Department of Natural Science

The Department of Natural Sciences is located primarily at the Hawaii Loa Campus in Kaneohe with an additional presence at the Oceanic Institute in Waimanalo. We are home to undergraduate majors spanning the fields of Biology, Marine Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Studies, Biochemistry, Chemistry, and Oceanography. In addition to our excellent and diverse undergraduate programs, we offer an outstanding graduate program, the Master of Science in Marine Science (MSMS), which arms students with a solid understanding of marine science and related disciplines as well as the skills to prepare them for an array of careers.

The MSMS program now has both a classic research (thesis) track – for which students are matched with a faculty mentor to engage in an intensive project – and a non-thesis (applied) track emphasizing technical skills and participation in a professional practicum. Through either track, our students are prepared to answer the call for solutions to pertinent marine science issues of global importance through in-depth, hands-on experiences. The MSMS degree is built on the foundation of our rigorous undergraduate marine science curriculum, our strong extramurally-funded research programs, and our affiliations with the Oceanic Institute and the wider local community.