A group of undergraduate students gathered around to watch a professor teaching in front of a glass tank full of seawater.

Academics

The foundation of achieving the goal of a healthy and sustainable coastal ocean fundamentally depends on educating the next generation to understand and address these issues with creative, multidisciplinary solutions. To this end, the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute (CMSI) has expanded sustainability-focused coastal and marine science and policy degree programs. CMSI promotes training opportunities and experiences to advance interdisciplinary coastal and marine science; engage diverse stakeholders in the process of advancing knowledge; connect relevant science to policy, and communicate our understanding of coastal systems to the public.

For Undergraduate Students:

 

Three students reaching their hands into a large glass tank with sea creatures inside.

Marine and Coastal Science Undergraduate Major

The Marine & Coastal Science Undergraduate Major emphasizes the interdisciplinary nature of marine sciences by exposing students to the spectrum of disciplines that constitute modern marine science and policy.

We also emphasize hands-on experiences as interns or researchers, with many MCS students spending time at Bodega Marine Laboratory.

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Two people wearing hats and outdoor gear, crouched on the edge of the water line on a rocky coast and looking out towards the water.

Oceanography Undergraduate Minor

Oceanography is the study of the earth's oceans, investigating connections between geological, biological, chemical and physical processes in the marine realm, and the interactions between the Earth's ocean/atmosphere system.

The interdisciplinary minor in oceanography is for students with backgrounds in any of these fields, as well as those interested in marine policy and conservation.

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A group of undergraduate students gathered to take a group selfie, as the student front holds out a camera to take the photo. In the background is a rocky coastline and the ocean visible in the distance.

Undergraduate Courses at Bodega Marine Laboratory

In courses at Bodega Marine Laboratory, students from UC Davis and beyond have the opportunity to go beyond textbook learning - from being a science student to working as a scientist.

Learning takes place not just within the classroom, but also in the field, on the beach, on a wind-swept bluff, or in a tidal marsh, where it's up to you and your peers to discover the answers for yourselves.

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For Junior High and High School Students:

 

A group of 5 students gathered standing in a group on a sandy beach examining a marine organism.
Photo by Ellie Fairbairn

Coastal & Marine Sciences Pre-College Program

In the Coastal & Marine Sciences Pre-College Program, students spend an exciting week on the UC Davis campus with scientists from the Coastal and Marine Sciences Institute learning about plants, animals and processes that span the California landscape, linking the Sierras to the sea.

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A group of people watching a person in a red BML beanie, who is leaning over a tank filled with water and seagrass while talking to them.
Photo by Fred Greaves

Bodega Marine Laboratory Tours

Group tours are scheduled up to four times a week. Group tours must be reserved and scheduled in advance and tour size is limited to 45 adults or 30 children. A minimal fee is charged for group tours.

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For Community College Students:

 

Several orange bat stars clinging to a rock, whose tip is jutting out of the water and fringed with green algae.

Santa Rosa Junior College-Bodega Marine Laboratory Internship Program

This internship program will provide research opportunities for Santa Rosa Junior College students at the Bodega Marine Laboratory. Interns will gain experience conducting research essential to developing careers in the sciences.

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UC Davis Transfer Admissions

Transferring to UC Davis from a community college or four-year institution has become a popular path to obtaining a university degree. We welcome transfer applicants from all schools, though we give priority to transfers from California community colleges.

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For Graduate Students:

 

A group of students standing outside of a building with cement walls and a glass front, the sign reads "Bodega Marine Laboratory"
Photo courtesy of the Sustainable Oceans NRT

NSF Research Traineeship:  Sustainable Oceans

The Sustainable Oceans: from Policy to Science to Decisions training program puts the policy focus on the front end of the research and training enterprise as a means of building more effective links between the science and decisions on the sustainable use of living marine resources.

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A below the waist image of three students in wader boots standing on a rocky shoreline

Graduate Studies in Marine Science

More than half of the UC Davis Graduate Programs are organized as interdisciplinary graduate groups. Explore some of the grad groups our affiliated faculty accept students from and begin your journey to studying marine science as a graduate student at UC Davis.

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A view of Bodega Marine Laboratory from across Horseshoe Cove

Russell J. and Dorothy S. Bilinski Fellowships at Bodega Marine Laboratory 

These fellowships aim to elevate the work of doctoral students and provide opportunities to work across disciplines. Research should involve time spent at Bodega Marine Laboratory as part of the proposed work, and explicitly bridge the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities.

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