'The oceans are a key element for the existence of life on Earth. 97% of all the water on Earth, and 99% of the habitable space on this planet, is in the ocean' (source: NASA).
Marine biology is the interdisciplinary study of life in the ocean. At the present time, the position of marine biology graduates has never been as critical to the functioning of our society, economy and environment. Complex issues such as overfishing, pollution and climate change are colliding to bring about extraordinary and sometimes catastrophic changes in marine systems. As a marine biologist you will apply cutting edge technologies to help tackle these issues on a scale from molecules to ecosystems.
With regards to marine resources management the UK's territorial waters stretch over 6.8 million km�� (over fourteen times the terrestrial landmass) and within this vast area lies the blue economy: marine renewable energy, oil, gas, fish, minerals and rare earth metals. To manage these resources in a sustainable manner requires assessment and guidance from highly-skilled marine biologists.
Within this context the Marine Biology degree at QUB is based on a research-led teaching format and will prepare students for a future in a diverse range of careers including marine conservation, environmental consultancy, documentary film making, wildlife tourism, fisheries management and academic study.
Marine Biology Degree highlights
Our course offers high tech training from scientific leaders in cutting edge fields such as deep-sea environmental impact assessment using submersible robots to next generations sequencing based population genetics studies.
Professional Accreditations
- Beyond the taught degree, all Marine Biology students have the opportunity to gain professional boating qualifications (e.g. Survival at Sea, Powerboat Level II) that increase their employability both within and outside of academia. Students are also encouraged to seek Degree plus accreditation which showcases their extra-curricular marine experiences gathered during their degrees (via work shadowing PhD students from the start of their degree, through to activities run by the QUB Marine Biology Society).
World Class Facilities
- In addition to the state-of the-art teaching facilities on the main campus, the Queen's Marine Laboratory is on the shores of one of the most protected areas in Europe, Strangford Lough. During your degree, you will take two residential field courses at the marine lab to study marine ecosystems up close using our array of aquaria, boats and shore-based facilities.Around the island of Ireland we have some of the most spectacular marine wildlife in Europe including six-gill, blue and basking sharks,bluefin tuna, >20 species of marine mammals (from otters to blue whales), maerl beds and deep-water coral reefs. Access to such species makes QUB one of the best located universities for the study of Marine Biology.
Student Experience
- Students complete a 16-week work placement period as a component of Stage 2. For many students this is the most important aspect of the degree, enabling them to experience the types of jobs which are available on graduation and through the preparation of CVs, interviews, etc ensuring they are well prepared for the job market.
Dawn Diamond,
Marine Biology Graduate, 2015
Careers
Career Prospects
Introduction
An Honours degree in Marine Biology offers comprehensive training in one of the most popular environmental disciplines, and good graduates move on to pursue diverse careers at home and abroad.
Many recent graduates have secured MSc and PhD positions at leading universities in the UK, Republic of Ireland and overseas whilst others work in secondary education or for conservation organisations and government environmental agencies.
The experience that you gain from applying the scientific approach to living organisms, solving numerical and practical problems, developing written and oral communication skills and using a wide range of sophisticated equipment will also help you to find employment in a variety of non-biological careers.
Many employers are looking for graduates in any discipline, provided they show academic confidence, the ability to communicate, handle quantitative data and solve problems, and have good social skills, a wide range of interests and a record of success. We believe that studying Marine Biology at Queen's will enable you to acquire and develop these qualities.
The most generally appropriate professional bodies for graduate marine biologists are the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, the Fisheries Society of the British Isles and Society of Biology.
www.prospects.ac.uk
Additional Awards Gained(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
Prizes and Awards(QSIS ELEMENT IS EMPTY)
Degree plus award for extra-curricular skills
In addition to your degree programme, at Queen's you can have the opportunity to gain wider life, academic and employability skills. For example, placements, voluntary work, clubs, societies, sports and lots more. So not only do you graduate with a degree recognised from a world leading university, you'll have practical national and international experience plus a wider exposure to life overall. We call this Degree Plus. It's what makes studying at Queen's University Belfast special.