What is the education requierment to be an oceanographer?

Question

what college should you go to? what type of degree do you need

Answer 1

Funny you should ask!

I embarked on this quest when I first started to college...I wanted to be another Jacques Cousteau or get a job on his boat!  Uhuhhh!

Here's the deal, If you only get a BS in Oceanography and a double major in something like biology or geology, you can be a Marine Technician.  You're a scientist, but you will work under the direction of a scientist with a higher degree than you and will NEVER get to do your own projects...you're just a seagoing lab gopher.

If you go for your Masters in Oceanography, you stand a better chance of being a junior scientist aboard an ocean going research vessel like the Glomar Explorer out of La Jolla, or the USRV Thomas G. Thompson out of Seattle, Washington.  Even with your masters in Oceanography (UCSB or Scripps, or UCSD) you will still need a minor in Phycology or something else to bolster your knowledge base.

The real jobs go to pHD candidates who have served their time as lab gophers and jr. scientists aboard a UDRV (united states research vessel) and have actually published some kind of real research that is in fact, pertinent and poigniant.

By this time, if you start out at say, 19yo, you'll be around 28yo, maybe 30.  You will have worked your bunns off for everygody else, and you'll find a paucity of real jobs out there where you can actually earn a decent living!  Unless you want to be a dolphin trainer at Seaworld!!!  [oh, yeah, that pays like $38,000 a year...whoopie].

So.....unless you dont give two hoots about driving a nice car, having a retirement fund, enjoying all the stuff you see all over the TV, DON'T DO IT!!!  I know and you know that outer space isnt the answer for mankind, innerspace is....but mankind won't be ready for that yet for another 200 years or so.

Hope this helps you understand better what you'd be up against.  I switched to an MS in geology and became an environmental geologist...made a ton of bucks...still do.

Answer 2

The University of Washington would be a good choice.

You start with a 4 year degree, BS in Oceanography.

It wouldn't hurt to use your elective classes on a related field to obtain a double major...such as microbilology or geology.

Answer 3

Oceanography is a very wide field, so educational requirements vary Oceanographers may specialize in different areas such as chemistry, marine biology, marine science, geology, physical oceanography, physics, applied math, and meteorology.  Most oceanographers hold at least a bachelors of science degree, but many also hold higher degrees.

You can browse the program requirements at universities that offer degrees in oceanography - you can search for schools at the first link below. The second link has additional information on oceanography.