BS Marine Biology at University of South Florida

Programme overview

The Marine Biology programme explores the ecology of marine environments and the organisms inhabiting the oceans, adding specialized marine knowledge to a foundation in basic biology. It addresses coastal resilience, coastal pollution, diseases of marine organisms and habitat restoration, with emphasis on field and laboratory data collection and research methods.

Faculty: College of Arts and Sciences | Duration: 120 credit hours | Study mode: full-time | Location: Tampa, FL, United States

What you will study

The 120-credit degree builds on a foundation in basic biology with marine specialization, supported by internships, undergraduate research experiences, upper-level seminars and reading from the primary literature.

Career pathways

Consulting firms, environmental agencies, aquaria and parks, and graduate school.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Admission is to the university and its college rather than to the major: the University's undergraduate (freshman or transfer) admission requirements apply, as published in the catalogue and at usf.edu/admissions.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

First-year entry terms: Fall/Summer 2027 semester start. Transfer and second bachelor's applicants can start in Spring 2027 (classes begin January 11, 2027), Summer 2027 (classes begin May 17, 2027) or Fall 2027.

First-year, Fall/Summer 2027 start: Early Action application deadline November 2, 2026 (materials November 16, decision December 9, 2026); Regular Decision application deadline December 16, 2026 (materials January 15, 2027, decision February 10, 2027); Rolling application deadline March 1, 2027 (materials March 15, 2027). The scholarship consideration deadline is January 15, 2027.

Transfer and second bachelor's final application deadlines: November 1, 2026 for Spring 2027; March 1, 2027 for Summer 2027; June 1, 2027 for Fall 2027. Materials deadlines are November 15, 2026, March 15, 2027 and June 15, 2027 respectively.

The nonrefundable application fee is $30, or an SAT, ACT or CLT fee waiver request can be submitted through the Applicant Portal. Applicants apply through the USF online application or the Common App. First-year applicants must submit official results of at least one of the SAT, ACT or CLT (SAT code 5828, ACT code 0761) and a self-reported transcript (STARS).

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