Students are drawn here from across the country, and from sciences across campus to benefit from a unique interdiscipinary science education in Oceanography. Our undergraduate program is a small close-knit learning community of faculty and students set within the bigger UW. Our small size allows meaningful interactions with faculty and opportunities to tailor individual courses of study. But students still have access to the vast resources of one of the top research 1 universities in the world. Students gain hands-on experience in the context of this strong base of research - with links to international programs, access to research vessels, and close proximity to coastal waters and the open ocean. We engage our students in experiential learning in the classroom, in our laboratories, on our ships and out in the field, culminating in a student-centered senior research project using one of our cutting edge research facilities: the RV Thompson, Friday Harbor Laboratories, the regional cabled array or its student-built counterpart on Portage Bay, or one of the platforms or laboratories used by our faculty for their own research programs, ranked first in the world. A degree in Oceanography prepares students for diverse careers with a broad scientific base of knowledge and an emphasis on critical and flexible thinking.
If you are new to the major or thinking about it, the best thing you can do is to enroll in the 1-credit seminar Ocean 100 which meets every Fall to provide all the info you need about the major and more -- you will leave with a course plan in hand, having met many of our faculty, undergraduate and graduate students, and knowing a lot more about the cutting edge research happening in Oceanography.
If you can't find what you need here, contact Michelle Townsend -- she is always available for advice and information.
