Marine Sciences & Technology Program
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Please Note: The information here on course descriptions reflects the 51ÊÓƵ campus. Other faculty and courses that are part of this graduate program are described at the websites of the other UMass system campuses, and the website.
The UMass Intercampus Graduate School (IGS) of Marine Sciences and Technology offers both Master's (M.S.) and Doctoral (Ph.D) programs in marine sciences and technology. Students graduating with a M.S. or Ph.D. degree from IGS receive a joint degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth, and Lowell. The degree programs are fundamentally grounded in a broad, integrated,
interdisciplinary approach to the study of marine sciences and technology. Students located at the four participating campuses are required to complete "core" courses selected from the natural and social sciences to equip them for interdisciplinary studies and research before focusing upon an area of concentration.
The programs prepare students for employment opportunities in the private and governmental sectors and academia. Emphasis is placed on the education of researchers and scholars who will contribute not only to basic research but also to the application of that research in a coherent approach to resource management and economic development issues.
Combining facilities and resources on four campuses into a single, coherent graduate program greatly expands the opportunities for IGS students. Students have access to a much greater range of education and research opportunities, expertise, and facilities than exists on one campus alone. Each campus has a number of departments and interdepartmental programs with areas of strength in marine-sciences related teaching, research, and outreach that either complement or constitute critical units of IGS.
IGS is also closely affiliated with a number of on-campus research centers and institutes and off-campus marine research facilities, expanding its realm of research opportunities and resources.
Successful applicants will generally have completed an undergraduate or graduate degree with a GPA of 3.00 or better and will have an undergraduate major in one of the basic scientific disciplines or engineering, or will have strong multidisciplinary training with completion of at least six semesters of coursework in the natural sciences, generally to include biology, chemistry, and/or physics. Preparation in mathematics at least through integral calculus is strongly encouraged. Students who do not meet these criteria need identify a faculty advocate who must bring a request for exception before the Admissions Committee. At the discretion of the Admissions Committee applicants may make up deficiencies in prior coursework either before or after admission is granted to the IGS. Consideration will be on a case-by-case basis, and the recommendation of the committee will be forwarded to the Dean for approval.
Candidates may apply for admission at either the Masters or Doctoral level. Students admitted directly into the Doctoral Program are expected to have exceptional academic credentials and/or work experience. Students entering with a Bachelor’s degree may be required to complete the requirements of a Masters degree before admission to the Doctoral Program. Students entering with a Masters can be admitted at the Doctoral level provided the degree, coursework and research experience warrant such a decision by the Admissions Committee.
The Admissions Committee will evaluate a number of additional criteria in its consideration of applications. They include performance on the Graduate Record Examinations (GREs), TOEFL (if appropriate), Letters of Recommendation, Transcripts, and a Statement of Interest and Intent. Successful applicants will generally have combined verbal and quantitative GRE scores greater or equal to 1200, and a strong analytical score. International students must take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). A minimum of 600 (or 213 on the computer-based exam) is strongly recommended. GRE Subject tests may also be used in evaluation but are not required.
Three letters of recommendation from referees familiar with the applicant’s academic and/or work experience are required.
Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate coursework must be submitted.
Statements of Interest and Intent are also requested.
-The Statement of Interest should provide reviewers an indication of the motivation of the student for pursuing graduate work.
-The Statement of Intent should describe how graduate training would address the student’s career goals.
The applicant is strongly encouraged to identify one or more faculty members who could serve as the applicant’s advisor, at least initially, upon admission. To this end, discussions with individual faculty before completing the application are strongly encouraged.
The Office of Graduate Studies at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth processes all applications for admission to the graduate programs of the Intercampus Graduate School for Marine Science and Technology. You will send your application and its associated materials and should address any inquiries about your application to that campus.
A single application form has been prepared for the use of applicants for admission to the Intercampus Graduate School of Marine Sciences and Technology. It will be made available in the graduate admissions offices of each participating campus.
The Application for Admission to the Intercampus Graduate School for Marine Science and Technology is available in PDF format (78Kb). Viewing a PDF requires the free Adobe Acrobat Reader.
Admission decisions will be made as expeditiously as possible once the application file is complete. Applications should be completed and submitted prior to June 1 for Fall admission.
For assistance with an application:
Voice: 508-999-8604
Fax: 508-999-8183
e-mail: graduate@umassd.edu
Mail your application materials to:
Office of Graduate Studies
University of Massachusetts Dartmouth
285 Old Westport Road
North Dartmouth, Massachusetts
02747-2300
To achieve interdisciplinary breadth and depth, each IGS student will be required to take courses in five areas:
Biological Oceanography (BO)
Chemical Oceanography (CO)
Physical Oceanography (PO)
Socio-Economics of Coastal/Marine Systems (S/E)
Marine-Related Technologies (MT)
Courses in BO, CO, and PO are generally taken in the first 4 to 6 semesters (preferably in the first 2). For each area, course content is fairly uniform, though there may multiple offerings between campuses.
Courses in S/E and MT are taken after selection of an area of concentration. Course content is not uniform and selection of course should be consistent with a student’s concentration area. Depending on the student’s concentration, the socio-economic requirement might be met best by courses in policy, economics, law or international/intergovernmental relations. Courses satisfying the technology requirement could be drawn from such areas as marine measurement technology, wastewater and environmental mitigation technology, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Data/Information Management Systems, graphic display technologies or marine modeling approaches.
To build on the core courses, each IGS student selects an area of concentration and chooses electives appropriate to this concentration, as approved by their faculty advisor and/or thesis committee. Reflecting the interdisciplinary character of IGS, both natural and social science courses support certain concentrations, and many courses support more than one concentration.
Students typically take most of their courses on the campus where they and their major faculty advisor are in residence. Some courses, however, including at least two core courses each semester, will also be taught using the University’s substantial distance learning facilities. Students may also choose to be in residence at different campuses for a period of time during their course of study, in order to take certain courses or to take advantage of research opportunities.
The Concentrations of Study section describes each area of concentration and lists the courses associated with the respective concentration. The Courses section lists all IGS courses, identifies the core courses and their respective core areas, and provides other pertinent course information.
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