Waiting for your discoveries
More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by seawater – this marine environment plays a crucial role in supporting life on our planet. It is diverse, complex and a valued natural resource.
More than 70% of the Earth’s surface is covered by seawater – this marine environment plays a crucial role in supporting life on our planet. It is diverse, complex and a valued natural resource.
Imagine monitoring whale movements, the impacts of human activities on marine ecosystems or providing consultancy on sustainable practices for construction near waterways. As a marine biologist your unique skills and knowledge will be in huge demand and lead to a range of jobs working independently, or for agencies like regional councils, government departments (e.g. DOC, MPI) or crown research agencies (e.g. NIWA, ESR, GNS).
Learn about majestic creatures of the underwater world, gain skills for understanding changes in the abundance and distribution of populations, or the processes governing the stability and resilience of our marine ecosystems.
Massey’s marine biology programme will introduce you to the biological principles and processes that are basic to all forms of life in the sea. You will learn about the ecology of marine organisms; how they interact with one another, with their environment, and the land. You will gain a solid grounding in marine biology history and theory. Studying at Massey will also give you practical skills in field biology and data analysis, and support you in formulating and answering complex questions about the marine environment.
Marine biology opens the door to an exciting and dynamic career. Jobs include working in:
A 2017 Ministry of Education publication The post-study earnings and destinations of young domestic graduates showed that those who complete a qualification in a science, agriculture, technology, computer science, engineering or mathematics field of study have high relative earnings after they complete their study compared to the national median. Earnings can be substantially more than other graduates.
New Zealand is a great place to study. Massey University’s reputation is supported by our international rankings, accreditations and associations. We are rated five star plus by the QS World University Rankings.
Massey University has small class sizes, and our lecturers and staff are friendly and approachable.
As an international student, there are entry requirements that will apply to you. We recommend that you apply at least three months before your anticipated start date so your application can be processed in time. There are additional steps you will need to take. These include obtaining a visa and travel bookings if your study is to be in New Zealand.
All students must meet university entrance requirements to be admitted to the University.
There are no specific entry requirements for this programme, outside of university admission regulations. However there is some expected background knowledge.
Knowledge gained in the following NCEA subjects (or the equivalent in Cambridge International Examinations, International Baccalaureate, or similar) will give you the expected background knowledge to take this major.
To study this programme you must meet Massey University's English language standards.
To be successful in your studies we recommend that you also have the following NCEA subjects (or equivalent). These will help your study in this major but are not essential.
Knowledge gained in the following NCEA subjects (or equivalent) will help you study in this major but is not essential.
If it’s some time since you have studied mathematics at school you can find out if you have the required background by taking this maths quiz.
For information on prior learning, exemptions and transfer of credit or other questions:
The following pathways will get you prepared to study this major. If you have not studied NCEA Level 3 Biology (or equivalent) take the following course first:
This course is available in the summer semester and will count towards credits in your degree.
If you are unsure whether you have the right background/subjects to study this programme, our tool will help you to figure out what you might need to do before starting your qualification.
If you need help with your English language skills before you start university, we have courses and programmes that may help.
If you need to do a course before you start your programme, there may be options for you in Summer School.
From the Schedule to the Degree including:
Core courses
Major courses
Elective courses from the Schedule
Elective courses
Ensure that overall, you also have:
Attend block courses, contact workshops, field trips, studios, workshops, tutorials and laboratories as required.
See ‘Courses for this programme’ below for schedules of courses.
If you started the BSc programme before 2020 you may be completing the programme under the previous regulations, which are listed in Schedule C in the Regulations for this programme.
If you study full-time, in your first year, you’ll take eight 15-credit courses, making a total of 120 credits.
If you wish to study over two semesters, you should aim for 60 credits per semester. You may be able to take some courses at summer school. Make sure you include courses that are prerequisites for the next level of courses you wish to study.
The first year structure is designed to provide you with a broad knowledge and skill set which will equip you to go on to more advanced courses in the second and third years.
Marine Biology has similar first year core courses to several other majors available in the Bachelor of Science, allowing students to change their major before their second year. Note that changing your major may incur an increase in completion time.
Not necessarily in this order:
247.113 Science and Sustainability for Science
161.111 Applied Statistics or 161.122 Statistics
124.103 Biophysical Principles or 160.101 Calculus or 160.102 Algebra or 160.104 Introductory Mathematics for Science or 160.105 Methods of Mathematics
123.103 Chemistry for Modern Sciences or 123.104 Chemistry for Biological Systems
162.101 Cell Biology
196.101 Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour
199.103 Animals and the Environment
Plus choose one 100 level elective course. This can be from a subject area other than Science.
Students must pass at least 90 credits from the BSc Schedule A, including any compulsory courses, in their first 120 credits of study towards the Bachelor of Science.
Take all four:
196.217 Evolutionary Biology
161.250 Biological Data Analysis
196.225 Marine Biology
196.226 Field Marine Ecology
Take all four:
196.329 Marine Ecology
196.328 Marine Environments in the Anthropocene
196.327 Marine Mammalogy
196.318 Molecular Ecology
You can change to any BSc major at the end of your first year. Moving from the first year of marine biology to one of the majors below is particularly simple, as the required first year courses are similar. By choosing your courses and electives carefully to cover both majors you could easily swap over at the end of first year. Changing your major may incur an increase in completion time.
Completing a minor is optional. Minors increase the breadth of your degree. They give you extra knowledge, attributes and capabilities.
A minor must be in a different subject from your major.
You may choose a minor from any University undergraduate degree that has recognised minors. If the minor is from another undergraduate degree, the regulations of that programme will apply.
Some BSc minors that are particularly compatible with marine biology include those shown below. Timetabling will prioritise these combinations to minimise clashes.
If you are not studying a Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology) and wish to complete a Marine Biology minor see the BSc regulations for requirements.
Your tuition fees may be different depending on the courses you choose. Your exact fees will show once you have chosen your courses.
There will also be some compulsory non-tuition fees and for some courses, there may also be charges for things such as study resources, software, trips and contact workshops.
If you already know which courses you are going to take, you can use our fees calculator to get an estimate of your fees.
You may be eligible for a student loan to help towards paying your fees.
The New Zealand Government offers fees-free tertiary study for eligible domestic students. Find out more about the scheme and your eligibility on the Fees Free website. To use the site's eligibility checking tool, you will need your National Student Number.
Current and returning Massey students will find their National Student Number on their student homepage.
“
Returning from fishing near Whangarei one day, I spotted a large pod of dolphins and a mother-calf pair of whales. It was then I knew I wanted to dedicate my life to working with whales and dolphins.
” Blair Outhwaite
Compare qualifications and academic information across different New Zealand institutions.
Review this important information before you apply for this programme. This gives you full details of the rules and regulations about what you need to study and what you must achieve in order to graduate with this qualification. That includes structure, courses and requirements. These regulations should be read in conjunction with all other Statutes and Regulations of the University including the below.
If you are ready to apply, have a look at our application checklist. It will help you get prepared with what you need. Please also check the entry requirements carefully before you apply.
You will apply for the programme using the Apply now button on this page. You’ll also choose your specialisation (major, subject or endorsement) if applicable.
Some programmes have additional requirements such as the submission of a portfolio or CV. Click on Apply now and you will be able to submit those documents as part of the application process.
You will receive an Admission Offer of Place when you have been accepted into the programme. You need to accept this before you can enrol in your courses. International students also need to pay their fees at this point.
You’ll then get access to your own student homepage (also known as the student portal). This is where you can enrol in courses. Any updates on your application or enrolments will also be on your student homepage. Make sure you check this regularly.
When you choose courses, ensure you check for any requirements that apply including:
Each of our courses has its own webpage where you can find this information. You can use our course search to find course pages.
More information on courses is in the ‘Courses for this programme’ section on this page.
You can find information on application due dates and semester dates on the key dates page.
We look forward to welcoming you to Massey!
If you have any questions, contact us through the Enquire button on this page.
Each Massey programme is made up of courses (in some tertiary institutions they are called ‘papers’).
You will have some compulsory courses and some you can choose from.
Each course is worth a certain amount of credits (often 15 credits, but this does vary). You must gain a set number of credits to be able to graduate from this programme.
There may also be some rules about which courses you need to pass to progress to the next year, or stage, of your study (known as progression). There are also courses you must pass to graduate with a specialisation.
The first three digits of our course numbers show you which subject the course is about.
The second three digits show you the level and course ID number. For instance:
| 1 | 6 | 2 | . | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| Subject area | Level | Course ID number | |||||
Electives are courses that are not compulsory. Certain guidelines are usually provided on courses you may take. Elective courses contribute to the programme, but not to your major or specialisation.
Use this tool to help determine how much time you will need each week to complete your studies.
If you started the BSc programme before 2020 you may be completing the programme under the previous regulations, which are listed in Schedule C in the Regulations for this programme.
In some cases the programme or specialisation you enrolled in may no longer be taking new enrolments, so may not appear on these web pages. To find information on the regulations for these programmes go to the Massey University Calendar.
Please contact us through the Enquire button on this page if you have any questions.
There are a number of scholarships available for new and current students. They could relate to your situation, achievement or interest.