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This programme is designed for delivery ordinarily over a four years period. In keeping with the approach taken with similar programmes offered in the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the first two years will seek to develop in students the basic knowledge and skills for the field of study and will be foundational for more advanced studies in the final two years.

In the first two years of study the development of skills for practical work in the field of marine biology is given prominence by the offering of laboratory and field courses separate from the theoretical courses. Students are therefore required to demonstrate competencies relating to operating in the laboratory and field before progressing into more specialised studies which will require those competences.

Students entering into the programme in the third year of study, with qualifications other than the A.Sc. awarded on early exit from this programme, will be required to take, in their third year, any courses offered in the first two years of this programme, but which they have not taken in during their previous studies. For persons with the A.Sc. in Biology offered by the University of Guyana, they will be required to take MAR11XXX - Laboratory and Field Biology I for marine biologists, MAR 11XX – Swimming skills and MAR22XX - Laboratory and Field Biology IV for marine biologists. Year Three and Year Four are designed to allow students some autonomy in their choice of courses. All students are prescribed a set of courses but must choose the additional courses that they will take to meet the credit requirement of the programme. Students can choose one of three pathways to focus their studies on particular issues in Marine Biology. Those paths are:

  • Pathway 1: BSc Marine Biology (General)
  • Pathway 2: BSc Marine Biology (Fisheries and Aquaculture)
  • Pathway 3: BSc Marine Biology (Climate and Pollution)

For the latter two pathways students will be given a pool of courses to choose from whereas the general pathway will allow students to choose courses from among all courses offered in those years (a combination of the pools available to students following the other pathways.) Guidance will be provided to the students to assist them with making their choices.

In the fourth-year students will be required to take either of two year-long courses: Capstone Research Project (MAR42XX): or, Internship (MAR42XX) which they will complete with an approved agency or institution. Guidance will be provided to allow students to make this choice also.

The outlines of the programmes according to courses in each year and semester for each pathway are provided below.

 

Pathway 1: BSc Marine Biology (General)

Year One (1) Structure

 

Year 1 Semester I

Credits

Year 1 Semester II

Credits

BIO1102 - Introduction to the biology

and ecology of living organisms*

3

BIO1202 - Genetics and

Evolution*

3

MAR11XX - Laboratory and Field

Biology I for marine biologists*

1

BIO1200 - Laboratory and Field

Biology II*

1

CHM 1102 - Introduction to General

Chemistry or PHY 1106 Introduction to Mechanics

3

CHM1205 - Introduction to Physical Chemistry

3

CHM1103 - Chemistry Laboratory I (For CHM1102 option) or PHY1190 - Introductory Physics Laboratory Labs I

(For PHY1106 option)

1

CHM1206 - Introduction to Inorganic and Organic Chemistry

3

MTH1101 - Algebra

4

CHM1207 - Chemistry Laboratory

II

1

ENG1105 - Introduction to the Use of

English

4

MTH1202 - Calculus I

4

MAR11XX - Swimming skills*

1

ENG1203 - Technical

Communication

4

Total

17

Total

19

*Major course

 

Year Two (2) Structure

Year 2 Semester I

Credits

Year 2 Semester II

Credits

BIO2105 - Molecular and Cell Biology*

3

BIO2205 - Biochemistry I*

3

BIO2106 - Biology of Plants*

3

BIO2206 - Biology of Animals*

3

BIO2107 - Biology of Microorganisms*

3

BIO2207 - Ecology and

Environmental Biology*

3

BIO2100 - Laboratory and Field Biology

III*

1

MAR22XX - Laboratory and Field

Biology IV for marine biologists*

1

CHM2103 - Inorganic Chemistry I

3

CHM2206 - Organic Chemistry for

Biological Sciences

4

MST1102 - Introduction to Statistics

4

PHY2206 - Waves, Optics, Heat

and Thermodynamics

3

CHM2104 - Physical Chemistry I

3

    

CHM2106 - Chemistry Laboratory 4 –

Inorganic Chemistry and Thermodynamics

1

    

Total

21

Total

17

*Major course
 

Year Three (3) Structure

Year 3 Semester I

Credits

Year 2 Semester II

Credits

BIO3109 - Research Methods in Biology*

3

BIO3211 - Biometry and

Biostatistics*

4

BIO3111 - Taxonomy and Systematics*

3

MAR32XX – Marine

microbiology*

3

MAR31XX - Coastal Zone Ecology*

3

BIO3220 – Animal Physiology

3

BIO3120 - Biology of Marine Organisms*

3

MAR32XX - Marine

Biogeochemical Cycles*

3

BIO4117 – Oceanography*

3

MAR32XX - Marine

Environmental Pollution *

3

MAR31XX - Marine Environment

Protection *

3

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

Total

18

Total

19-20

*Major course

Year Four (4) Structure

Year 4 Semester I

Credits

Year 4 Semester II

Credits

BIO4116 - Fisheries Management*

3

BIO4215 - Coastal Zone

Management*

3

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

MAR42XX - Capstone Research Project *

Or

MAR42XX Internship*

6

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Non-Marine Biology

Elective

3/4

    

Total

15-19

Total

15-17

*Major course
 

Electives for Years Three (3) and Four (4)

Semester I

Semester II

Course

Credits

Course

Credits

BIO 3116 Ichthyology - 3 credits

3

MAR3XXX - Introduction to

Aquaculture

3

AQU 3102 Fish Hatchery

management

4

AQU 4201 Aquatic Animal

Processing and Food Safety

4

MAR4XXX - Fish Health and Disease

Management

3

MAR32XX - Sustainable Aquaculture

Practices

3

MAR4XXX – Aquaculture Nutrition

and Feeding

3

GEO3206 – Fundamentals of climate

change

3

MAR41XX – Plastics in the marine

environment

3

MAR42XX - Marine Spatial Planning

3

BIO4212 - Environmental Ethics

3

MAR42XX – The Ocean and Humans

– a human ecology approach

3

BIO4214 - Climate Change Biology

3

MAR4XXX – The Oceans and climate

(to be developed)

  

ENV4105 - Introduction to

Environmental Impact Assessment

4

    

 

Pathway 2: BSc Marine Biology (Fisheries and Aquaculture)

Year One (1) Structure

Year 1 Semester I

Credits

Year 1 Semester II

Credits

BIO1102 - Introduction to the biology

and ecology of living organisms*

3

BIO1202 - Genetics and

Evolution*

3

MAR11XX - Laboratory and Field

Biology I for marine biologists*

1

BIO1200 - Laboratory and Field

Biology II*

1

CHM 1102 - Introduction to General

Chemistry or PHY 1106 Introduction to Mechanics

3

CHM1205 - Introduction to Physical Chemistry

3

CHM1103 - Chemistry Laboratory I (For CHM1102 option) or PHY1190 - Introductory Physics Laboratory Labs I

(For PHY1106 option)

1

CHM1206 - Introduction to Inorganic and Organic Chemistry

3

MTH1101 - Algebra

4

CHM1207 - Chemistry Laboratory

II

1

ENG1105 - Introduction to the Use of

English

4

MTH1202 - Calculus I

4

MAR11XX - Swimming skills*

1

ENG1203 - Technical

Communication

4

Total

17

Total

19

*Major course

 

Year Two (2) Structure

Year 2 Semester I

Credits

Year 2 Semester II

Credits

BIO2105 - Molecular and Cell Biology*

3

BIO2205 - Biochemistry I*

3

BIO2106 - Biology of Plants*

3

BIO2206 - Biology of Animals*

3

BIO2107 - Biology of Microorganisms*

3

BIO2207 - Ecology and

Environmental Biology*

3

BIO2100 - Laboratory and Field Biology

III*

1

MAR22XX - Laboratory and Field

Biology IV for marine biologists*

1

CHM2103 - Inorganic Chemistry I

3

CHM2206 - Organic Chemistry for

Biological Sciences

4

MST1102 - Introduction to Statistics

4

PHY2206 - Waves, Optics, Heat

and Thermodynamics

3

CHM2104 - Physical Chemistry I

3

    

CHM2106 - Chemistry Laboratory 4 –

Inorganic Chemistry and Thermodynamics

1

    

Total

21

Total

17

*Major course

Year Three (3) Structure

Year 3 Semester I

Credits

Year 2 Semester II

Credits

BIO3109 - Research Methods in Biology*

3

BIO3211 - Biometry and

Biostatistics*

4

BIO3111 - Taxonomy and Systematics*

3

MAR32XX – Marine

microbiology*

3

MAR31XX - Coastal Zone Ecology*

3

BIO3220 – Animal Physiology

3

BIO3120 - Biology of Marine Organisms*

3

MAR32XX - Marine

Biogeochemical Cycles*

3

BIO4117 – Oceanography*

3

MAR32XX - Marine

Environmental Pollution *

3

MAR31XX - Marine Environment

Protection *

3

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

Total

18

Total

19-20

*Major course

 

Year Four (4) Structure

Year 4 Semester I

Credits

Year 4 Semester II

Credits

BIO4116 - Fisheries Management*

3

BIO4215 - Coastal Zone

Management*

3

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

MAR42XX - Capstone Research Project *

Or

MAR42XX Internship*

6

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Elective*

3/4

WWWXXXX – Non-Marine Biology

Elective

3/4

    

Total

15-19

Total

15-17

*Major course

 

Electives for Years Three (3) and Four (4)

Semester I

Semester II

Course

Credits

Course

Credits

BIO 3116 Ichthyology - 3 credits

3

MAR3XXX - Introduction to

Aquaculture

3

AQU 3102 Fish Hatchery

management

4

AQU 4201 Aquatic Animal

Processing and Food Safety

4

MAR4XXX - Fish Health and Disease

Management

3

MAR32XX - Sustainable Aquaculture

Practices

3

MAR4XXX – Aquaculture Nutrition

and Feeding

3