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Oceanography

About Oceanography

This program is affiliated with one of UBC's top-ranked research areas.1

Oceanography is the study of our oceans, including their circulation, physical and chemical properties, life, and sustainability. Physical, biological and chemical oceanographers often work together to better understand how the ocean works, affects global climate, and impacts communities. You could tackle challenges of safe shipping, sustainable food supply, sanitary sewage disposal and healthy recreation.

Program Details

Offered at the undergraduate level at UBC through the honours in fisheries oceanography program, the program is a good fit if you want to pursue graduate studies or work as a consultants in fisheries or environmental management. You can also pair the program as a combined major or honours--including with biology, chemistry, geology, geophysics, microbiology and immunology, or physics. UBC is home to the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries, the Marine Mammal Research Unit, Project Seahorse, and the Pacific Centre for Isotopic and Geochemical Research, giving undergraduates a wealth of experiential learning opportunities. You'll collect data at sea, conduct laboratory experiments, and simulate ocean phenomena using computers. 

Skills

  • Application of environmental awareness and conservation knowledge to climate issues impacting oceans and marine ecosystems
  • Experimental project design and implementation, including developing research proposals, technical data reports, and presentations
  • Data processing and statistical analysis
  • Computer modeling and cartography
  • Focused field work that may include CTD casts, zooplankton and phytoplankton net tow sampling, and nutrient and element sampling
  • Laboratory experience with processing nutrient samples, using microscopy and analytical methods with exposure to spectroscopy, mass spectrometry, electroanalysis, and chemical separations
  • Usage of MATLAB, Python, R and speciation software

Specializations offered

  • Combined Major: Oceanography and Chemistry
  • Honours, Fisheries Oceanography
  • Combined Honours, Oceanography and another subject

Resources

Honours: First-Year Requirements

Honours (0577): Fisheries Oceanography

Science honours requirements.

AND

  • SCIE_V 001
OR

Science honours requirements.

AND the following Chemistry AND Biology:

  • One of CHEM_V 111 or CHEM_V 121 or CHEM_V 141 AND CHEM_V 123
  • or 8 transfer credits of CHEM 1st

AND

  • BIOL_V 112
  • or 6 transfer credits of BIOL 1st

Career Options

With an undergraduate degree

  • Aquaculture manager
  • Conservation officer
  • Data analyst
  • Fisheries inspector
  • Fisheries technician
  • Laboratory technologist
  • Research assistant
  • Water and wastewater technician

With additional study

  • Climatologist
  • Ecologist
  • Entomologist
  • Environmental biologist
  • Geophysicist
  • Glaciologist
  • Hydrologist
  • Ichthyologist
  • Limnologist
  • Marine biologist
  • Marine geologist
  • Marine hydrobiologist
  • Meteorologist
  • Microbiologist
  • Oceanographer
  • Physical oceanographer
  • Wildlife biologist
  • Zoologist

More Career Resources

Musqueam First Nation land acknowledegement

We honour xwməθkwəy̓ əm (Musqueam) on whose ancestral, unceded territory UBC Vancouver is situated. UBC Science is committed to building meaningful relationships with Indigenous peoples so we can advance Reconciliation and ensure traditional ways of knowing enrich our teaching and research.

Learn more: Musqueam First Nation

Faculty of Science

Office of the Dean, Earth Sciences Building
2178–2207 Main Mall
Vancouver, BC Canada
V6T 1Z4
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