University of Alaska Fairbanks SCHOOL OF FISHERIES AND OCEAN SCIENCES  
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Prospective Graduate Students

Photo by Heloise Chenelot.

The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences offers:

The School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences offers the M.S. degree in biological, chemical, fisheries, geological, and physical oceanography; marine biology; and fisheries.

M.S. students in fisheries have a choice of several emphasis areas: seafood science and nutrition, fish and shellfish ecology, stock assessment and fishery management, conservation biology and genetics, stock enhancement, toxicology; all programs include elements of biometry. The Ph.D. is offered in marine biology, oceanography, and fisheries.

M.S. programs in fisheries, oceanography and marine biology require at least one year of residRead about Alaska!ence at UAF (which includes the School's outlying centers at Juneau, Seward, and Kodiak). Marine science faculty and students reside at Fairbanks and Seward. Fisheries faculty and students reside at Fairbanks and Juneau. The Seafood science and nutrition emphasis is offered through fisheries faculty at the Kodiak seafood and Marine Science Center, in Kodiak.

M.S. degrees require a minimum of 30 credits. At least 21 credits must be at the graduate level. All M.S. programs require a thesis. Successful completion of a written comprehensive examination and an oral defense of thesis examination are required of all M.S. students in oceanography and marine biology.
M.S. students in fisheries do not take a written comprehensive exam; they take an oral exam as part of their thesis defense. There are no fixed course requirements, nor is an M.S. degree required to earn the Ph.D. in oceanography, although the student is expected to complete course work at least equivalent to that required for the M.S. degree.

The Ph.D. is awarded for proven ability and scholarly attainment, and each candidate's program is planned with the graduate advisory committee. Requirements include one year of full-time course work beyond the M.S. degree and at least 18 credits of thesis research. All Ph.D. candidates must pass a written comprehensive examination. Marine Biology and Oceanography Ph.D. students must also pass an oral comprehensive exam. A dissertation is also required of all candidates. "Student Learning Outcomes Assessment" plans are available for the M.S. in Oceanography, the Ph.D. in Oceanography, the M.S. in Marine Biology, and the Ph.D. in Marine Biology. These outline the goals, objectives, and assessment criteria for each of these programs.