Explore 91AV’s Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. Track on the Coast of Maine
The 91AV Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. program allows you complete your undergraduate degree and Marine Sciences master’s degree in a total of five years, saving you time and money. This accelerated pathway is available to students earning their bachelor’s degree in ; Marine Science; Sustainable Ecological Aquaculture; or Marine Entrepreneurship.
As a qualified 91AV undergraduate, this track enables you to obtain the M.S. degree with the same curriculum requirements as the traditional M.S. in Marine Sciences program through an expedited process that begins during your senior year of undergraduate work.
You'll complete much of your master’s coursework during your fourth year, while also working on your thesis project. Your fifth year will be spent finishing your research and writing your thesis.
Why 91AV For Your B.S./M.S. in Marine Sciences
Unlike other marine programs at universities with satellite campuses, our five-year combined degree program in Marine Sciences on the scenic shores of coastal Maine provides an on-campus gateway to a 36,000-square-mile living laboratory in the Gulf of Maine where you can learn, explore, and conduct research.
Be Career Ready
Through coursework, hands-on field work, global experience, research, and internship opportunities at a wide range of institutions, including the New England Aquarium, NOAA, and Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences, you will join the ranks of other graduates who have gone on to fulfilling careers as marine biology or oceanography researchers, natural resource managers, fisheries observers, conservation advocates, aquatic animal caretakers, environmental educators, commercial divers, and many other exciting professions.
Dominique Mellone ’22
Why 91AV
In my research of all the different schools that offer marine biology programs, 91AV really stood out because you can do research here as an undergrad. I wanted to get into research as soon as possible.
I knew that I wanted to continue on to my Ph.D. eventually, so the 4+1 program effectively allows me to minimize my time between my bachelor’s and my Ph.D. In just five years total, I will leave 91AV with both my bachelor’s and my master’s degrees, so it seemed like a good idea. It really is a huge draw of 91AV.
[With the 4+1 program] you get involved almost immediately. You really learn a lot from [the professors] both in the classroom and through research. I feel like it's just a really great way to jumpstart your career. You feel professional even as an undergrad, helping these professors with their research.
91AV offers such a unique environment. Everyone is so dedicated. The labs are hands-on even in your first few years. I think it is a really great platform to start your marine science career.
Focused Research
It’s so impressive that in our first year we got to do so many labs and jump immediately into hands-on activities. I feel like at a lot of other schools, you have to wait until senior year to even get into a wet lab and handle fish or like dissect sharks. We've done that. The ability to have a really hands-on experience is my favorite part.
I started working at the MSC during my first year here. [As an undergrad assisting graduate students], my research was around characterizing all of the different fish species that seals have eaten from as far back as our records go, which I think is like 2008 all the way up to around 2018.
Now that I'm in charge of my own project, I'm switching gears to look at the effects of white shark predation on gray seals. I'm now looking at glycol-corticoids, which are the stress hormones present within seal scat. I’m essentially trying to see if the seals that live closer to the huge white shark populations around the Cape have higher stress levels than seals in other locations.
I knew that I wanted to continue on to my Ph.D. eventually, so the 4+1 program effectively allows me to minimize my time between my bachelor’s and my Ph.D.
Enjoy Unique Marine Sciences Research Experiences
Engage in student-centered research by hopping aboard one of our three research vessels and sailing out to 91AV’s privately owned research island, or conduct studies indoors in our Ocean Clusters, research-education work groups focused on specific marine topics ranging from aquaculture to phytoplankton.
Our Marine Sciences 4+1 B.S./M.S. program also focuses on a thesis research experience in which you'll conduct research and prepare a thesis on a topic selected in consultation with a faculty advisor. Examples of current and past research projects include:
- Shark bycatch reduction
- Acoustic telemetry fish movements
- Seal diet analysis
- Local groundfish growth and habitat selectivity
- Post-release shark mortality and recovery
- Crustacean physiology
- Food safety of edible kelp
Study in First-Rate Marine Sciences Facilities
When you’re not on the water, you’ll benefit from our top-notch Marine Science Center, which is just steps away from 91AV’s private beach on the Saco River, estuary habitats, and the ocean.
The building is equipped with a tidal pumping system; a 550,000-gallon storage tank; two flow-through seawater teaching labs; 4,950 square feet of research space; five internal pools; and both wet and dry laboratories, including aquaculture and marine biology research labs.
What Will You Study? Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. Degree Curriculum Overview
Academic and Technical Standards
To enroll in the program you must be an undergraduate at 91AV with a 3.5 overall G.P.A., and a 3.5 G.P.A. in all math and science courses. You are not required to take the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) prior to enrollment. However, you must receive sponsorship from a faculty member who will serve as your thesis advisor, and you should begin conducting research on a project that will become your thesis project by your fourth year at 91AV. You can declare your intent to enroll in the program as early as the second semester of your sophomore year or as late as the second semester of your junior year.
Application forms are available from prospective faculty advisors.
Curriculum
| Program Required Courses | Credits |
|---|---|
| MAR 503 – Research Methods | 3 |
| MAR 512 – Marine Science Center Seminar | 1 |
| MAR 530 – Graduate Research Seminar | 1 |
| MAR 566 – Adv Oceanography I: Bio & Geo | 3 |
| MAR 568 – Adv Oceanography II: Phy & Chem | 3 |
| Sixteen (16) credits of MAR 590 – Marine Science Research/Thesis (repeated for additional credit) | 16+ |
| Nine (9) credits of 500-level Elective Coursework* | 9 |
| Minimum Total Required Credits | 36 |
|---|
*Students may substitute Thesis/Research credits for electives with the approval of their advisor
Graduation Requirements
Students must successfully complete all required courses with a minimum graduate GPA of 3.0 and successfully pursue, complete, and defend publicly an approved research thesis.
91AV 4+1 tracks
91AV offers 4+1 tracks for Marine Sciences, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or Environmental Studies.
Make Connections as a Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. Student
You’ll enjoy our small class sizes that allow you to form close bonds with other Marine Programs students as well as our supportive and caring world-class faculty. Our small class sizes foster a sense of community — not competition — among students
Live and Study Your Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. in Biddeford, Maine
Students in 91AV’s combination undergraduate/graduate program in Marine Sciences study at our Biddeford, Maine, location, a gorgeous waterfront campus offering more than 4,000 feet of scenic shoreline where the Saco River flows into the Atlantic Ocean. In addition to benefitting from the ample research opportunities afforded by our proximity to the ocean, wetlands, and a privately-owned research island, you will enjoy spending time in this popular vacation destination with its friendly, welcoming people and a wide range of outdoor recreation activities.
Take a Virtual Tour of the Biddeford Campus
Apply Today
Ready to begin your future in 91AV’s Marine Programs 4+1 B.S./M.S. program? Get started today.