BS - Biological Sciences-Aquaculture

What is an Aquaculture Degree?

Whether you want to study the biology of crustaceans, monitor the health and well-being of farm-raised fish, or manage the technical operations of a hatchery, you can get there with an aquaculture degree from Florida Tech. Here, you'll develop a strong background in biology and take specialized courses in culture techniques of salt and freshwater algae, crustaceans, finfish and mollusks.

Our aquaculture degree program is dynamic and focused. You'll get started right away, taking core courses like Biological Discovery and Introduction to Aquaculture as a freshman. Guided by highly qualified faculty who care about your success, you'll hone your strengths and begin specializing as early as sophomore year.

Advantages

Why Florida Tech:

• Ours is the first aquaculture degree program established in the U.S. (1977)
• Diverse and vast natural resources such as the estuarine habitats of the Indian River Lagoon, the Atlantic Ocean marine ecosystem, area beaches, marshes and wetlands
• Opportunities for undergraduates to participate in a variety of sponsored research and fieldwork activities
• Access to cutting-edge lab facilities and centers of excellence such as the Sportfish Research Institute and the Neotropical Paleoecology Research Group
• Professors who not only advance their fields through groundbreaking research, but involve undergraduates in the learning adventure
• 50% of required credits are in biology

Facilities: The biology department is housed in the F.W. Olin Life Sciences Building (LSB). LSB contains eight teaching labs, 12 modern research labs, a 16-workstation computer facility, and an electron microscopy suite. The indoor aquaculture facilities at Florida Tech's main campus total approximately 2,500 square feet, most of which is wet laboratory space. Recirculating systems ranging from small glass aquaria through 720-gallon tanks harbor a wide variety of aquatic species. Controlled environmental factors such as temperature, salinity and photoperiod can be imposed on any of these systems, providing outstanding capabilities for studies of reproduction, early life history, growout, nutrition, behavior and related areas of virtually any aquatic species. The department also maintains the Vero Beach Marine Laboratory where field studies in aquaculture can be performed.

Learning

Clubs and Organizations:

• Tri Beta (biological sciences honor society
• Aquaculture Society

Research: In addition to research opportunities provided through our Office of Sponsored Programs and other university sources, we offer unique and exciting field research opportunities as part of the aquaculture degree curriculum. Professors often involve undergraduate students in their sponsored research initiatives and fieldwork projects.

Internships and Cooperative Learning: Students in the biological sciences at Florida Tech have been recruited for internships by companies such as:

• American Museum of Natural Science
• Andean Biodiversity Consortium
• Baltimore Aquarium
• Brevard County Environmentally Engangered Lands Program
• Brevard Zoo
• Epcot Center
• Florida Medical Entomology Lab
• The Perry Institute for Marine Science
• Sea World Florida
• Shedd Aquarium

Future Outcomes

Outcomes - Grad School: In addition to pursuing master's and doctoral degrees at Florida Tech, graduates have gone on to study at a number of universities around the country. A few of these include:

• University of Florida
• University of South Alabama
• University of Miami
• University of Texas
• University of South Florida

Outcomes - Career and Salary: Aquaculture degree graduates work for industry and government around the world, including:

• United States federal (EPA, USDA), state and local agencies
• Commercial food and ornamental aquaculture producers
• Research laboratories, aquariums and zoos
• Theme parks

Curriculum

Curriculum program plans shown reflect current degree requirements. Previous academic year requirements can be accessed from the catalog page by choosing the appropriate academic year.

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Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences – Aquaculture

The Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences – Aquaculture seeks to educate students in unifying themes in biology, while encouraging them to expand their knowledge in more specialized subject areas. The department offers six undergraduate programs in which a student may specialize: aquaculture, conservation biology and ecology, general biology, marine biology, molecular biology and premedical biology. The curriculum is organized so that in the first two years students learn concepts fundamental to all biological sciences, and in the last two years students follow their own interests in selecting courses that are more specialized.

Aquaculture studies the theory and practice of finfish and shellfish culture. Following a core curriculum of basic science and mathematics, students take specialized courses in culture techniques of salt and freshwater algae, crustaceans, finfish and molluscs.

Admission Requirements

Students intending to apply for admission to study in the department of biological sciences should complete at least one year each of high school biology, chemistry and physics. Prospective students should also have at least three years of high school mathematics, including second-year algebra and trigonometry.

Florida Tech has articulation agreements with many of the community colleges in Florida. Students contemplating transfer to Florida Tech should consult with the department to determine transferability of credits. If there is a question regarding specific courses needed, students should contact the associate department head for undergraduate studies.

Degree Requirements

Candidates for a Bachelor of Science in Biological Sciences – Aquaculture must complete the minimum course requirements outlined in the following curriculum. Electives are selected in consultation with the faculty adviser to reflect the knowledge a student needs either for employment or graduate school.

Freshman Year

Sophomore Year

Junior Year

Senior Year

TOTAL CREDITS REQUIRED 129

Not all humanities core courses are offered online or every term; check the current schedule of classes for humanities core options.