Marine Biology Degree UC
The UC Marine Biology program aspires to train biologists specialized in the study of marine organisms and their environment at a high scientific level, with a wide sense enquiry and criticism, highly competent in the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data and experimental results, and who are committed to the resolution of the main current biological, social, and economic problems related to the oceans.
In that context, the marine biology track prepares students for the academic and professional fields, with a series of general and specialized undergraduate courses.
The Marine Biology degree looks to motivate and communicate the essential elements that enable young graduates to address major challenges imposed by conflicting multiple uses of the marine system, the conservation of biodiversity and essential roles of these ecosystems for the country and humanity.
It also aims to train professionals that can participate in decision-making, display innovative leadership and management skills in different areas of the public and private sectors, as it relates to the sustainable use of marine resources.
Training space and technology
The marine biology degree stems in part from the desire to take advantage of the access to the coastal marine ecosystem provided by ECIM in Chile’s central coast, as well as its infrastructure and teaching laboratories for experimental research in costal oceanography, ecology and biology of marine organisms.
Thus, an important number of courses in key areas of marine biology (see description of these course here) are offered at ECIM, which include educational activities of varying complexity and duration (one to 15 days).
ECIM is also a fundamental location for students of the major to complete research seminars and professional internships. There exists different instances for our students to conducts studies at ECIM:
Short term Undergraduate Internships at ECIM
During summer and winter vacations, first-and second year students can complete a short internship study at ECIM, during which they will be immersed in a research group in order to discover how the station’s work in marine ecology research is applied to the management and conservation of biodiversity.
Research Seminar
Upper level marine biology students can complete all or part of the research component corresponding to seminars BIO295 y BIO296M at ECIM. These seminars look to introduce students to the world of research through introductory material in a BIO295, and then later assume greater responsibility and more ambitious objectives in a BIO296 (in which a public presentation will be conducted with obtained results).
Professional Internship or Thesis
It is possible to conduct research leading to the Professional Marine Biology Title at ECIM, be it research for a Thesis (Memoria de Investigación) or Professional Internship. In the first case, a research project is conducted during a semester, that looks to answer a simple question, but with all the necessary experimental or observational components, and finishing with a defense of the results before an evaluation committee.