Oceanography — as is apt for the name — is the study of all things ocean. If you pursue oceanography, often also called Marine Science or Marine Biology, as a major, you’ll be studying animals, plants, geology, water composition, how water moves, and how water changes. Lots of colleges offer it as a major, minor, or concentration, but we think the best place to study oceanography is close to the ocean. You don’t have to, of course. People study outer space from earth, after all, but since you can live out your Finding Nemo dreams, why not do so?
Below we’ve collected our ten favorite oceanography programs in America, and you’ll notice that being close to the ocean isn’t the only thing they have in common. They also focus on fieldwork. Fieldwork, the practice of getting out into the world and getting your hands dirty, is crucial for the study of the ocean, and ideally it won’t only be in the summers. The best programs in the country put fieldwork at their core, and get students out doing research and working in the water every chance they can.
If you’re dead set on majoring in oceanography or a related field but aren’t sold on a school yet, send us an email. We help students chart a course to a successful future.
University of Washington — Seattle, Washington
The Oceanography major at the University of Washington is in the School of Oceanography in the College of the Environment, and is rooted in the unique marine and coastal environment of the Pacific Northwest. Houses in one of the top research schools in the country, they have their own research vessels (yes, ships) students can work on, multiple laboratories, and access to a broad network of additional research facilities and resources. Alternative available majors are Marine Biology, Aquatic, and Fisheries Sciences.
University of Miami — Miami, Florida
Students pursuing a major in the Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric & Earth Science can pick between Marine Affairs, Marine Biology & Ecology, Marine Science, and Oceanography. Each has their own nuances and requirements, but as an Oceanography major, you’ll pursue a broad degree with opportunities for specialization. Students in the major are encouraged to double major with another science, math, or engineering major, and the program is designed for students who will go to graduate school soon after receiving their Bachelors.
United States Naval Academy— Annapolis, Maryland
The Oceanography major at the US Naval Academy is both hands-on and is widely considered one of the best-resourced programs in the country. Students pursue computer-based and field research around the country, and have opportunities for going directly into graduate programs at the University of Rhode Island, MIT, or Scripps. While the program is at the Naval Academy, it sets you up for military applications or civilian careers.
University of California - Berkeley — Berkeley, California
Students at Berkeley study the interactions between the biosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and atmosphere. Through the Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Marine Science, students are able to take a more humanities-grounded route to a science degree than they would have doing a Bachelor of Science (BS) at another top school. Electives include classes like “Biology and Geomorphology of Tropical Islands,” “Communicating Ocean Science,” and “Fish Ecology.”
Northeastern University — Boston, Massachusetts
The Department of Marine and Environmental Sciences at Northeastern offers a major in Marine Biology that promises to “prepare future generations of climatologists, ecologists, and marine biologists for the front lines of climate change.” The optional two-semester-long Three Seas Program has been around for nearly four decades and combines study, fieldwork, and research across the Gulf of Maine, Panama, and the Pacific Northwest. Students who do the program graduate with a degree in Marine Biology and a diving certification.
University of California – Los Angeles (UCLA) — Los Angeles, California
UCLA offers two major options for those interested in studying the ocean. In one, the Atmospheric and Oceanic Science BS, students learn the science behind our atmosphere and oceans, “often in the context of climate change.” It’s a flexible major for future scientists who like working in a lab and do not get overly excited about fieldwork. The other, a BS in Marine Biology, is in the Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology and is a hands-on, field-centric degrees. Students participate in the Marine Biology Quarter, where they live the life of a marine biologist, conducting their own research and reside at a field station.
University of California – Santa Cruz — Santa Cruz, California
If you’re excited by the idea of California, you should also consider the major in Marine Biology at UC Santa Cruz. Students study at the UC Santa Cruz Coastal Science Campus in Monterey Bay, which has seawater laboratory classrooms that let you make the ocean your classroom, and live marine life facilities.
Boston University — Boston, Massachusetts
Students in the Marine Science major at Boston University complete the Marine Semester, a sequence of four immensely demanding research-based courses at in the Marine Research Teaching Lab and off-site in places like Belize. Back in the traditional classroom with four walls and a ceiling, students take courses like “Biology of Sharks,” “Paleoclimatology and Paleoceanography,” and “Aquatic Geochemistry.”
University of Maine — Orono, Maine
Maine is known for its wild coastline and rich waters full of sea life, and Marine Science majors get to take full advantage of it. The University of Maine marine laboratory in Walpole, Maine is one of the largest marine research institutions in the country, and students conduct independent research in the Gulf of Maine and around the world. Specializations are available in aquaculture, marine biology, or physical science.
College of the Atlantic — Bar Harbor, Maine
The College of the Atlantic is a very small and super-specialized liberal arts school in Maine that offers only one major: Human Ecology. From there, students refine their course of study to fit their interests, making the school ideal for hyper-focused science-minded students who want to emphasize self-determination and fieldwork. The Marine Science program is hands-on from nearly from day one, and teams of students conduct research through the university’s off-shore research stations.
If you are considering studying oceanography, marine science, or marine biology in college, you need to pick your school because their version of the major best fits how you want to spend your four years in college academically. You’ll be spending a ton of time in the classroom, studying with your peers, and doing research in the field, so it’s crucial that you find an academic match.
If you’re considering a super specialized major in college, send us an email. We help students like you find, and get into, their perfect fit.