About this Degree Turn your passion for marine science into real underwater expertise. The Scientific Diving Minor combines academic coursework with certified dive training, giving you hands-on research experience beneath the surface. From environmental monitoring to field-based science, you’ll build skills that make your resume rise to the top while you dive to the bottom. If you love the ocean, this is your chance to study it from the inside out. The Scientific Diving Minor equips undergraduates with certified diving skills, hands-on research experience, and technical training for safe underwater work. Students gain experience in marine habitats, surveys, and infrastructure while building teamwork, problem-solving, and safety skills. Career paths include government agencies, environmental consulting, offshore engineering, marine technology, renewable energy, eco-tourism, and aquariums, where diving expertise and environmental knowledge support research, infrastructure, conservation, and public engagement. Completion of the Minor in Scientific Diving involves 8 hours of required coursework and 7 hours of electives for a minimum of 15 credit hours. All courses used to satisfy the minor requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” (2.0) or higher.Check out these two YouTube videos made by former Scientific Diving students! Rebekah Dell's Video Daisy-Jane Buck's Video Other Information about Degree or Program Required Courses (8 hours) MARS 4400/6400, Introduction to Marine Policy (3 hours) MARS 4740L/6740L, Scientific Diving I (2 hours) MARS 4750/6750, Scientific Diving II (3 hours) Elective Courses (7 hours) Students can fulfill all 7 credit hours of electives with MARS prefix courses OR 4 hours from the MARS prefix and 3 hours from other departments. All courses must be upper-division (at the 3000-level or above).No more than 3 credit hours may be taken from the following MARS courses: MARS 3900, Introduction to Experimental Marine Sciences (1-3 hours) MARS 4600, Field Experiences in Coastal Georgia (1 hour) MARS 4850, Advanced Topics in Ocean Science (1-3 hours) MARS 4960R, Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Research I (1-3 hours) MARS 4970R, Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Research II (1-3 hours) MARS 4980R Faculty-Mentored Undergraduate Research III (1-3 hours) MARS 4990R, Undergraduate Research Thesis (or Final Project) (1-3 hours) A maximum of 3 credit hours may be taken from the following courses: ANTH 3150, Water Worlds (3 hours) ANTH 4005/6005, Ancient Ships and Seafaring (3 hours) ANTH 4095/6095, Underwater Archaeology (3 hours) ECOL 3220, Biology and Conservation of Marine Mammals (3 hours) ECOL 4280/6280, Coral Reef Ecology (3 hours) GEOG 4350/6350-4350L/6350L, Remote Sensing of Environment (3 hours) GEOG 4370/6370-4370L/6370L, Geographic Information Science (3 hours) GEOL 4090/6090, Marine Geology (3 hours) GEOL 4510/6510, Marine Micropaleontology (3 hours) GEOL 4530/6530-4530L/6530L, Principles and Environmental Applications of GIS (3 hours) Other courses outside this list must be approved by the Department. Total = 15 hours A Note for Non-Science Majors: This minor isn’t just for science majors—you can dive in too! Students are encouraged to take the suggested courses, including at least one lab, to prepare for upper-level MARS courses. Don’t worry—several upper-level MARS courses don’t have science prerequisites, so there are plenty of options for everyone. MARS 1010, The Marine Environment (3 hours) AND MARS 1010L, Introduction to Marine Science Lab (1 hour) MARS 1020, Biology of the Marine Environment (3 hours) AND MARS 1020L, Introduction to Marine Biology Lab (1 hour)
