The program is provided through the Department of Biology. The curriculum includes a series of seven core courses fundamental to all areas of biology. Elective courses emphasize theoretical and practical aspects of aquatic/marine biology. Wetlands and estuarine marshes of the main campus, as well as the nearby Santa Rosa Island campus and the Gulf of Mexico, provide living specimens for study and serve as laboratories supporting elective courses. Graduates may seek careers in marine biology, fisheries management, aquaculture, pollution biology, and marine toxicology, and find employment in local, state, and federal departments of environmental regulation and education, as well as the private sector. Graduates are also well prepared to pursue advanced degrees. Prospective students need to be aware that some biology lab courses involve the use of live animals; students may wish to seek details from course instructors before enrolling.