The Department of Marine Sciences offers a thesis M.S. degree program with concentrations in chemical, biological, geological and physical oceanography. Research opportunities exist across a wide range of topics that reflect the multidisciplinary nature of Marine Sciences. Students in this program are generally supported by assistantships or fellowships. Graduate students have access to the extensive field and laboratory facilities on the UGA main campus in Athens and at the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography in Savannah, the University of Georgia Marine Institute on Sapelo Island, and the Marine Extension Service. Our faculty participate in multi-institutional research programs that provide unique opportunities for student research. Students interested in developing knowledge and skill marine sciences without a research focus can enter the non-thesis program. These students are not generally supported by assistantships.
Current graduate students are conducting research in marine microbial metagenomics and ecology, organic and inorganic biogeochemistry, marine ecosystems and policy, biological oceanography, coastal circulation and ecology, deep-sea and sediment processes, marine geology, integrative modeling, climate change and others. Reflecting the diversity of our program, our graduates find employment in a wide range of areas, including federal agencies, NGOs, industry and academia.
This major is part of a Double Dawgs pathway: Biology BS/Marine Sciences MS (non-thesis) Ecology BS/Marine Science MS (non-thesis) Ocean Science BS/Marine Sciences MS (thesis) Ocean Science BS/Marine Sciences MS (non-thesis) For more information, go to doubledawgs.uga.edu
Director of Graduate Studies Clifton Buck, Professor csbuck@uga.edu Graduate Program Administrator Beverly Vantine bev.vantine@uga.edu 706-542-7162
30 credit hours minimum
Applicants should have a B.S. in marine science or in an appropriate related basic scientific discipline. Apply to the UGA Graduate School and include the following: 3 Letters of recommendation CV Statement of Purpose (emphasizing goals, objectives, and research ideas) Unofficial transcript Online Supplemental Marine Sciences Application Form International students: For students whose primary language is not English, proof of English proficiency is required. Students need to submit official university documents according to the UGA Graduate School requirements. Students will also have to show certificate of finances upon acceptance to the program.
| MARS 7380 | Quantitative Methods in Marine Science | 3 |
| MARS 8010 | Biological Oceanographic Processes | 3 |
| MARS 8020 | Chemical Oceanography | 3 |
| MARS 8030 | General Physical Oceanography | 3 |
| MARS 8130 | Seminars in Marine Sciences | 1 |
| MARS 7000 (3-45 hours) | Master's Research | 1-15 |
| MARS 7300 (3-15 hours) | Master's Thesis | 1-15 |
Choose a minimum of 6 credit hour(s) from the following:
Additional graduate courses
| MARS 7100 (9 hours)* | Non-Thesis M.S. Research Project or Internship Experience | 1-9 |
Choose a minimum of 6 credit hour(s) from the following:
Additional graduate courses
*Must be an approved internship
Choose a minimum of 13 credit hour(s) from the following:
Additional graduate courses
Choose 6 to 13 credit hours from the following:
| ECOL(BIOL)(MARS) 4330/6330-4330L/6330L | Tropical Marine Invertebrates | 4 |
| EHSC(MARS) 8410 | Oceans and Human Health | 3 |
| FISH(ECOL)(MARS)(WILD) 4300/6300 | Environmental Biology of Fishes | 3 |
| FISH(ECOL)(MARS)(WILD) 4550/6550-4550L/6550L | Sustainable Aquaculture | 4 |
|
MARS 4100/6100
Analytical Thinking
Communication
|
Geological and Physical Oceanography | 3 |
| MARS 4200/6200 | Biological and Chemical Oceanography | 3 |
| MARS(FISH) 4380/6380-4380L/6380L | Marine Fisheries Biology | 3 |
| MARS 4400/6400 | Introduction to Marine Policy | 3 |
| MARS 4520/6520 | Quantitative Analysis of Ocean Data | 3 |
| MARS(MIBO) 4620/6620 | Microbial Ecology | 3 |
| MATH(MARS) 4730/6730 | Mathematics of Climate | 3 |
|
MARS 4800/6800
Analytical Thinking
Communication
Critical Thinking
|
Regional Oceanography of the South Atlantic Bight | 3 |
| MARS 4810/6810 | Global Biogeochemical Cycles | 3 |
| MARS 8050 | Climate, Oceans, and the Marine Biosphere | 3 |
| MARS 8100 | Estuarine and Coastal Oceanography | 3 |
| MARS 8110 | Marine Sediment Diagenesis | 3 |
| MARS 8120 | Geophysical Fluid Dynamics | 3 |
| MARS 8140 | Organic Geochemistry | 3 |
| MARS 8150 | Ocean Waves | 3 |
| MARS 8160 | Marine Ecology | 3 |
| MARS 8170 | Ocean Mixing Processes | 3 |
| MARS 8180 | Environmental Data Science in Genomics | 3 |
| MARS(ANTH) 8210 | Topics in Coastal Marine Policy | 3 |
| MARS 8220 | Geobiology | 3 |
| MARS 8510 | Modeling Marine Systems | 3 |
| GRSC 7001 | GradFIRST: First-year Research and Scholarship Training Seminar | 1 |
| GRSC 7770 * | Graduate Teaching Seminar | 1-3 |
| MARS 8900 ** | Research Techniques in Marine Science | 1-3 |
Students taking the Non-Thesis Options must successfully pass a cumulative examination.
*For students who are selected for teaching assistantships **1 credit hour "Marine Science Bootcamp"
The student will submit a 3 to 5-page description of the proposed internship to their advisory committee for approval. The approved document will be sent to the Graduate Program Administrator. The format is flexible but should include a description of the internship’s goals, the skills and experiences that will be gained, and a timeline for completion. This requirement is in addition to the syllabus for MARS7100 which must be submitted to the Director of Graduate Studies.
Select additional courses, as needed, in consultation with an advisor to meet the minimum number of required credit hours for this program.
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. 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.
Transfer credits may be accepted per UGA Graduate School guidelines and with approval from the Department of Marine Sciences Graduate Affairs Committee.
Students are encouraged to present their research at conferences, professional meetings, and symposia. Students also are encouraged to write grant proposals to help fund their research and to develop grant-writing skills. Students are expected to publish their research findings in peer-reviewed journals.
Graduate students in the Department organize the Marine Sciences Graduate Student Association. A representative from this group is invited to participate in Departmental Faculty Meetings.