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.
Aquarium Science Program
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 | ||