The program is based at the Wrigley Marine Science Center (WMSC), situated on Santa Catalina Island, 26 miles from Los Angeles, CA. This location provides access to beautiful, pristine marine habitats, diverse marine life and breathtaking island views.
WMSC is owned and operated by the University of Southern California (USC), and the program is being offered through the California State University campus at Long Beach (CSULB), affiliated with the Ocean Studies Institute (OSI) and the Southern California Marine Institute (SCMI).
Students will spend 15 weeks on Santa Catalina Island and will be based in the newly-renovated dormitory and laboratory facilities.
Residency at this marine laboratory provides ready access to an invigorating educational environment that provides both state-of-the-art laboratory facilities and ready access to a diversity of marine habitats.
Throughout the semester, students are introduced to a sequence of courses such as marine invertebrate ecology, phycology, ichthyology, and marine biological processes, which prepare them to complete a directed research study in a topic of their choice.
All courses provide a strong element of hands-on field experience, which provides the comprehensive training that can help in career choices and graduate decisions.
A research diving certification course is planned for the two-week period before the semester begins, at an additional cost for qualified students who wish to dive on SCUBA during the semester. However, only snorkeling skills are required for class participation.
