Information for Students

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Prospective Students

SPMC Programs Overview

SPMC Students

General

• Catalog
  
• Classfinder
  
• Courses at SPMC
  
• Facilities
• Marine Chemistry Facilities Training
• Housing Policy
  
• Residential Facilities
  
• Scientific Diving
  
• My Western

National Undergraduate Programs at SPMC

• Multicultural Initiative in the Marine Science: Undergraduate Participation (MIMSUP)
  
• Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU)

Graduate Students

• Marine and Estuarine Science Program (MESP)
  
• Conducting Thesis Research at SPMC
  
• Collecting Marine Organisms
  
• Quarantine and Import Requirements for Marine Organisms
  
• WWU Biology Department
  
• WWU Huxley College of the Environment

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Prospective Students

About Marine Biology

There are numerous places to learn about careers in Marine Biology. One of the best web sites is Dr. Jeff Levinton's Marine Biology Web.

Undergraduate B.Sc. Programs at Western Washington University

Specialization in marine science usually occurs at the graduate level. Undergraduate students planning for careers in marine biology should obtain a solid foundation in an area of science such as biology, environmental science, chemistry, physics, or geology by obtaining a bachelor's degree in one of these fields. Although students enrolled in these programs will frequently take courses with a marine emphasis, the goal at the Bachelor's level should be to obtain a broad education in their field of study. The Biology Department and Huxley College of the Environment at Western Washington University both offer excellent undergraduate programs that provide a solid foundation in their respective disciplines while offering students a chance to take marine-oriented courses at the Shannon Point Marine Center.

Undergraduate Programs at SPMC

The Shannon Point Marine Center hosts two undergraduate internship-type programs that are funded by the National Science Foundation.

The Multicultural Initiative in the Marine Sciences: Undergraduate Participation (MIMSUP) runs during Winter and Spring quarters and is open to all US citizens and permanent residents. Students participating in the MIMSUP program are typically in their junior year of college. The program provides students with travel, tuition, housing, and a stipend.

The Research Experiences for Undergraduates program (REU) is a 9 week long summer program open to all US citizens and permanent residents. Students participating in this program are typically between their junior and senior years of college. The program provides students with travel, housing and a stipend.

Other Summer Internship programs:

Marine Science and the Arts The Shannon Point Marine Center (SPMC) has created a summer internship for WWU undergraduates who are majoring in some aspect of the arts. The internship is part of the marine center’s well-established summer program for undergraduates. The student selected to receive the internship will join 11 other students from WWU and from around the nation who will be spending nine weeks in residence at the marine center located in Anacortes, WA. While SPMC has operated undergraduate research programs in the marine sciences for more than 20 years, this is the first time that support has been provided to bring the arts to the program. It is anticipated that the student intern, in association with a faculty adviser, will be stimulated by the activities at SPMC and the marine environment to apply his/her artistic talents to whatever medium is appropriate. At the conclusion of the summer program, the intern will provide a showing of the results of the project coincident with the presentations made by the other summer interns.

The Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence Pacific Partnerships (COSEE-PP) is sponsoring two summer internships for community college students at the Shannon Point Marine Center. This internship is part of the Promoting Research Investigations in the Marine Environment (PRIME) Program and will introduce students to the research environment at a marine laboratory and provide training in research and field techniques.

Marine and Estuarine Science Master's Program

Students interested in graduate studies at the Master's level should apply through the Marine and Estuarine Science Program (MESP). Western Washington University does not offer a Ph.D. program. The following links provide information that will be helpful for students considering graduate studies:

Graduate School Admissions

MESP Advisor Selection Form (pdf)