1998 Year of the Ocean Marine Education U.S.A.: An Overview 



HIGHER EDUCATION 



Thirty- six universities or consortia offer a graduate degree (MS/Ph.D.) in a marine 

 related field in the United States. Some of the consortia (e.g., Dauphin Island) consist of several 

 universities. About 650 Ph.D. degrees are granted annually. These figures come from the Marine 

 Technology Society (MTS) publication, "Education and Training Programs in Oceanography and 

 Related Fields" (1995). NSF annually supports about 500 graduate students in ocean sciences 

 research. Sea Grant supports another 250 graduate students (personal communications). 



Again, based on figures from the MTS directory, about 200 BA/BS degrees are earned 

 annually in marine-related areas and about 1,100 MA/MS degrees are earned. The purpose of the 

 MTS directory was not to collect this data; however, there was a line for respondees to report 

 "Number of Degrees Granted." Not all universities reported, so the numbers are less than the 

 actual number of degrees granted. On the other hand, the reported degrees are in "Oceanography 

 Related Fields," which would indicate that the numbers probably exceed the marine science or 

 oceanography degrees earned at reporting universities. In any case, this provides a general sense 

 of university output in the field. Some figures are startling: Coastal Carolina University has an 

 undergraduate Marine Science major with 400 students! The University of Miami and the 

 University of Rhode Island do not report degrees granted. 



According to a survey by CORE of alumni of U.S. marine science and policy graduate 

 institutions, there were only 157 MS degrees and 309 Ph.D. degrees granted in 1994. This 

 represents a much narrower survey of marine science than the MTS Directory uses and is based 

 on graduates of the major ocean research institutions. 



The California Sea Grant College Program publishes a "Directory of Academic Marine 

 Programs" (1993, 3rd edition). There are ten programs at two-year colleges. There are 38 four- 

 year colleges with oceanography or marine-related programs. Most are, for example, biology 

 (with marine emphasis). The University of Southern California offers both an MS and Ph.D. in 

 ocean sciences. The University of San Diego and Humboldt State University offer a BS in 

 marine science and oceanography, respectively. The U.S. Naval Postgraduate School offers a 

 Ph.D. in oceanography. The University of California, Berkeley offers a Ph.D. in ocean 

 engineering. The University of California at Santa Barbara offers both the MS and Ph.D. in 

 ocean engineering. Scripps Institution of Oceanography offers both an MS and a Ph.D. in applied 

 ocean sciences, biological oceanography, geological, sciences, geophysics, marine biology, 

 geochemistry, marine chemistry, and physical oceanography. 



In discussions with experts in these fields, a need exists for trained graduates in maritime 

 law, marine affairs, seafood technology, recreation, and naval architecture that are not being met. 

 Marine recreation, for example, is now a $17 billion industry in California. Based on the MTS 

 Directory and additional personal communications, national needs are similar to those in 

 California. In recognition of these needs, new graduate programs in marine affairs are emerging. 



K-18 



