Select two of the following:
a) BIO 519 Advanced Topics in Cellular and Molecular Biology (4)
or
BIO 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary Biology (3) and BIOL 530 Advanced Topics in Evolutionary
Biology Laboratory (1)
or
BIO 534 Advanced Topics in Ecology (3) and BIOL 534 Advanced Topics in Ecology
Laboratory (1)
or
BIO 549 Advanced Topics in Physiology (4)
b) BIO 560 Estuarine Biology (4)
c) BIO 564 Biological Oceanography (3) and BIOL 564 Biological Oceanography Lab (1)
A minimum of 14 hours of elective credit; select from any 500 level biology course, BIO 601-605 and BIO
- Graduate courses from other disciplines may also be selected, with approval of the student’s thesis
committee.
Ph.D. PROGRAM IN MARINE BIOLOGY
The Department of Biology and Marine Biology offers a program of study and research leading to
the doctor of philosophy in marine biology. The program provides students with a broad background and
overview of the fields comprising marine biology and make use of the diverse interests of the marine
biology faculty within the department. As is generally the case, the Ph.D. program is primarily a research
degree. As such, it is intended to serve students with interests in conducting research in academia, industry,
and government along with those who intend to become faculty in undergraduate teaching institutions,
managers in technology-based industries and policy makers in government. Students will learn the process
of identifying, defining and solving an original research problem. The program also includes a teaching
practicum with classroom instruction in pedagogical techniques and technologies along with lecture
experience under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
Admission requirements
Students will be admitted to the Ph.D. program by a majority vote of the Graduate Advisory Council
(GAC) of the Department of Biology and Marine Biology based on eligibility requirements and available
resources. Under most circumstances, students admitted to the program will have met the following
requirements:
--received a M.S. degree or equivalent from an accredited university OR, if entering with a B.S., completed
all the requirements for the M.S. Biology or M.S. Marine Biology degree at UNCW except submission of
bound thesis.*
-- an overall graduate grade point average of at least 3.0 out of 4.0.
-- a score on the Graduate Record Examination General Test with a target of the 65th percentile or better
(average for the verbal, quantitative and analytical writing sections).
--a score of at least 550 on the paper version (213 on the computer version) of the Test of English as a
Foreign Language (TOEFL) for applicants whose native language is not English.
-- an application that outlines the applicant’s academic goals and identifies a faculty advisor who has
indicated a willingness to mentor the student.