Rising Tides

Study the cultures and marine life in Humboldt and Trinidad bays

Imagine waking up every day just minutes away from some of the most wild, pristine, and vibrant coastline in California.

See yourself venturing into the ocean to explore its depths aboard a 91-foot research vessel, or wading into rocky tidepools to study sea stars and other intriguing types of marine life. This vision can become a reality with Rising Tides—the beginning of your pathway to not just learning marine science, but to being a marine scientist.

This program is for students majoring in Marine Biology, and Oceanography.

Video: Rising Tides at Cal Poly Humboldt

At Humboldt, we learn in and from the environment around us

Connect With Campus Instantly
Join a community of first-year students who are engaged and excited about studying Marine Biology or Oceanography. Get to know the faculty, staff, and other marine professionals in the community who will help you grow personally and academically.
Connect Western Science to Indigenous Cultural and Value Systems
Studying local marine environments allows you to explore how the Wiyot Tribe and Trinidad Rancheria have interacted with these ecosystems alongside social and environmental policy in both areas.
Learn What it Means to be a Marine Scientist
Rising Tides will introduce you to the University, your major, and what it means to be a marine scientist. Learn that solving the biggest social and environmental problems require good science, critical thinking, a commitment to social justice, and effective communication.

The Specialized Experiences that Make up Rising Tides

Have the opportunity to arrive on campus four days early and participate in a Humboldt Immersion field trip to explore marine environments and cultures near Humboldt and Trinidad Bays.

Enroll in program-specific sections of major and general education courses. These courses will demonstrate the link between the participating majors as well as relate them to the place where you are choosing to live and study for the next four years.

Take a Native American Studies course that will connect western science with Indigenous cultures, values, and environmental knowledges

You have the option to live on campus with other Rising Tides students.

Guided Enrollment

As part of guided enrollment, PBLC students have the opportunity to enroll into a deliberate selection of courses based on their PBLC. Guided Enrollment alleviates the pressure of finding spaces in courses and will set students on the best path to graduation.

Fall Courses for Rising Tides
Students in Rising Tides will have the opportunity to enroll in:
- SCI 100 (Becoming a STEM Professional in the 21st Century)
- OCN 109 (General Oceanography)
- MATH (dependent on preparedness)
- NAS 104, ENGL 102, or ENGL 104 (Introduction to Native American Studies or Composition and Rhetoric)
These courses are selected in collaboration with the Rising Tides faculty team and are relevant to Rising Tides specific programming.
Spring Courses for Rising Tides
The courses students enroll in for spring semester will depend on what students enrolled in for fall semester. Students in Rising Tides will have the opportunity to enroll in:
- BOT 105 or CHEM 109 (General Botany or General Chemistry)
- NAS 104 or COMM 100 (Introduction to Native American Studies or Fundamentals of Speech)
Students will work with their advisor to fill out the rest of their spring schedule.