Oceanography: specialization in Marine Biology

Type of degree: M.S.

Brief overview of program: The program in marine biology provides integrated graduate education for students seeking careers in research and teaching with emphasis on recent advances in understanding of marine systems at the ecological, organismic, and cellular-molecular levels. It is an interactive University-wide program offering possibilities for degrees in graduate programs in the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology. The program allows students to become specialists in the marine field of their choice by selecting courses, advisors, and research opportunities from many disciplines, including aquaculture, behavior, biosystematics, marine botany, ecology, genetics, virology and marine microbiology, molecular biology, biological oceanography, fisheries, coral reef biology and zoology. The specialization includes faculty whose research interests are focused in these areas and who provide a program of special excellence at the University of Hawaii. The University is based in a tropical setting on geographically the most isolated archipelago in the world. The Pacific Ocean location and volcanic origin of the islands are key factors to many of the unique research opportunities available at the University of Hawaii in marine biology. The specific program of each student who specializes in marine biology is tailored to his/her interests in consultation with an advisory and a graduate (MS or PhD) committee appointed for the student. The program of study includes courses related to marine biology already existing within the curriculum of participating fields of study. Coursework is supplemented by seminars, colloquia, field programs and laboratory research in the various fields of study. The student will be expected to pass a qualifying examination in his/her field of study, complete an original research project, and present a thesis or dissertation on that research.

Website: Click here for program website

Description of Facilities: Graduate student research is carried out in the research laboratories of the graduate faculty. These laboratories are located in Edmondson Hall, Snyder Hall, the St. John Laboratory of Botanical Sciences, the marine Science Building, the Hall Institute of Marine Biology (located on Coconut Island in Kaneohe Bay), and the Kewalo Laboratory of the Pacific Biomedical Research Center. These laboratories are well equipped for the specialized research of the faculty and include capabilities for state-of-the-art DNA sequencing using PCR technology; video and acoustic recording for ecological and behavioral studies of coral reef and planktonic organisms; electron, ultraviolet, and light microscopy; electrophoretic analysis; flow cytometry; and radioisotope tracer work. There is a university-wide centralized computer data base, biotechnology center, and excellent library facilities.

Student Support: Most students who specialize in marine biology receive graduate assistantship and/or tuition waivers. This financial assistance comes from a variety of university and extramural sources. Teaching assistants make $11,364-$15,558 for the nine-month academic year. Research assistants make $13,302-$18,204 per year without summer overload and $16,930-$23,169 per year including summer overload.

Program Point of Contact: Cindy Hunter

Email: cindyh@hawaii.edu

Institution address: 2540 Dole St. Holmes Hall 402
                             Honolulu,HI 96822