Program Admissions

Admissions Information for Current Western Students

We are excited that you are considering Western Washington University’s new major in Marine and Coastal Science (MACS). This page is designed for prospective students to learn more about the application process, and for eligible students to submit their application. Once a year, the program admits a cohort of approximately 30 students.

Students will typically apply to the major during the year that they plan to complete all preparatory courses. For non-running start or transfer students, this is usually sophomore year. However, every students schedule varies and we welcome both transfer and running start students into our program.

Upon acceptance into the program, students begin major courses in the spring with MACS 210 (Introduction to Marine and Coastal Science Research).  They then move on to the major core classes, starting with MACS 301, in the fall.

General Student Timeline

The sample student schedule below is for a Marine and Coastal Science major who starts at Western, places into Math 118, and chooses the Biology track. Every student's course schedule will look different. Visit our student resources page for additional samples student schedules or schedule a meeting with the program advisor to discuss your individual path and a more relevant timeline. The program has flexibility for transfer and running start students who come to Western with a significant number of credits.