Ocean Science BS/Marine Sciences MS(non-thesis)

Career and Academic Opportunities

The Ocean Science B.S. and Marine Sciences M.S. (non-thesis) is intended for those students who have a strong interest in pursuing careers related to ocean and marine sciences. This program will provide students with the knowledge and quantitative skills necessary to participate in a range of environment- and marine-related fields: natural resources, aquaculture, public policy, water quality monitoring programs, and private consulting. While we recognize the importance of preparing students to conduct research, we also recognize that there are many career paths available to students with advanced knowledge of the marine environment that can be obtained through a combination of graduate-level coursework and a focused internship or research project. We anticipate that students will be well prepared to either pursue doctoral degrees in Oceanography (or other related fields) or to seek employment as field/lab technicians, educators, resource managers, environmental consultants, or in government agencies. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, these occupations are projected to increase over the next decade as there is a societal need to address marine-related problems in a rigorous and interdisciplinary way.