The Master of Science in Marine Biology program delivers a unique combination of inquiry-based study, fieldwork, research, and workplace experience. Course work is geared toward preparing students to conduct research both in the lab and in the field while also examining the wildlife, ecosystems, and ecology of three ocean provinces: Nahant, MA, and the Gulf of Maine; Bocas del Toro (Atlantic) and Coiba (Pacific), Panamá; and Friday Harbor Labs (Puget Sound) in Washington state.

Students follow their course work with a six-month internship and independent research project at a location of their choice. Upon completion of the program, students present their projects in oral and written form. Competitive admissions and small program size lay the groundwork for future collaborations while connecting students to a wide-ranging network of alumni.

• Program Overview

Marine and Atmospheric Science

The Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (MAS) graduate program is located within the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences (SoMAS). Research activities within SoMAS are coordinated through the Marine Sciences Research Center (MSRC), and the Institute for Terrestrial and Planetary Atmospheres (ITPA). MSRC is the center for research, graduate education, and public service in the marine sciences for the entire State University of New York system. SoMAS faculty have active research programs in all major oceanographic and atmospheric disciplines and many focus on interdisciplinary approaches to understanding environmental processes and issues. Specific areas of cross-disciplinary focus include: biogeochemical transformation of energy and elements, conservation and management of marine resources, environmental health and contaminants, environmental modeling and prediction, and patterns and impacts of global climate change.  

SoMAS is ideally situated for studies of a variety of coastal environments including estuaries, lagoons, salt marshes, barrier islands, and continental shelf waters. Long Island has a greater diversity of coastal environments in a limited geographical range than any other comparable area in the United States. The proximity of New York City and the burgeoning population of Long Island and Connecticut make New York coastal waters an excellent laboratory for assessing human impacts on the coastal seas, and understanding land/sea interactions at all levels. In addition to working on coastal issues, SoMAS scientists have active research programs on all the world's oceans and ITPA faculty examine atmospheric processes on the Earth and other planets.

SoMAS offers an M.A. in Marine Conservation and Policy and an M.S. and Ph.D. in Marine and Atmospheric Sciences with concentrations in either oceanography or atmospheric sciences. Interested students should address inquiries to the graduate program director. Tuition scholarships and stipends are available for students in the research based M.S. and Ph.D. programs.

The M.M.S. degree offers a broad degree program, which can include topics such as marine ecology, organismal biology, ecosystem processes and oceanography. Students will select courses offered by the graduate program in marine sciences and limnology and a variety of electives, which can also be from the fisheries program or the statistics or biology and wildlife departments. While the M.M.S. degree is primarily based on a project instead of a research-oriented thesis, M.M.S. graduate students still are afforded excellent opportunities for laboratory and field experiences through the Institute of Marine Science. Laboratory facilities are available in Fairbanks, the Seward Marine Center, the Juneau Center and at the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory.

Students considering an M.M.S. degree should have a strong background in the various fields of oceanography, ecology, biology, molecular biology or biochemistry. Students are admitted on the basis of their ability and the capability of the program to meet their particular interests and needs. Faculty review requests for admission throughout the year. There is no financial support for students in this program.

The master’s program in Marine Policy (MS) was founded on the idea that the effective application of marine policy requires practitioners, first, to be fluent in the languages and concepts of both the social and natural sciences, and second, to be able to translate those languages to, and for, users of the resource. As a consequence, the design of a student’s program is flexible and adapted to her or his previous background and work experience.

The Master of Science degree in Marine Policy in the School of Marine Sciences is designed to take advantage of the strong interdisciplinary nature of the School. The program is intended for students interested in the application of science and policy. It is intended as a terminal degree but does not rule out continuation to a Ph.D. The course of study is two years.

Are you searching for an academic program that combines a love of oceanic exploration, ships and sea faring history, and the archaeology of shipwrecks? Would you enjoy being trained in hands-on underwater data collection, the management of submerged or recovered artifacts, deep sea diving, and the study of naval history?

From very humble beginnings in 1981, the maritime studies program at East Carolina University has blossomed into one of the world's leading academic underwater archaeology programs. It is characterized by hands-on underwater training, primary document historical research, and other practical skills such as remote sensing and grant writing. These skills provide the type of training eagerly sought by employers. Since its inception, the program has graduated 201 MA students in this field, with an overall graduation rate of 71 percent. A very large percentage of our graduates go on to get jobs in the field as archaeologists, contract archaeologists, government cultural resource managers, museum archeologists, curators, museum directors, national and state park staff, conservators, and teachers at all levels.

Qualified students enjoy extensive university support in the form of graduate assistantships and scholarships. These positions supply both teaching and research experience. Yet we don't just rely on the classroom. The program in Maritime Studies takes pride in the fact that we take theory into the real world and practice it in the field. In the program, exciting careers are not an accident, they are the result of planning, introspection, training, and last but not least, field experience.

With 70% of the Earth covered in water, marine biologists are a vital link with the medicinal, environmental, and technological applications of marine life to society. Humans not only depend on  marine habitats to sustain life, we also put enormous pressure on our marine habitats. Marine biologists help preserve and restore ecosystems that are collapsing from human activities and natural phenomena. A master’s in Marine Biology from Florida Tech gives graduates the educational foundation and hands-on research experience needed to enter a career in marine biology.

The University of Miami School of Law and the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science (RSMAS) offer a joint degree program in law and Marine Ecosystems and Society (MES). Upon completion of this program, a student earns the Juris Doctor degree from the School of Law and a Master of Professional Science in Marine Ecosystems and Society from RSMAS. Focuses on the theory, field techniques, and management practices necessary to work within the field of archaeology and the broader general field of marine sciences. Coursework integrates topics such as site mapping and documentation, interpretation of shipwrecks and submerged sites, best management practices, marine protected areas, and marine survey technology. Underwater Archaeology (UARCH) students receive training as AAUS Science Divers during their first semester in the MPS Program. Students will have opportunities to work side-by-side with professional archaeologists through internships and field projects with private, public, or non-governmental agencies, both nationally and internationally, and conduct relevant fieldwork. 

The Master of Science (MS) in Marine Science is a research-intensive degree designed to prepare students for careers in marine science or further training in preparation for pursuing a PhD in the biological or marine sciences. Students are required to conduct their own independent research while participating in either the Plan I (with thesis) or Plan II (without thesis) degree tracks leading to the MS in Marine Science. Plan I is the traditional track in which students are required to perform independent research and submit a formal thesis formatted to university guidelines and give a public defense of the thesis. Plan II also requires independent research and the completion of a Capstone Experience Research Report, as well as a formal defense of the research. Students in the marine science program may either have primary mentors who are located at the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL or University of Alabama faculty who are primarily located on the coast at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab campus in Dauphin Island, AL.

This degree program, offered through the Department of Biological Sciences and the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, provides the opportunity for students to acquire a practical and theoretical education in the marine sciences to prepare them for careers as marine specialists, scientists, and teachers. The program at Moss Landing provides interdepartmental work and a field facility for advanced study in the marine sciences which cannot be duplicated on the Cal State East Bay campus.