Bachelor of Science in Marine, Estuarine and Freshwater Biology

at University of New Hampshire - Durham Campus USA

Programs in Ocean Engineering are by definition interdisciplinary and require students to interact with the ocean science community as well as the traditional engineering disciplines. In this context, students are exposed to the broad-based issues of working engineering problems in the ocean environment. They are trained to develop responsible solutions to problems that will lead to sustainable activity and life in the ocean.

Linguistics is the study of one of the most important characteristics of human beings—language. It cuts across the boundaries between the sciences and the humanities. The program is an excellent liberal arts major or preprofessional major for education, law, medicine, clergy and others. It is a particularly appropriate major for students who want to teach English as a second language. Dual majors with a foreign language, international affairs, business administration and the like are quite feasible.

Students interested in the major should consult with the program coordinator or with any professor who teaches linguistics courses. To declare a major in linguistics, a student must meet with the linguistics coordinator to design a course of study.

The Master of Science for Teachers is a degree designed specifically for practicing English teachers who want to deepen their knowledge of literature and develop their own skills in reading and writing. This program is based on the belief that pedagogy emerges out of firsthand experience in the processes of reading and writing. This program is designed for practicing elementary, middle and high school teachers and is not appropriate for individuals seeking state certification.

In addition to the university's mandatory Discovery Program requirements, degree candidates must complete our core program (freshman through junior years).  In the senior year, students select professional technical electives in the areas of their interest.   They also carry out a student-designed project to acquire both breadth and depth of study and to integrate knowledge across course boundaries.

For a detailed semester by semester list of requirements for the four years of study, please refer to the Degree Plan tab.

The undergraduate major in French offered by the Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures is centered on the study of the French language and the literatures and cultures of France and the French-speaking world. Students who complete the requirements for the major can expect to become proficient in French at a level that would allow them to communicate with native speakers, to develop an in-depth critical appreciation of French and Francophone cultures and literatures, and to be culturally sensitive members of society.

The program offers courses devoted to authors, works, and literary and cultural movements that span ten centuries and four continents. The curriculum also includes interdisciplinary courses on relations between literature and other areas of study such as history, law, religion, politics and the arts. All courses are conducted in French, and majors are expected to write papers and examinations in that language.

French can be taken either as a primary major or as one of two majors, in consultation with the director of undergraduate studies. Appropriate majors to combine with French might include, but are not limited to, international affairs, political science, English, education, film and media studies, history, music, philosophy, theater studies, women’s studies, business and communication.

The French major may interest students desiring a general humanistic education based on the language and literature of the French-speaking world; students planning to teach French at the elementary or secondary level; students who intend to pursue graduate work in preparation for teaching and research at the college level; and students preparing for careers in such areas as international law, business, journalism, international organizations, and public or government service, which require both training in a major foreign language and/or a general background in a humanistic discipline.

The department of Earth Sciences offers a Master of Science degree with a specialization in Geochemical Systems.  This program is intended for students with interests in all aspects of geochemistry: bedrock, sediment, water, ice, and air with particular emphasis on interpreting and modeling the interaction of these media (e.g., biogeochemistry, air quality, and climate change).

The bachelor of science in Earth sciences is offered through the Department of Earth Sciences. The program represents a strong concentration in the Earth sciences and is especially well-suited for students who plan to continue their studies in graduate school. Beyond a central core of courses, there are several possible specializations (climate, geology, geophysics, oceanography) from which students must chose in order to develop depth in a particular area of Earth sciences. Students are encouraged to attend a summer off-campus field experience, for which scholarship funds may be available.

The modern workplace requires that employees be adaptable. The Bureau of Labor Statistics conducted a long-term study that showed people held 11.7 jobs between the ages of 18 and 48, and those numbers are increasing with people moving between jobs more frequently every year. It is crucial that we prepare our students not just for one industry, but rather arm them with the transferable skills of critical reading, writing, analysis, production, theory and aesthetics of new forms in digital media and business. Students will leave this major option with the skills that are in the highest demand in all fields today. 

This major option addresses the growing demand for graduates who are well-versed in a combination of humanistic and digital skills and able to work in a variety of professional environments. In particular, graduates of this option will be prepared for careers at cultural and historical institutions, as well as in emerging job markets of information management and online content delivery. This specialization complements areas requirements for the English major but it is not limited to English majors. Double majors are encouraged. Small classes, a great sense of community and a diversity of faculty specializations create an atmosphere that propels students toward success. Students will receive real-life work experience through our internship class, and they will also leave this major with a digital portfolio that contains a collection of professional projects that can be used on the job market. 

The Bachelor of Science (B.S.) in Zoology builds from the common background of the biology core curriculum to provide ample time for third- and fourth-year students to concentrate in specialized disciplines such as marine and freshwater biology, behavior, cell and developmental biology, ecology, evolution, fisheries, physiology, and neurobiology while giving students the foundation from which they can specialize in the area of zoology. Undergraduate students are encouraged to conduct field or lab-based research which helps determine advanced education disciplines for graduate studies.  Many students ultimately work in the government, environmental agencies, education as well as agricultural, pharmaceutical, and biotechnology industries, where they conduct advanced research and/or teaching.  Zoology majors had the second highest income and lowest unemployment rate according to data from the 2016  U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey.

The Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Biomedical Sciences (MCBS) in the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) offers the professional M.S. in  Bioinformatics. This non-thesis degree program addresses the growing workforce and educational needs of the life science industries (including biotechnology, environmental and agricultural sectors). The M.S. in Bioinformatics provides continuing and accessible graduate-level education for individuals from broad socioeconomic backgrounds currently in the workforce, as well as for UNH undergraduate students seeking to enroll in an accelerated Master’s program, and to gain enhanced knowledge and specialized skills prior to entering the workforce.