Aquarium Science Certificate Curriculum Map

Students with a bachelor’s degree in a Life Sciences discipline (Biology, Zoology, Marine Biology, etc.) who are interested in training for a job working with fish, invertebrates and other aquatic animals can earn an Aquarium Science Certificate and gain employment caring for aquatic animals in less than a year. The path to an AQS Certificate is academically rigorous but easily attainable by motivated students interested in a focused and intensive aquarium science curriculum. The curriculum map is designed in a logical progression, where courses for each term provide AQS students a foundational understanding for success in the courses and terms that follow.

 

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Curriculum Map
One-year Certificate of Completion

Term 1 (Fall)

Course Name Course # Course Credit Total Credits
Introduction to Aquarium Science AQS 100 3

 13

Biology of Captive Fishes AQS 215 4
Life Support System Design and Operation AQS 240 4
Animal Husbandry in a Research Capacity AQS 245 2

Term 2 (Winter)

Course Name Course # Course Credit Total Credits
Aquarium Science Practicum 1 AQS 110 2

  16

Biology of Diverse Captive Species AQS 226 2
Reproduction & Nutrition of Aquatic Animals AQS 232 4
Water Chemistry in Aquatic Systems AQS 173 4
Fish & Invertebrate Health Management AQS 270 4

Term 3 (Spring)

Course Name Course # Course Credit Total Credits
Aquarium Science Practicum 2 AQS 111 2

12

Current Issues in Aquarium Science AQS 165 1
Exhibits and Interpretation AQS 252 3
Elasmobranch Husbandry AQS 216 2
Biology of Captive Invertebrates AQS 220 4

Term 4 (Summer)

Course name Course # Course Credit Total Credits
Aquarium Science Internship AQS 295                      12 12
                                                                                                         Degree Total                   53