I’m VERY interested in University of Delaware as a marine science major. However, I am worried their marine science program isn’t strong enough, being that it’s not close to the beach and I want hands-on experience. I am also looking at URI, Northeastern, and UMaine for marine science. Any feedback would be appreciated!
Being near the coast has relatively little to do with undergraduate preparation for graduate studies in the marine sciences. I once read an article by a marine scientist who did his B.S. at U of Kansas, clearly a land-locked state. Also, as noted often here on CC, substantive careers in Marine Science, Oceanography, etc. require a PhD. Thus, it is far from essential to have a B.S. in Marine Science. Obviously you will need the basic life science courses in undergrad, but the PhD is the key to the kingdom, so to speak.
Of the schools on your list, Rhode Island has a great reputation, but it’s likely that the others are not far behind. Northeastern may be an exception because I believe that its program is part of a consortium. Unless money is not a concern, you should enroll at your state flagship and then plan for summer lab studies at a location such as Woods Hole, Dauphin Island and Friday Harbor, among others.
First off, thanks for replying! At this point I really know what I want to do because I have been attending a magnet school every afternoon for marine biology as part of my high school curriculum and I am very passionate about it. Therefore, I am doing marine science as my undergraduate major, and each school I have mentioned puts strong emphasis on the basic sciences as part of the program. I understand you don’t need to be near the water to get the education, but I know what I want and hands-on experience is a significant factor for me. I think you learn so much more through experience in the field than in the classroom and I want to apply what I learn in each class. At the magnet school I currently attend, we would go out on the boat to collect organisms for labs. It was hands on and that’s what I am looking for in a college.
I have already applied to these schools and have been accepted to all–waiting to hear back from one. I really like URI but there’s just something about UDel that I really love but I’m just worried if I went there that I would be leaving behind a strong program at URI. In terms of Northeastern, they have an excellent program with tons of opportunity for hands on experience due to their co-op program. The thing that concerns me there is that it’s in a city and I’m not sure how I would feel about living in that environment.
I am unable to enroll at my state flagship because its program is an hour away from main campus without housing.
Not sure where you live, but Rutgers has a strong Marine Biology/Marine Science program. They have a field station by the shore.
LakeWashington is correct. You are placing far too much emphasis on access to the water.
Realize that much if not most of your time will be spent getting a solid grounding in the sciences. You need a very strong background in biology (genetics, ecology, evolutionary biology, microbiology, botany, embryology, vert/invert zoology, etc.) and chemistry (1 year of intro chem, 1 year of orgo, biochem); a background in physics, calculus, statistics, and computer science is also highly recommended. Some geology would also be very helpful.
A student majoring in biology can round out his/her education by spending a semester and/or summer at a marine lab. U Delaware has a perfectly good one.
https://www.ceoe.udel.edu/academics/for-current-undergraduates/marine-sciences-summer-program
https://www.ceoe.udel.edu/academics/for-current-undergraduates/semester-in-residences
https://www.ceoe.udel.edu/academics/for-current-undergraduates/study-abroad
Funded research experience in oceanography is available through the [REU programs](http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5053). You can also study abroad at universities with strong marine science programs – James Cook in Australia or Bangor in Wales, for example. Delaware also runs its own programs (see the link above). Many zoos, aquariums, and government agencies like the NPS are happy to host summer interns. For young zoologists, summer field positions aren’t too hard to get. In short, there’s really no shortage of ways to get hands on experience.
More importantly, realize that it’s quite likely very little of your time as a professional marine biologist will be spent working in/near the water. Marine biology funding is expensive and increasingly difficult to get, so scientists have to make the most of it. Many marine biologists only get about a week or so during the year for a research cruise, with the rest of their time devoted to teaching, analyzing and writing up results, and applying for more grants.
Also realize that very, very few people get jobs working with popular organisms like turtles or dolphins; focus is increasingly shifting toward marine biomedicine, fisheries management, and microorganisms. Conservation biology, beach loss, and environmental chemistry are also becoming increasingly important in marine biology.
I attended a university pretty far inland for my undergraduate studies, but I got a terrific education in oceanography. Being able to spend a semester and summer at its marine lab was enough for my purposes, and the extremely strong science and research offerings more than made up for any loss of access to the water.
Based on this and your schools of interest, I’m guessing you’re in Connecticut. Yes, that has been a problem with UConn’s marine campus. It does have an arrangement with Mitchell College that lets students live in dorms there, however, which is about a 20 minute drive away. Most students prefer to get apartments in Groton, and from what I’ve heard, it’s not too difficult to find a fellow student as a roommate. Campus life is admittedly a bit more subdued than at marine campuses with housing.
@TheDidactic thanks for your input about Rutgers…I did look at their program, awhile ago, but I decided the school was too large for me
@warblersrule thank you very much for your response; it really did help. I completely understand where you’re coming from when you say I don’t need the water right there to get the education, especially since there are other opportunities for hands on experience. It’s just that, that was an important factor for me, especially because I have done many programs during high school that have enabled me to get a lot of hands on experience pertaining to marine biology, and I’ve always valued it. It’s just been a huge concern to me about whether I’m making the wrong decision by choosing a school I like more but without easy access to field experience versus a school with very easy access that isn’t my top choice but is still a nice school. It definitely is true though that wherever I go, if I take initiative I can have a lot of opportunities to choose from.
And yes, you guessed right about Connecticut. Even with the apartment options and everything, I didn’t want to consider it because I really want that true college experience.
If the deadline hasn’t passed you might want to take a look at the undergraduate program at Richard Stockton College in Pomona NJ. Pomona is a hop, skip and a jump from the ocean. Also, U of North Carolina Wilmington is a few blocks from the beach and is a SeaGrant university. But I repeat, being near the shore is not essential for an undergraduate marine science major. Financing your education at one of these places is another question altogether.
Take a few minutes to “drill down” through this: http://nicholas.duke.edu/marinelab.
@LakeWashington thanks again for your help! I actually spoke with someone at Richard Stockton and their program was amazing…unfortunately I wasn’t really able to see myself on the campus and it was a huge commuter campus. Also, I have applied to UNCW and their program is honestly everything I want, but I’ve decided not to go there due to the distance.
Stockton College is now Stockton University. 
But that’s another great option if you want to be by the shore. Also, Stockton isn’t a huge commuter campus. A lot of people stay on campus and really enjoy the student life there. It’s worth a look-around.
I don’t know if you looked into Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. They are located on Boga Ciega Bay and have the largest number of NOAA Hollings Scholars in the US. They have dedicated research vessels and labs in the field begin freshman year. The focus is on mentoring and undergraduate research. Many students present research with their mentors at conferences around the world. The depth and breadth of network and internships local, national and international serves the students well. They just had marine science students return from a winter term at the University of Havana and have reached an agreement with them for continued study this summer and fall. My daughter did winter terms in the Galapagos, Honduras, Costa Rica and a sailing research vessel in the Gulf of Mexico. This summer, marine science students will be in Indonesia. Take a look at the courses required for marine science majors. They offer generous merit and financial aid.
Thank you everyone for the suggestions on other schools, but I have already looked at the options and am done applying. At this point, I’m just trying to pick the one school out of URI, University of Delaware, Northeastern, and UMaine. I would really appreciate any feedback on the programs at those schools 
They’re all going to be pricey since 3 are state schools and Northeastern is a pricey private. Where are you in-state? You know about Rutgers and Stockton so I presume you’re in NJ? If not, please correct me. What can you afford? Are your parents chipping in? These are all important points. You should possibly do investigation yourself too since this is a very particular questions of yours. Maybe you should visit, talk with any students you know of who are involved in the program and talk to professors.
@TheDidactic I’m in CT but haven’t applied anywhere in state since no school has the program and UCONN only offers it an hour away from the main campus with no housing. I have talked to professors/students at URI and UDel but not at UMaine. However, I have heard very good things about the UMaine program…haven’t visited there yet so not sure how I will like it. The meeting with the professor at UDel wasn’t very thorough though, so I need to look more into that. I’m not sure how strong their program is there which concerns me a bit because I love the campus and the location on Main Street with shops and restaurants URI unfortunately seems like it’s in the middle of nowhere and I heard a lot of students move into houses on the beach 10-15 minutes away from campus after freshman year, which concerns me because I love the idea of a community feel on campus. If anyone knows more about these schools and their programs, please fill me in! And I’m truly grateful for your help…I didn’t expect this much feedback so thank you so much!!
Some questions that may help: What are the courses required for a marine science degree in each school. Do they fulfill the requirements for admission into grad school. Are you able to begin your marine science courses as a freshman. Are you given the opportunity to begin research as an undergrad. How strong is their mentor/internship program. What percentage of students that begin the program receive a degree in the program. Who conducts the lab courses. I am from CT too and URI does not have the greatest reputation. Also, take a look at the bios of some faculty of marine sciences at various grad schools, where did they receive their undergrad. degree?
@ECmotherx2 URI’s reputation was a huge concern for me, actually. They are a safety school for me, and my GPA is WAY above their average. This bothered me for a very long time because I liked the school. When I talked to the professor there, however, my mom brought up this concern and a current senior in the program was there and told me she was the 7th in her high school class and had the same concern as me. However, she came to URI because they have a particular strength in their marine bio program.
UMaine is in Orono, which isn’t exactly a city but it’s not too small. It’s the flagship of Maine’s “U” system and is highly respected within the state. A LOT of Maine people go there; there’s probably not a huge OOS student base. Again, I can’t comment on the particular program; you probably will have to visit and talk to professors and students. When it comes to determining the strength of a particular program, you’ll need to talk to faculty.
I don’t believe URI has the greatest reputation. Really early on, I was interested in their pharmacy school but backed out when I discovered the low quality of the reputation. UDel is nice. I don’t think it has a bad reputation but it’s big. Northeastern has a great reputation and is big too. Like I said in my previous post, affordability is a main thing! Talk over with your parents about the costs of all these places before you even get further.
@TheDidactic yeah, I’ll have to see how I feel about maine when i visit…one thing that concerns me is the cold though! Also, when I looked up stats for the schools, UMaine and URI pretty much were the same. UDel is a really good school, and Northeastern is awesome. Of course, the city feel there is different from the other schools. I know you’ve told me not to worry about proximity to the ocean, but it just still bothers me. I really want that hands on experience integrated into courses…that will always be a huge deal to me. To be honest, I would choose UDel without a doubt right away if they were closer to the water.
Don’t let the “closer to the water” thing sway you so much. You won’t be with Northeastern’s professor out in Boston Harbor rowing around. 
You’ll be in the lab most of the time. Wait till you get acceptances before you sweat the small stuff.