Students are drawn here from across the country and from sciences across campus and benefit from a unique interdiscipinary science education in Oceanography.

• Our undergraduate program is a small close-knit learning community set within the bigger UW. Our small size allows meaningful interactions with faculty and opportunities to tailor individual courses of study.  But you will still have access to the vast resources of one of the top "Research-1" universities in the world.

• You will 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, and out in the field, culminating in a student-centered senior thesis using your choice from our cutting edge research facilities:  a world-class research vessel (the RV Thompson or the RV Carson), 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 you for diverse careers with a broad scientific base of knowledge and many opportunities to practice critical and flexible thinking.

  • Who hires our alumni?

    • Government: NOAA, EPA,  USGS, Navy, NSF, Army Corps of Engineers, US Department of Energy, National Park Service, WA Department of Ecology, Puget Sound Partnership, City of Seattle, Port of Seattle

    • Universities: University of Washington, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of Hawaii, University of Alaska

    • Non-Profit: Seattle Aquarium, Pacific Shellfish Institute, Ocean Conservancy, Surfrider Foundation, Greenpeace, Sea Shepard Conservation Society, Oceana, Islandwood

    • Environmental Consulting: Newfields, Foundry10

    • Ocean Tech Companies: OceanGate, Sea-Bird Scientific, Sulmara

    • Private: Nike, Facebook, Taylor Shell Fish, Microsoft, LinkedIn

  • Career Information

    • University of Washington Career Center
    • College of the Environment Career Blog
    • Annual UW Environmental Career Fair
    • University of Washington, Oceanography Alumni Group on LinkedIn (for UW Oceanography Alumni ONLY)
    • Marine Biology Job Listings