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.

Courses required for thesis and non-thesis MS programs

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

For thesis MS option:

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

For non-thesis MS Internship option:

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

For non-thesis MS coursework option:

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

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

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"

Nonthesis Master’s Degree Internship (MARS 7100)

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.