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Oceanography MSc

Type
Master (ISCED 2011 level 7)
Language

English

Duration 4 semesters
Cost Tuition per year: $5,095.68 CDN (Canadian Citizens, Permanent Residents, Refugees, Diplomats); $8,952.27 CDN per year (International students)

Oceanographers investigate both fundamental and applied problems relating to the physics, mathematics, biology, chemistry, and geology of the sea, often working across traditional academic disciplines. Research carried out both independently and in collaboration with federal government laboratories occurs in many different oceanographic regimes, including coastal BC fjords, the inland sea of the Strait of Georgia, open ocean regions of the Subarctic Pacific, and many other locations, including the Arctic and Antarctic Oceans. The types of problems that can be studied include fundamental questions about the flow of stratified fluids at scales ranging from tens of meters to thousands of kilometers, applied research in estuaries, coastal, and deep-ocean processes, general ocean circulation and climate change issues, marine chemistry, geochemistry, and biogeochemistry, natural product chemistry, marine viruses, fisheries oceanography, plankton ecology and physiology, and primary production of the sea. The Department is well equipped to carry out research in the field (using either its own boat or larger vessels in the oceanographic fleet), at the laboratory bench, and in the numerical heart of a computer. Most problems involve aspects of all three.

Students in Oceanography may select courses, depending on their interest, from the following areas of specialization:

  • biological oceanography
  • marine chemistry and geochemistry
  • physical oceanography and atmospheric sciences
Structural components
Thesis/Dissertation
Laboratory training
Practical/Field work

Application procedure

All applicants must complete an online application form (https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/apply-online) and pay the application fee to be considered for admission to UBC.

All applicants have to submit transcripts from all past post-secondary study. Document submission requirements depend on whether your institution of study is within Canada or outside of Canada.

Applicants should browse faculty profiles and indicate in their application who they are interested in working with. No commitment from a supervisor prior to applying is necessary, but contacting faculty members is encouraged.

A minimum of three references are required for application to graduate programs at UBC. References should be requested from individuals who are prepared to provide a report on your academic ability and qualifications. 

Grant opportunities

UBC Awards listing: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/scholarships-awards-funding/award-opportunities

International Tuition Award

Up to $3,200 per year. 

International Tuition Awards assist international graduate students with their tuition fees if they are registered full-time in research-oriented master’s and doctoral programs. International students are automatically considered for this award. No application is required. 

In addition to scholarships and awards, applicants may be eligible to apply for financial aid or other benefits in the form of loans, bursaries, tax credits, or similar.

Learning outcomes

The M.Sc. program consists of 12 credits of thesis and 18 credits of coursework, or 30 credits of coursework and an essay (EOSC 548, 3 credits).

Students in Oceanography may select courses, depending on their interest, from the following areas of specialization:

  • biological oceanography
  • marine chemistry and geochemistry
  • physical oceanography and atmospheric sciences

Students are encouraged to broaden their knowledge by taking courses outside their area of specialization. Courses related to Oceanography are also offered in the Departments of Botany, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Geography, Physics and Astronomy, and Zoology.

 

Prerequisites

Students admitted to the M.Sc. degree program normally possess a bachelor's degree in an area of science or applied science.

Normally, applicants for a master's degree program must hold the academic equivalent of a four-year bachelor's degree from UBC including one of the following:

  • A minimum overall average in the B+ range (76% at UBC) in third- and fourth-year courses.
  • Academic standing with at least 12 credits of third- or fourth-year courses in the A grade range (80% or higher at UBC) in the field of study.

Most three-year, Bologna-compliant degrees from research-intensive universities are acceptable as a basis for admission to master's programs at UBC.

International credentials by country: https://www.grad.ubc.ca/prospective-students/application-admission/minimum-academic-requirements-international-credentials

Alternatively, applicants who do not meet the requirements stated above, but who have had other significant formal training, relevant professional experience, and/or otherwise possess demonstrable knowledge or expertise that would prepare them adequately for successful study in a specific graduate program, may be granted admission on the recommendation of the appropriate graduate program and approval of the Dean of the Faculty of Graduate Studies.

 

ISCED Categories

Marine Geology
Physical and chemical oceanography