Marine Biology
Interested in a career in Marine Biology? SIU offers on-campus and off-campus courses in Marine Biology as part of the BS degree in Zoology.
Students can take a 3-credit course “Introduction to Marine Biology” (Zoology 385) which includes a 5-day field trip to the Gulf of Mexico over Spring Break. The course covers principles of marine biology, including marine ecosystems, marine habitat and biology of marine organisms. In addition to the field trip, the course is lecture and lab including behavioral experiments involving live marine organisms.
Through a partnership with the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory (GCRL) at the University of Southern Mississippi, SIU students can take intensive 3-6 credit hour summer field courses at GCRL with credits transferring to SIU. SIU Zoology offers a scholarship for students attend GCRL courses.
Marine Biology Scholarship
This award is for up to $3,000 applied toward tuition, room and board for a credit-generating course taken at the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory the summer following the award. Students must have successfully completed Zoology 385: Introduction to Marine Biology, maintain a 3.0 GPA and be a junior or senior zoology major at SIU.
Complete the SIU General Scholarship Application through the SIU Office of Financial Aid. Send a resume or cv, unofficial transcript, and letter of interest (two pages maximum) describing your academic and career goals, including a description of how taking one or more courses at GCRL would advance those goals, to:
Ed Heist
Professor of Zoology
Associate Director, Fisheries and Aquaculture Center of Illinois
edheist@siu.edu
Submit application by March 1. Applications are judged by a committee of zoology faculty. Awards are based on academic performance in zoology courses, extracurricular activity, and the suitability of a GCRL field course for the student’s academic and professional goals. Award announcements are made April 1. Awards are paid directly to GCRL to offset expenses for enrollment in a summer course.