COURSE CURRICULUM

The Master of Science in Oceanography at University of New Hampshire is an interdisciplinary graduate program designed for students interested in marine science, coastal systems, ocean processes, climate science, and aquatic environments. The program prepares students for careers in research, environmental consulting, marine technology, government agencies, education, and doctoral study through advanced coursework, field research, laboratory training, and scientific analysis. Students receive broad training across the four major subdisciplines of oceanography: biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanography, while also developing expertise in a specialized research area such as ocean modeling, coastal and estuarine processes, marine biogeochemistry, ocean acidification, sediment transport, paleoceanography, climate change, ocean mapping, or microbial marine ecology. Students can pursue either a thesis option requiring a formal research thesis and defense or a non-thesis option focused on directed research projects. The degree requires a minimum of 30 credits for the thesis track or 34 credits for the non-thesis track. Required coursework includes ESCI 997 Seminar in Earth Sciences and ESCI 998 Proposal Development, along with two foundational oceanography courses selected from Biological Oceanography, Chemical Oceanography, Introduction to Physical Oceanography, or Geological Oceanography. Thesis students complete OCE 899 Master’s Thesis, while non-thesis students complete directed research coursework. Additional electives allow specialization in areas such as ocean measurements, geochemistry, sedimentology, paleoclimatology, ocean biogeochemistry, hydrographic surveying, ocean mapping, fluid dynamics, marine robotics, underwater acoustics, coastal engineering, wave energy, numerical methods, and statistical analysis. Students benefit from extensive research facilities including the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, the Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, the Chase Ocean Engineering Laboratory, and research vessels and marine field stations connected to UNH. Through hands-on fieldwork, advanced data analysis, at-sea experience, and collaborative faculty mentorship, the UNH Oceanography M.S. program prepares graduates for professional scientific careers and advanced academic research in ocean and environmental sciences.