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Ocean Science - B.S.

About this Degree

Ocean Science (B.S.) explores ocean environments and ocean ecosystems, enhances ocean and environmental literacy and critical thinking skills, and helps train the next generation of ocean and environmental scientists in Georgia and the U.S.

The UGA Skidaway Institute of Oceanography and the Marine Institute on Sapelo Island provides experiential opportunities for undergraduates through residential teaching and research programs. 

What you will learn

The Ocean Science (B.S.) program provides undergraduate students with a deep, interdisciplinary understanding of the structure and function of all aspects of the global oceans and their interactions with the earth and atmosphere system and equips them with the critical thinking skills and analytical tools to design, carry out, and interpret scientific studies in a broad range of environmental fields.

Faculty on the Athens campus and at Skidaway Institute are engaged in well-funded, cutting-edge research into the physical, chemical, geological, and biological aspects of marine systems on the Georgia coast and around the globe and provide undergraduates with unparalleled instruction and a diverse range of research opportunities. Our majors spend a semester on the coast (highly encouraged, but not required) involved in courses and research, providing students with experiential opportunities in the ocean environment. For those students who cannot participate in the coastal semester at Skidaway Institute, students can meet the requirements through research opportunities available on campus with our Athens faculty.  Courses taught at Skidaway Institute can also be taken via our distance teaching and learning video conferencing capabilities.

Other Degrees/Programs Offered:

Certificates that are relevant to the Ocean Science major:

  • Certificate in Sustainability
  • Environmental Ethics Certificate Program
  • Water Resources Certificate
  • Geographic Information Science (GIScience) Certificate Program
  • Applied Data Science Certificate
  • Certificate in Atmospheric Sciences
  • Environmental Education

Possible Careers

  • Natural resources
  • Aquaculture
  • Public policy
  • Water quality monitoring programs
  • Environmental engineering technicians
  • Zoologists and wildlife biologists
  • Conservation scientists
  • Geoscientists
  • Geological and petroleum technicians
  • Private consulting
  • Field/lab technicians
  • Educators
  • Resource managers
  • Environmental consultants
  • Federal/State agencies
  • Non-governmental organizations
  • Wildlife and nature centers
  • Pursue advanced degrees in Oceanography or related fields
  • Peacecorps

Visit Ocean Science website for more details: https://marsci.uga.edu/career-opportunities

General Research Information:

Research Opportunities

Visit Ocean Science website for more details: https://marsci.uga.edu/research

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