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CONTENTS

• ​What is marine biology?
• What qualifications do you need to study marine biology?
• What universities can you study marine biology at?
• What are your study options?
• Why study marine biology?
• After your marine biology degree

What is marine biology? 

A marine biologist studies ocean life. From the tiniest microbes in the water to seabed plants to the lager marine animals we all love, they observe and seek to protect life under the sea…

It is a fascinating job that allows you to travel the world and make a real difference to it at the same time. If this sounds like the kind of job you’d like to dive in to, then you’ll need to get yourself a marine biology degree. Here’s everything you need to know about it…

What qualifications do you need to study marine biology? 

To study Marine Biology you need to have a good background preferably in a relevant science subjects such as: Biology; Chemistry; Marine Science; Geography; Geology; or Mathematics. Ideally two of your A-Levels (or equivalent) need to be in a science subject.

The majority of universities offering Marine Biology would like you to have a minimum of 120 UCAS points however, as you can see from the table below, the entry requirements do vary wildly with top ranking universities requiring higher grades.

What universities can you study marine biology at? 

Here on Whatuni you can find over 60 marine biology courses, with some of the best places to offer Marine Biology being:

• St Andrews University
• University of Exeter
• University of Glasgow
• University of Southampton
• University of Liverpool

But don’t forget that university is not just about your course – there are many other factors to think about, including accommodation, social life and location. Student reviews of those studying Marine Biology courses can be really useful in helping you decide if a uni is right for you. You can check out our student reviews here.

What are your study options? 

The majority of Marine Biology courses are studied over three years full-time and often include a mixture of lectures and practical sessions with the opportunity to do field work too which may be overseas.

Some universities also offer the option to have a placement year whilst you’re studying on sandwich courses, which will push your course to four years.

Your assessments will usually take place in the form of both written exams and practical research projects, as well as coursework and oral presentations.

Some universities may also offer you the choice of studying an Integrated Master's which starts off as an undergraduate course, but lasts four years and provides Master's-level education in the final year. Students who opt for this will graduate with a Master's degree.

You can also study Marine Biology as part of a combined or joint honours degree, or a foundation degree, with where you study it alongside other subjects such as: Biology; Oceanography; Conservation; and Zoology.

Why study marine biology? 

Marine Biology is such an exciting course to study and will give you the skills to be able to understand the patterns of diversity we have in our marine ecosystems. You will learn how these ecosystems live, adapt and interact with the environment and in this day and age with so much damage being done to our environment the opportunities to study this aspect of life could now become precious.

Not only does a marine biologist seek to understand ecosystems in the ocean, this course also provides vital information about our own wellbeing as our oceans support a lot of our basic needs to do with energy sources, water disposal and food deriving abilities.

After your marine biology degree 

So where can a degree in Marine Biology take you? Well, there are a multitude of job opportunities available with a marine biology degree - giving you the chance to put all the practical, theoretical and professional skills you’ve learnt into practice

Graduates can find themselves working in the research sector or for various environmental companies and industries. Graduates can also find themselves going into work within government agencies with regard to policy implementation and science administration.