Program Admissions

Admissions Information 

We are excited that you are considering Western Washington University's Marine and Coastal Science (MACS) major, whether you're currently a Western student or planning to transfer in. 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, made up of both current Western students and incoming transfer students.

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

Transfer students who plan to transfer to Western in the fall, and who have completed or are on track to complete all preparatory courses at their current institution, apply to the major in winter, at the same time they apply for admission to Western Washington University (before March 1st).

Upon acceptance into the program, students begin the major in the fall with MACS 210 (Introduction to Marine and Coastal Science Research) and MACS 302 (Marine Chemical Processes), the first course in our core series. Current Western students are first introduced to the MACS program through a seminar series in the spring before starting MACS 210 and MACS 302 in the fall. Students complete the rest of the MACS core series during their first year in the program before moving on to elective classes and their capstone experience in their second year in MACS (generally their last year at Western).

General Student Timeline

Use the MACS Degree Planner to help prepare to apply to the MACS major. Every student's course schedule will look different. Feel free to schedule a meeting with the MACS academic 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. 

Admissions Requirements

To be eligible for the MACS major, prospective students must have completed, or be on track to complete, all the major preparatory courses (listed below) with a grade of C- or better. Priority is given to those students who have completed at least 4 of the preparatory courses by the application deadline (January 15th every year). Students must be on track to complete all preparatory courses by the end of Summer Quarter of the year they apply to MACS.

BIOL 204 – Introduction to Evolution, Ecology, and Biodiversity

CHEM 161 – General Chemistry I     

CHEM 162 – General Chemistry II    

CHEM 163 – General Chemistry III 

GEOL 211 – Physical Geology

MATH 124 – Calculus and Analytic Geometry I          

MATH 125 – Calculus and Analytic Geometry II  

PHYS 161 – Physics with Calculus I

*While not required to start the MACS major, students are encouraged to complete either BIOL 205 & 206 or PHYS 162 & 163 prior to starting the MACS core courses.

Deadlines for completing preparatory courses differ by student type:
•    Current Western students: Priority is given to those who have completed at least 4 of the preparatory courses by the application deadline (January 15th every year). All preparatory courses must be completed by the end of Summer Quarter of the year the student applies to MACS.
•    Transfer students: All preparatory courses (or their equivalents) must be completed before the Fall quarter the student plans to start at Western.

For transfer students: To determine which classes you need to take at your current institution to meet the preparatory course requirements above, use Western Washington University's Transfer Course Equivalency Guide. This guide includes course equivalency information for community colleges and public baccalaureate institutions in Washington State, excluding The Evergreen State College. It's also useful for planning purposes and can help you develop an educational plan and timeline specific to your current progress. If you're at an academic institution outside of Washington State, please email macsadvising@wwu.edu — we're happy to help you figure out what courses you need to take to fulfill our preparatory course requirements.
 

Grades

Students often ask what kinds of grades they need in prerequisite classes in order to get into the major. We will consider any grade above a C-, but students who are admitted to the major tend to have higher grades than this. Below are two graphs illustrating typical grades for admitted vs. non-admitted students.

Essay Questions

Western’s Marine and Coastal Science program uses a holistic admissions process to review student applications. The admissions committee is looking for students with strong motivation to pursue marine science, real-world problem-solving skills, and the ability to work effectively in diverse teams in addition to academic ability.  Students can demonstrate these qualities through describing their activities inside and outside of school, which could include participation in clubs, community and volunteer activities, or other personal experiences.

Below are the current-cycle essay questions. Each answer should be no more than 300 words. Clear, focused, and detailed answers that directly answer each question are valued (see rubric):

1. MACS is an interdisciplinary program that combines ideas from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Ecology and Math in field, lab and classroom settings. Describe two goals you want to accomplish. How will MACS's interdisciplinary curriculum help you achieve them? Be specific and consider how an interdisciplinary degree in marine science will help you achieve your long-term goals.
2. Obtaining a science degree takes commitment. Describe what you have learned from a previous challenge that will help you to succeed in the MACS program.
3. The MACS program is cohort-based. We value collaborating to solve complex problems. Explain your thoughts on the role of diverse perspectives in science and describe an experience (either academic or non-academic) that has prepared you to work effectively on teams with diverse backgrounds and experiences.
4. Is there anything else that you would like our selection committee to know about you that may provide valuable context to your application or academic history?

Application

The 2026 application is now closed. Application for the MACS program will open again in December 2026.

Important notes: Application deadlines are final. All required materials must be uploaded by the deadline. Applications will not be accepted after the deadline and incomplete applications will not be considered. Finally, please note that the introductory MACS course, MACS 210, has a $350 course fee. The MACS program does offer some scholarships every year to help offset some of these costs.

Questions?

If you have any questions about the program, admissions process or need application assistance, please email macsadvising@wwu.edu.

Schedule a meeting with a MACS advisor today!