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Planning your MCS Major

Your path to an MCS Major

The Marine and Coastal Science major begins with introductory courses in mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology, and earth sciences.  These are followed by core courses in Marine Science. The major requirements provide focus and breadth, so that each student gains mastery in one area and broad exposure to many facets of Marine and Coastal Science.  Focus and Breadth areas include: Coastal Environmental Processes, Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology, Marine Environmental Chemistry, or Oceans and the Earth System. Students also graduate with hands-on fieldwork and research or internship experience. 

Major courses by quarter

OASIS Academic Planning  

MyDegree

Bodega Marine Lab Summer classes

Bodega Marine Lab Fall classes

MCS major four-year roadmap

The following are sample academic plans and goals for four-year MCS majors. This information is provided for your convenience, but should be adjusted to each student's specific needs. These plans are not meant to replace a consultation with a major advisor, who can help you create a personalized academic plan. Classes are subject to change.

Freshman Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

Entry-Level Writing (if needed) (0-6)CHE 002A (5)CHE 002B (5)
Preparatory Chemistry or CHE 002A (5)MAT 017A or 019A or 021A (3-4)MAT 017B or 019B or 021B (3-4)
Preparatory Math or MAT 017A or 019A or 021A (3-4)Lower Division College English (4)BIO 001+001L or BIS 002B (5)
First-year seminar (optional) (1-2)General Education (3+) 
Total: 12-15 unitsTotal: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ units
  • Freshman Year Goals

  • Welcome to college! This year is all about getting used to campus and all the support you have available. There are a lot of resources, so be sure to find what works for you. Dedicate some time to yourself to think about what you value and what you want to accomplish during your time at UC Davis. Here are some things to think about exploring during your first year:

    Academic Goals
    • Take 1-3 preparatory science classes each quarter, and fill in your schedule with General Education classes
    • Take fun classes to explore your major (GEL 16: The Oceans or EVE 12: Life in the Sea)
    • Enroll in a Freshman Seminar
    • Attend office hours
    • Attend study skills and time management workshops
    • Figure out the right workload for you so you can create successful schedules
    • Complete your first-year mandatory advising requirement with the College of Letters & Science or College of Biological Sciences
    Career Goals
    • Visit the Career Center to learn about career preparation workshops, Handshake, and career counseling services
    • Participate in a Career Discover Group (CDG - available to those in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences only)
    Extracurricular Goals

Sophomore Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

CHE 002C (5)BIO 003 or BIS 002A (5)CHE 008A* (2)
BIO 002+002L or BIS 002C (5) STA 100 (4)Depth Course (4-5)
MAT 017C or 019C or 021C (3-4)GEL 016 (3)EVE 012 (optional) (3)
General Education (3+) (suggestion: ESP 1)General Education (3+)General Education (3+)
Total: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ units
  • Sophomore Year Goals

  • It takes everyone a different amount of time to get used to how college works, but once you feel like you’ve learned some of the resources and support systems that exist, it’s time to start pursuing some of those and getting more involved. Consider some of these things this year:

    Academic Goals
    • Finish biology, chemistry, and math, and start organic chemistry (if applicable) and physics. Continuing with General Education classes.
    • Complete your second-year mandatory advising requirement with your major advisor (College of Letters & Sciences)
    • See My Degree for a GE check
    • See your major advisor to create a four-year academic plan
    • Explore what undergraduate research is like by talking to your advisors, professors, and the Undergraduate Research Center (URC)
    • Learn about gaining a global education through the Global Learning Hub and their Study Abroad programs, the UC Davis Washington Program, or UC Center Sacramento
    Career Goals
    • Take ANS 198 Professional Development in Marine Sciences (Fall)
    • Attend Career Center workshops on how to write a resume, how to interview, and how to find internships and jobs
    • Create a resume
    • Visit your major advisor or faculty advisors to find out more about getting an internship
    • Talk to your major advisor and faculty advisors about graduate school
    • Are you interested in teaching? Consider taking a CalTeach/Math and Science Teaching (CalTeach/MAST) course
    • Visit Health Professions Advising (HPA)
    Extracurricular Goals
    • Continue your involvement on campus by participating in clubs and student organizations
    • Find a summer experience that will help you explore your interests and begin to gain transferable skills

Junior Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer (or Fall) at BML

CHE 008B* (4)GEL/ESP 116N** (3)BIS 105* (3)
Field Requirement (0)
PHY 007A or 009A (4-5)BIS 101* (4)PHY 007C or 009C (4-5)
Focus Course (4)
Depth Course (4-5)PHY 007B or 009B (4-5)GEL/ESP 150B** (3)GEL/ESP 150C** (3)
ANS 198: Professional Development in Marine Science (2)General Education (3+)General Education (3+)Breadth Course (3-4)
Total: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ unitsTotal: 10 units
  • Junior Year Goals

  • By your third year, you’ll want to work on creating your unique path at UC Davis. This is the time to get more involved in the opportunities you think will best support your long-term goals. Use these academic and co-curricular experiences to clarify some of your values, and help shape the person you want to be when you graduate:

    Academic Goals
    • Transition into taking Upper Division coursework for your major.
    • Pick your depth, focus, and breadth classes – some are only offered one every year or two, and choosing them early means you won’t miss out on your favorites
    • Get to know your professors
    • Think about if a minor is right for you. See the advisor for that minor to fit it into your academic plan.
    • Approach faculty members about research opportunities
    • Complete classes at the Bodega Marine Lab in Summer or Fall
    • Learn what a Senior Thesis is like. If you want to pursue one, set that up with a faculty member this year.
    Career Goals
    • Meet with a career advisor to explore your interests and skills
    • Update your resume with each new experience
    • Create a LinkedIn account and use it to network
    • Complete an internship
    • Research graduate or professional schools and prepare to apply, with help from your advisors, professors, and Pre-Graduate Advising
    Extracurricular Goals
    • Take on a leadership role in a class, project, or club
    • Volunteer for campus or community service
    • Work at a part-time job to build transferable skills and a professional network

Senior Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

BIS 104* (3)Focus Course (3-4)GEL/ESP 150A** (4)
Focus Course (3-4)Focus Course (3-4)Breadth Course (3-4)
Research/Internship (3)Breadth Course (3-4)General Education (3+)
UWP 101 or 102 or 104 or UDCE (4)EVE/ESP 111 (1)General Education (3+)
Total: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ units

Total graduation units: 180 (54-64 upper division)

  • Senior Year Goals

  • All the opportunities you’ve created for yourself over the past few years have shaped you into the person you are today. Continue to develop skills, recognize your strengths, and set long-term goals for yourself with some of these resources during your senior year:

    Academic Goals
    • Take discipline-specific courses, or classes to help you get into grad school. Also consider practical courses outside of your major like writing, communication, computer programming, personal finance, etc
    • Complete your fourth-year mandatory advising requirement with your major advisor (College of Letters & Sciences)
    • Check My Degree and plan for any remaining degree requirements with your academic advisors
    • Complete a senior thesis
    • Consider presenting your research at the Undergraduate Research Conference in Spring
    • Register for Graduation and Commencement
    Career Goals
    • Attend a Career Fair
    • Attend academic conferences
    • Apply to jobs for after graduation
    • Research and apply to graduate or professional schools
    Extracurricular Goals
    • Prepare for the transition from your undergraduate career to graduate school or the professional world

Updated April 2025

*Only required for the focus in Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology
**Choose two from GEL/ESP 116N, 150A, 150B, and 150C

MCS major two-year roadmap

The following is a sample academic plan for 2-year transfer MCS majors. It assumes that you’ve completed the preparatory coursework. This information is provided for your convenience, but should be adjusted to each student's specific needs. These plans are not meant to replace a consultation with a major advisor, who can help you create a personalized academic plan. Classes are subject to change.

Junior Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

Summer (or Fall) at BML

GEL 001 or 002 or 016 or 050 (3-4)GEL/ESP 116N** (3)BIS 105* (3)Field Requirement
STA 100 (4)BIS 101* (4)GEL/ESP 150B** (3)Focus Course (4)
Depth Course (4-5)Focus Course (3-4)Breadth Course (3-4)GEL/ESP 150C** (3)
ANS 198: Professional Development in Marine Science (2)Total: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ unitsBreadth Course (3-4)
Total: 12-15 units  Total: 10 units
  • Junior Year Goals

  • Welcome to UC Davis as a transfer student! Your path through the major involves jumping right in and taking advantage of opportunities right away. Here are some sample goals for transitioning effectively to UC Davis and then getting even more involved throughout the year:

    Academic Goals
    • Finish any remaining preparatory (lower division) science coursework
    • Visit your college advisor in Winter quarter to check in on your IGETC or General Education
    • Transition into taking Upper Division coursework for your major. Pick your depth, focus, and breadth classes – some are only offered one every year or two, and choosing them early means you won’t miss out on your favorites. See your major advisor to create a four-year academic plan
    • Complete your first-year mandatory advising requirement with the College of Biological Sciences or College of Letters & Sciences
    • Attend office hours and get to know your professors
    • Attend study skills and time management workshops
    • Complete classes at the Bodega Marine Lab in Summer or Fall
    • Explore what undergraduate research is like by talking to your advisors, professors, and the Undergraduate Research Center (URC). Approach faculty members about research opportunities
    • Learn what a Senior Thesis is like. If you want to pursue one, set that up with a faculty member this year.
    • Learn about gaining a global education through the Global Learning Hub and their Study Abroad programs, the UC Davis Washington Program, or UC Center Sacramento.
    Career Goals
    • Take ANS 198 Professional Development in Marine Sciences (Fall)
    • Participate in a Career Discover Group (CDG - available to those in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences only)
    • Participate in the College of Biological Sciences cohort program
    • Visit the Career Center to learn about career preparation workshops, Handshake, and career advising
    • Create a resume
    • Visit your major advisor or faculty advisors to find out more about getting an internship
    • Create a LinkedIn account and use it to network
    • Research graduate or professional schools and prepare to apply, with help from your advisors, professors, and Pre-Graduate Advising
    • Are you interested in teaching? Consider taking a CalTeach/Math and Science Teaching (CalTeach/MAST) course
    • Visit Health Professions Advising (HPA)
    Extracurricular Goals

Senior Year

Fall

Winter

Spring

BIS 104* (3)Focus Course (3-4)GEL/ESP 150A** (4)
Depth Course (4-5)Focus Course (3-4)Breadth Course (3-4)
Research/Internship (3)UWP 101/102/104/UDCE (0-4)EVE/ESP 111 (1)
Total: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ unitsTotal: 12+ units

Total graduation units: 180 (54-64 upper division)

  • Senior Year Goals

  • All the opportunities you’ve created for yourself over the past few years have shaped you into the person you are today. Continue to develop skills, recognize your strengths, and set long-term goals for yourself with some of these resources during your senior year:

    Academic Goals
    • Take discipline-specific courses, or classes to help you get into grad school. Also consider practical courses outside of your major like writing, communication, computer programming, personal finance, etc
    • Complete your fourth-year mandatory advising requirement with your major advisor (College of Letters & Sciences)
    • Check My Degree and plan for any remaining degree requirements with your academic advisors
    • Think about if a minor is right for you. See the advisor for that minor to fit it into your academic plan.
    • Complete a senior thesis
    • Consider presenting your research at the Undergraduate Research Conference in Spring
    • Register for Graduation and Commencement
    Career Goals
    • Attend Career Center workshops on how to write a resume, how to interview, and how to find internships and jobs
    • Update your resume with each new experience
    • Complete an internship
    • Attend a Career Fair
    • Attend academic conferences
    • Apply to jobs for after graduation
    • Research and apply to graduate or professional schools
    Extracurricular Goals
    • Take on a leadership role in a class, project, or club
    • Volunteer for campus or community service
    • Work at a part-time job to build transferable skills and a professional network
    • Prepare for the transition from your undergraduate career to graduate school or the professional world

Updated September 2025

*Only required for the focus in Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology
**Choose two from GEL/ESP 116N, 150A, 150B, and 150C

Changes to the MCS Major effective Fall 2026

Current students in the 2025-2026 year may choose between the old MCS Major requirements and the new MCS Major requirements. The old requirements will be listed in the catalog and below until April 2026, and allowed for all students who are enrolled as of 2025-2026 and earlier; they are required for anyone graduating through Summer 2026. The new requirements, summarized below, will be visible starting in May 2026 and will be allowed for students who are enrolled as of 2025-2026 and earlier, and required for new students entering Fall 2026 and later. Every student must follow the old or the new requirements in their entirety; mixing and matching is not allowed.

  • BIO 001-001L-002-002L-003 is now allowed instead of the BIS 002A-002B-002C series.
  • The focus and breath areas in Marine Environmental Chemistry have been removed, and some of those classes now are included in the Coastal Environmental Processes focus/breadth areas in order to expand those class offerings.
    • New Coastal Environmental Processes focus area: ATM 121A, ATM 121B, ATM 158, CHE 100, ESP 152, ESP 155/WFC 135, ETX 101, ETX 102A, ETX 120, ETX/NUT 127, GEL/EPS 140, GEL 156/HYD 146, GEL 182/EPS 176, HYD 134, HYD 141, HYD 143, HYD/EBS 144, WFC 153, WFC 157
    • New Coastal Environmental Processes breadth area: ATM 158, CHE 100, ESP 152, ESP 155/WFC 135, ETX 120, ETX/NUT 127, GEL 182/EPS 176, HYD 134, HYD 141, WFC 157
  • With only 3 focus areas, and therefore 3 breadth areas, all students now take their same 4 focus classes but only 2 breadth classes (totaling at least 6 units).
  • The research/internship requirement was clarified to define what counts, rather than just listing a limited set of classes. The new phrasing is: “A research or internship project under any department’s 192/199 course as long as it’s marine-related, educational, and upper division.”

Other blanket exceptions include:

  • The Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology Focus area now includes EVE 113 and WFC 135
  • The Marine Ecology and Organismal Biology Breadth area now includes EVE 113 and WFC 135
  • Field courses (alternative to going to BML) now includes GEL 182/EPS 176

Please work with your advisor to get these substitutions and exceptions entered into your degree audit manually.

Marine and Coastal Science Major Requirements

Additional Coursework to Consider

  • General Education courses to consider
  • GE Chart for MCS majors

    ABT/LDA 150—Introduction to Geographic Information Systems (4 units) GE credit: SE, VL
    ANS 018—Introductory Aquaculture (4 units) GE credit:  SE, OL, QL, SL, VL, WE
    ANS 118—Fish Production (4 units) GE credit: SE. Prerequisite: WFC 120
    ANS 119—Invertebrate Aquaculture (4 units) GE credit: SE
    ANS 136–Techniques & Practices of Fish Culture (3 units)
    ANT 131–Ecology & Politics (4 units) GE credit: SS
    ANT 133–Anthropology of Ocean Worlds (4 units) GE credit: SS, WC, WE
    BIS 020Q—Modeling in Biology (2 units)
    CRD 149 — Community Development Perspectives on Environmental Justice (4 units) - includes a global learning focus!
    ESM/SAS 008–Water Quality at Risk (3 units) GE credit: SE, SL, SS, WE
    ESP 174—Environmental Justice Policy & Practice (4 units) GE credit: SS, DD, WE
    HIS/STS 002—Introduction to the History of Science & Technology (4 units) GE credit: AH, SS, SL, WC, WE
    HIS 108—Global Environmental History (4 units) GE credit: AH, SS
    HIS 157—Business, Biomes & Knowledge: Latin American Environmental History (4 units) GE credit: SS, WC, WE
    HIS 172–American Environmental History (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, AH, SS, WE
    HIS 178—Water in the West: Environment & Politics in America's Arid Lands (4 units) GE credit: AH, ACGH, WE
    HYD 150—Water Law (3 units) GE credit: ACGH, SS.
    NAS 161—California Indian Environmental Policy I (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, DD, SS, WE. No prerequisites. Offered Spring of odd-numbered years.
    NAS 162—California Indian Environmental Policy II (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, DD, SS, WE. No prerequisites.
    PHI 030—Introduction to Philosophy of Science (4 units) GE credit: AH, SE, SL, WE
    PLS 021—Application of Computers in Technology (3 units). Teaches Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and other useful technologies.
    POL 12B–Climate Change and Politics (4 units) GE credit: SS, WE
    SAS 004Y–Water in Popular Culture (3 units) GE credit: SE, SS, ACGH, SL, WC
    SAS 010—Water, Power, Society (3 units)
    SAS 145—Digital Communications in Agricultural, Environmental and Human Sciences. Make video presentations about areas of science most interesting to you. 
    STS 001—Introduction to Science, Technology & Medicine Studies (4 units) GE credit: SS, WE. Learn how society and science affect each other.
    STS 011—Science on Trial: Law, Science, & Technology in the United States (4 units) GE credit: ACGH, SS. An introduction to law and science in America.
    STS 101—Data & Society (4 units) GE credit: QL, SS. Learn to analyze and visualize data about some of today's most challenging social problems. Add data analysis to your portfolio of skills.
    STS 115—Adventures in Data Science (4 units) GE credit: OL. Learn data science, including R. Consider taking it's next class, STS 195 where you work on real data science projects, and then even get involved in an internship. 
    UWP 049 — Writing Research Papers (4 units)
    UWP 102G — Writing in the Disciplines: Environmental Writing (4 units)
    UWP 104E—Writing in the Professions: Science (4 units)
    UWP 111C—Specialized Topics in Journalism: Science Journalism (4 units)