Naval Science Minor

The minor in naval science equips graduates with hands-on experience from all facets of the Navy and Marine Corps team. Together, alongside NROTC midshipmen, students will understand the core principles of each service, master nautical skills in navigation, weapons, and engineering, and build leadership and followership skills. The minor in naval science is open to all UNC–Chapel Hill undergraduate students.

Requirements

In addition to the program requirements listed below, students must:

  • take at least nine hours of their minor "core" requirements at UNC–Chapel Hill
  • earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.000 in the minor core requirements. Some programs may require higher standards for minor or specific courses.

For more information, please consult the degree requirements section of the catalog.

Core Requirements
The minor includes 14 hours of coursework selected from among the following courses: 14
Introduction to Naval Science
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Leadership and Management
Navigation
Navigation Laboratory
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Ships Engineering Systems
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Weapons Systems
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Evolution of Warfare
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Operations
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Leadership and Ethics
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Amphibious Warfare
History of Sea Power
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense
Total Hours14

Scholarship Requirements

Navy and Marine National Scholarship students must complete the following requirements:

Two English courses from the following options: 6
Basic Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo English Composition and Rhetoric
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Fiction H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Contemporary Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Poetry
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Writing about Literature
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Fiction Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Poetry Writing
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Creative Nonfiction
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Digital Composition
Grammar of Current English
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Milton H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Life Writing H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Professional Writing in the Arts
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Advanced Legal Communication
Investigations in Academic Writing and Writing Centers
One course in American history or national security policy from the following options:3
The Vietnam War
Terrorism and Political Violence
IDEAs in Action General Education logo American History since 1865
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The World since 1945
IDEAs in Action General Education logo United States-Latin American Relations
Guerrillas and Counterinsurgencies in Latin America
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Global History of Warfare
Europe and the World Wars, 1914-1945
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense
Air Power and Modern Warfare
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Peace and Security Studies
The Pacific War, 1937-1945: Its Causes and Legacy
The History of Intelligence Operations
War and American Society to 1903
War and American Society
The United States in World War II
American Foreign Policy: Formulation and Conduct
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Terrorism and International Peace
International Conflict Processes
National Security Decision Making
One course in world culture and regional studies from the following options:3
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Africa
Contemporary China-Africa Relations
Senegalese Society and Culture
The Peoples of Africa
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Anthropology of War and Peace
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Arab Cultures
Southeast Asia to the Early 19th Century
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Chinese History
Modern East Asia
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of the Indian Subcontinent to 1750
History of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh: South Asia since 1750
History of Muslim Societies to 1500
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of Muslim Societies since 1500
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Asia: An Introduction
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Survey of South Asian Cultural History
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Islamic Civilization
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Modern Muslim Societies
Eastern Asia
IDEAs in Action General Education logo South Asia
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Conflict over Israel/Palestine
IDEAs in Action General Education logo China in the World
Modern Japan
Japan in the 20th Century
Memory, Massacres, and Monuments in Southeast Asia
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Culture and Power in Southeast Asia
Revolution in the Modern Middle East
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Chinese Civilization
Transnational Geographies of Muslim Societies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Modern African History
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Chinese History
History of India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh: South Asia since 1750
History of Muslim Societies to 1500
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History of Muslim Societies since 1500
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Russia under the Last Tsars and Soviet Commissars
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Empires and Cultures in the Modern World
IDEAs in Action General Education logo From Kings to Communists: East-Central Europe in the Modern Era H
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Modern Middle East
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Ancient and Medieval Japanese History and Culture
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Early Modern Japanese History and Culture
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Culture of Modern, Imperial Japan, 1900-1945
IDEAs in Action General Education logo History, Memory, and Reality in Contemporary Korea
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Education and Social Changes in Contemporary Korea
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Comparative Politics H, F
IDEAs in Action General Education logo The Politics of China
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Africa and International Conflict
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introduction to Islamic Civilization
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Modern Muslim Societies
IDEAs in Action General Education logo Sociology of the Islamic World
Six hours of physics-based calculus and six hours of physics at or above MATH 231 and PHYS 11812
Total Hours24
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

Sample Plan of Study

Sample plans can be used as a guide to identify the courses required to complete the major and other requirements needed for degree completion within the expected eight semesters. The actual degree plan may differ depending on the course of study selected (second major, minor, etc.). Students should meet with their academic advisor to create a degree plan that is specific and unique to their interests. The sample plans represented in this catalog are intended for first-year students entering UNC–Chapel Hill in the fall term. Some courses may not be offered every term.

Whether you are a Navy Scholarship, Marine Corps Scholarship, College Programmer, or are pursuing a naval science minor, there is a plan for your success. Below are sample plans of study for students. All elective courses outside of the Department of Naval Science are ROTC scholarship requirements and do not count toward a naval science minor.

Navy Scholarship Plan of Study 

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
NAVS 101 Introduction to Naval Science 1
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
English elective 3
Hours 4
Spring Semester
HIST 212 History of Sea Power 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
English elective 3
Hours 6
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
NAVS 301 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Ships Engineering Systems 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
MATH 231 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Calculus of Functions of One Variable I H, F 4
American History or National Security Policy elective 3
Hours 10
Spring Semester
NAVS 201 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Leadership and Management 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
MATH 232 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Calculus of Functions of One Variable II H, F 4
World Culture and Regional Studies elective 3
Hours 10
Junior Year
Fall Semester
NAVS 202 Navigation 3
NAVS 202L Navigation Laboratory 1
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
PHYS 118 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introductory Calculus-based Mechanics and Relativity H, F 4
Hours 8
Spring Semester
NAVS 302 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Weapons Systems 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
PHYS 119 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Introductory Calculus-based Electromagnetism and Quanta H, F 4
Hours 7
Senior Year
Fall Semester
NAVS 402 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Leadership and Ethics 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
AERO 393 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Air and Space Expeditionary Training Counts as University Experiential Learning Credit 1
Hours 4
Spring Semester
NAVS 401 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Operations 4
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
Hours 4
Total Hours 53
H

Honors version available. An honors course fulfills the same requirements as the nonhonors version of that course. Enrollment and GPA restrictions may apply.

F

FY-Launch class sections may be available. A FY-Launch section fulfills the same requirements as a standard section of that course, but also fulfills the FY-SEMINAR/FY-LAUNCH First-Year Foundations requirement. Students can search for FY-Launch sections in ConnectCarolina using the FY-LAUNCH attribute.

Marine Corps Scholarship Plan of Study

Plan of Study Grid
First Year
Fall SemesterHours
NAVS 101 Introduction to Naval Science 1
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
English elective 3
Hours 4
Spring Semester
HIST 212 History of Sea Power 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
English elective 3
Hours 6
Sophomore Year
Fall Semester
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
American History or National Security Policy elective 3
Hours 3
Spring Semester
NAVS 201 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Leadership and Management 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
Hours 3
Junior Year
Fall Semester
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
Hours 0
Spring Semester
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
NAVS 311 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Evolution of Warfare 3
Hours 3
Senior Year
Fall Semester
NAVS 402 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Naval Leadership and Ethics 3
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
Hours 3
Spring Semester
NAVS 500 Naval Science Laboratory 0
NAVS 411 IDEAs in Action General Education logo Amphibious Warfare 3
Hours 3
Total Hours 25

Department of Naval Science

Visit Program Website

Naval Armory, 221 South Columbia Street, CB# 3325

(919) 843-9279

Chair

Captain Andrew Hertel

Director of Undergraduate Studies

Emily Cossett

ecossett@unc.edu