Graduate Catalog Front Cover

Graduate Catalog

Marine Biology, M.S. & Ph.D.

College of Science & Engineering

College of Science & Engineering

Marine Biology, M.S. & Ph.D.

Marine Biology is an exciting area of graduate study at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The Marine Biology Program is designed for students with an interest in one or several sub-disciplines of marine biology who wish to pursue careers in higher education, government, or private industry.

The Marine Biology degree is unique because it is an interdisciplinary degree program (IDP) combining the strengths of three universities within the Texas A&M University System; Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Texas A&M University-Galveston, and Texas A&M University. Students can choose courses from any campus and form committees with any of the participating IDP faculty. The principal strengths of the program lie in the international recognition, scholarly productivity, and extramural funding of its diverse faculty, as well as the strategic location of two campuses on the Gulf of Mexico.

Application Deadlines

Domestic/International Students:

*Priority deadline to receive complete applications:

Fall Spring  Summer I  Summer II 
December 1 June 1 Not Offered Not Offered

Domestic/International Students:

Final deadline for receipt of complete applications:

Fall                         Spring             Summer I                   Summer II            
May 1 October 1 Not Offered Not Offered

*Complete application should be received for full admissions and funding consideration 

Application Requirements

Application requirements

Complete Application for Admission:
  • Apply for Admission via Apply Texas Application
  • An applicant may defer admission to an earlier/later semester. Applications are valid for one year. One deferral is allowed per application.
  • Please allow 3-5 business days to receive Student ID before submitting additional application requirements (transcripts, test scores, etc.).
Application fee:
  • $50 for US citizen, $70 for International Students

Please Note: Applicants who wish to apply for a different program will be required to submit a new application. The application processing fee is required for each application submitted.
Requirements:

Application requirements specific to this program :

*Please allow 3-5 business days to receive Student ID before submitting the application requirements below.

  • Official transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate course work taken at any accredited college or University attended (Foreign College credits/transcripts require an official foreign evaluation. Please click here).  TAMU-CC transcript is not required.
  • Official GRE scores (Within five years of the date of application)
  • Official TOEFL/IELTS scores for applicants from countries where English is not the native language (Within two years of the date of application)
  • Resume
  • Essay of no more than 1000 words describing 1) educational and career goals and interests as they relate to the faculty in the Marine Biology Program, and 2) a list of names of program faculty members contacted.
  • Three letters of recommendation

Apply separately for financial assistance. Students should discuss this with their proposed mentor.

Due to the popularity of the Marine Biology graduate program, we have been receiving many more applications than we can possibly accept. Therefore, we only encourage applications from those students who have a mentor match with a Marine Biology faculty member. Students are required to contact potential faculty mentors prior to applying to the program. Faculty profiles found at the program website: http://marinebiology.tamucc.edu/faculty.html

Submit all supporting documents online.
Additional International Applicant Requirements

Application requirements for international applicants:

  • Copy of current Visa (if applicable)
  • English Language Proficiency. TAMUCC currently accepts the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) within the last 2 years  :
    • Official TOEFL score minimum paper-based score of 550 or internet-based score of 79-80
    • Official IELTS score minimum 6.5

Degree Plan

Degree Plan

Marine Biology, M.S.

Non-Thesis option

MARB 6102 - Graduate Research Seminar 1 sem. hrs.
MARB 5397 - Directed Research 3 sem. hrs.
MATH 6315 - Statistical Methods in Research I 3 sem. hrs.
Specialized, elective, and topical coursework 29 sem. hrs.

Thesis option

MARB 6102 - Graduate Research Seminar  1 sem. hrs.
MARB 5392 - Thesis Proposal 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 5393 - Thesis Research 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 5394 - Thesis Submission 3 sem. hrs.
MATH 6315 - Statistical Methods in Research I 3 sem. hrs.
Specialized, elective, and topical coursework 19 sem. hrs.

Marine Biology, PhD

PhD Students Admitted with Only a Bachelor’s Degree

MARB 6102 - Graduate Research Seminar (taken twice)  2 sem. hrs.
MARB 6392 - Dissertation Proposal 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 6393 - Dissertation Research 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 6394 - Dissertation Submission 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 6940 - Dissertation Project Research 1-9 sem. hrs.
Specialized, elective, and topical coursework. 
Select at least one of the following:		 36 sem. hrs.
  CMSS 6303 - Natural Systems Analysis 3 sem. hrs.
  CMSS 6323 - Experimental Design 3 sem. hrs.

PhD Students Admitted with a Master’s Degree

MARB 6102 - Graduate Research Seminar  1 sem. hrs.
MARB 6392 - Dissertation Proposal 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 6393 - Dissertation Research 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 6394 - Dissertation Submission 3 sem. hrs.
MARB 6940 - Dissertation Project Research 1-9 sem. hrs.
Specialized, elective, and topical coursework. 
Select at least one of the following:		 15 sem. hrs.
  CMSS 6303 - Natural Systems Analysis 3 sem. hrs.
  CMSS 6323 - Experimental Design 3 sem. hrs.

Tuition and Fees

For more information on tuition and fees, please visit the Business Office's website.

Funding Opportunities

Teaching Assistantships, graduate research assistantships, fellowships, or scholarships may be available to graduate students admitted as degree-seeking students who maintain full time graduate student status (9 hours/fall and spring semesters, and 3 hours/summer). The completed Teaching Assistant Application (https://sci.tamucc.edu/student-information/graduate-funding.html) and all other materials requested for evaluation should be submitted to the office indicated on that form. For full consideration, the deadline for submitting applications is February 1 for the following academic year. Faculty members conducting funded research projects often hire qualified graduate students as Research Assistants. Students should contact faculty members in their field of interest for information on these opportunities. Summer funding (3 mos.) is the responsibility of major advisor and/or student, and should be discussed early in the academic year.

Additional Information

  • Persons seeking admission to the program should first contact the program faculty and identify a faculty member, or members, willing to serve as the graduate supervisor, and the applicant must include a summary of their discussions with faculty members in their essay. Applicants will not be admitted to the program without a graduate supervisor. Faculty profiles are found at the program website: http://marinebiology.tamucc.edu/faculty.html.
  • If you would like to learn more about the Marine Biology Program, please visit the Program website found at: http://marinebiology.tamucc.edu.
  • If you'd like to learn more about the College of Science and Engineering, please visit the College website.

Contact for More Information:

Dr. Benjamin Walther

6300 Ocean Drive
Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5800
Phone: 361-825-4168
benjamin.walther@tamucc.edu

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Mailing address:
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
Recruitment & Admissions
6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5774
Corpus Christi, TX 78412

t: 361.825.2753 
e: gradweb@tamucc.edu

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