The Master of Science (MS) in Marine Science is a research-intensive degree designed to prepare students for careers in marine science or further training in preparation for pursuing a PhD in the biological or marine sciences. Students are required to conduct their own independent research while participating in either the Plan I (with thesis) or Plan II (without thesis) degree tracks leading to the MS in Marine Science. Plan I is the traditional track in which students are required to perform independent research and submit a formal thesis formatted to university guidelines and give a public defense of the thesis. Plan II also requires independent research and the completion of a Capstone Experience Research Report, as well as a formal defense of the research. Students in the marine science program may either have primary mentors who are located at the University of Alabama campus in Tuscaloosa, AL or University of Alabama faculty who are primarily located on the coast at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab campus in Dauphin Island, AL.
The primary purpose of master’s degree programs is to provide students with subject matter at an advanced level in their fields of study. Master’s degrees are designed to assist students either to continue their graduate studies or to meet the goals of their professions. In most cases, master’s programs also help students become familiar with methods of independent investigation.
Program Requirements
Two plans are offered for the master's degree:
Plan I. Candidates for the master's degree under Plan I must earn a minimum of 24 semester hours of credit in coursework plus earn a minimum of 6 additional hours of thesis research hours, for a total of 30 hours.
Plan II. Candidates for the master's degree under Plan II must earn a minimum of 30 semester hours of coursework credit and pass the comprehensive examination or complete a culminating or “capstone experience” as described under the Comprehensive Examinations section below.
Both plans require a minimum of 18 semester hours in the major subject. With the approval of the major department, the remainder of the coursework may be completed in either the major or a related field.
In some divisions and in many departments of the University, candidates are required to do their work under Plan I. Candidates working under Plan II may be required to participate successfully in seminar or problem courses that will give them an acquaintance with the methods of research and an appreciation of the place and function of original investigation in the field.
January 2025
College of Arts and Sciences
Clark Hall,
The University of Alabama,
TUSCALOOSA,
Alabama,
35487, United States
International application must hold the equivalent of a U.S. four-year bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution to be eligible for graduate admission. English Language Requirements: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL): The minimum score for admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 550 on the paper-based TOEFL or 79 on the internet-based TOEFL (iBT); International English Language Testing System (IELTS): The minimum score for admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 6.5; Pearson Test of English (PTE): The minimum score of admission to a degree program or for non-degree admission is 59.
Application Deadline: Rolling admission for all semesters.
*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.
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