I will consider it.
Marinebio444, how’s it like to live round there?</p>

<p>It’s absolutely fantastic. The dorms aren’t the greatest, but my roommate and I were able to make the best of it. The area is extremely nice, you can basically walk to get anywhere you need to go (I have a car for other things that aren’t within walking distance), the campus is extremely beautiful, and it’s just a very nice place to live. I know it’s probably hard for you to visit since you’re from Spain, but if you do get a chance to come over to the states, I highly suggest visiting to see if it would be a good fit for you.</p>

<p>Actually, I’m coming over to Miami for New Years haha. I am planning to visit the campus. thanks a lot!! :)</p>

<p>No problem! Just something to keep in mind, pretty much all the students will be gone for winter break, so the campus will have a completely different feel than normal.</p>

<p>yea, that’s true.</p>

<p>Marinebio444, as an undergrad, do you have any classes in Rosenstiel? Do you have them starting Freshman year or later? How do you get there from Coral Gables? Thanks (my daughter applied to MarineBio)</p>

<p>photoMother, there are some classes at Rosenstiel, however most of the classes for the undergrad program are on main campus. The lab for the freshman intro marine science course is at Rosenstiel, so there is exposure during that first semester. There are other higher-level elective courses that are taught at Rosenstiel as well (for example, there’s a Marine Genomics course that I really wanted to take next semester that’s being taught there, but I wasn’t able to fit it in my schedule). That being said, there’s plenty of opportunity for exposure to the Rosenstiel campus, including many opportunities for volunteering in labs. There’s a shuttle that runs to and from main campus and Rosenstiel, however, now that I have a car on campus, I drive myself.</p>

<p>Thanks a lot!</p>

<p>My son is a freshman who is entering the Marine Science program. He looked at and was accepted at UCSD, UCSB, and UCLA but chose Miami. It is challenging. He says his Marine Science course is far and away his most difficult. We were told by the Dean at Rosenstiel that the Marine Science students were the most highly qualified in the University with the highest GPA’s and test scores.</p>

<p>Just to add to an already helpful set of responses, my son is now a freshman in Marine and Chemistry. He loves it and is doing well. We looked at all the great marine schools and U. Wash-Seattle and UMiami have the strongest undergrad programs with research opportunities as undergrads. Both are great schools with completely different feel and vibe. My son has spent a good amount of time at Rosenstiel but as Marinebio444 says it is very dependent on course and section. The other thing about UMiami is that there are great marine clubs, community outreach, research opportunities and don’t forget NOAA is across the street from Rosenstiel so you get a world class Govt. research institute as a benefit too.</p>