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Applicants are expected to have a bachelor's degree or its equivalent in a biological or physical science or in mathematics. Except under unusual circumstances a minimum undergraduate or postgraduate GPA of 3.0 is required for admission to any graduate program at UCSB. However, the Marine Program is very competitive and successful applicants have GPAs considerably higher than the minimum (>3.5). Applicants may apply for either the M.S. or Ph.D. degree program. However, the M.S. program is small and oriented toward research. Most students in the program work toward a Ph.D. A Masters degree is not required to enter the Ph.D. program.
Applicants to the Program must be accepted by a major professor with whom they wish to work and who has agreed to supervise the student's graduate training and thesis dissertation research. Therefore, applicants are strongly encouraged to contact individual faculty members in the Program whose research interests coincide with their own and to list potential advisors on their applications.
Admission decisions are based on intellectual potential and promise, competitiveness of the academic record, programmatic fit, and space availability.
Application Deadline
Applications are considered for fall admission only and should be received with all supporting materials by DECEMBER 15. Students are encouraged to apply online.
All applicants must fulfill the general requirements for admission
to graduate status at UCSB. Applicants should specify their general
areas of interests within marine science on their application and
provide a clear and focused statement of purpose. In addition to
the UCSB application for admission, applicants are required to submit
official undergraduate transcripts, three letters of recommendation
from individuals who can best assess the applicant's academic and
research potential, and the General Test (verbal, quantitative and
analytical) of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE). The GRE scores
should not be more than 5 years old. Students should take the GRE
as early as possible in the fall prior to applying to insure that
scores arrive by the December 15 application deadline. When you
register for the GRE, please use the institution code for UCSB (4835)
and the Department code 0203 (Biology; Marine Science and Biology
share administrative offices so use of this code will expedite receipt
of your scores by the Program). All domestic applicants must also
file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as a part
of the application process by March 2, within about 3 months after
applying (Web site: www.fafsa.ed.gov). International students whose
native language is not English must obtain a minimum score of 550
on the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) prior to admission.
Exceptions to the TOEFL requirement are made for applicants who
will have received an undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited
university in the United States by the time of enrollment. Applications
will be reviewed by an oversight committee of the Program and directed
to appropriate faculty within the Program for consideration. Applicants
will be notified regarding acceptance by April 15 at the latest.
Financial Support
Faculty in the Interdepartmental Graduate Program in Marine Science aim to fully support their students in good standing for the duration of the students' studies through a combination of University and Regents fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. Teaching assistantships are available through the participating departments and applicants should discuss this option with their potential advisors. Prospective students are encouraged to apply for national fellowships such as
National Science Foundation
or Office of Naval Research Graduate Fellowships. Salary for students with a research assistantship is approximately $1,300/month (at 49% time) with fees and health insurance paid by the supporting grant. Teaching assistants (usually employed at 50% time) earn approximately $1,500/month with health benefits and most fees paid by the campus.
Out-of-State Students
The Program endeavors where possible to provide out-of-state students with tuition fellowships to directly cover the cost of nonresident tuition during their first year. Nonresident and international students cannot expect more than one year of nonresident tuition fellowship support. Out-of-state students who are US citizens or permanent residents should take steps to establish California residency as soon as possible on arrival.
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