The University of British Columbia

Entrance Requirements

All students should meet the basic academic requirements.

While some of our applicants have degrees in oceanography we are also interested in students with degrees in Physics, Math, Chemistry, the Life Sciences, Geophysics, or some other field that provides a firm grounding in basic science. Your basic background tends to determine which field you should concentrate on. One test of your qualifications is to ask yourself if you could contribute to our research areas.

Application Process

Please follow our standard application process if you want to apply to one of the degrees listed below.

Degrees Offered

The M.Sc. thesis based program consists of twelve credits of thesis, 18 credits of course work and a thesis defense. Average time to completion is between two and three years. However, this is very much dependent on the student so completion may take longer. Students in this program will be offered funding.

There is also course-based M.Sc. option. This consists of 30 credits of coursework and an 3 credit essay. Most fulltime students will complete within one year. This is not a degree that is commonly taken and Research Assistantships are not provided. In addition this degree is not a backdoor into the thesis program.

The Ph.D. program consists of any necessary coursework, a comprehensive exam and a research dissertation. Average time to completion is around five years. However, this is very much dependent on the student so you may spend more time in the program. Doctoral students will be offered at least four years worth of funding.

Courses Offered

Since each student is different we don't have a set list of courses that you must take. Instead you choose courses in consultation with your thesis supervisor and supervisory committee. We offer a wide range of classes and students often take courses from outside the department.

More Information

Our website offer more information about funding, fees and potential research projects.

If you have any questions about the oceanography program you can contact the Graduate Coordinator at .