Oceanography Senior Thesis

2024 Senior Cruise Image 13

Bachelors of Science seniors have a choice of where they do their thesis.  They can take our on-campus 2-quarter long course series, go to our Friday Harbor Lab campus or do an advance SEA Semester science program.  In any of these cases, contact Michelle Townsend to finalize your decision. 

On-campus senior thesis

In this 2-quarter long series of courses (OCEAN 443, 444 and 445), students are closely mentored by a faculty team to design, execute and communicate an original research project on a topic of their own choosing.   This option usually included senior cruise on our research vessel, the R/V Thompson somewhere in the world's ocean.  The Bachelor's of Science requires these courses.  The Bachelor's of Arts does not. 

UW Friday Harbor Labs

Students can pick a research apprenticeship in the Autumn or do the ZOOBOT quarter with an added two credits of research in Spring. They stay in the dorms on this campus for the full quarter.  

SEA Semester

An ocean science, communication, and leadership semester at sea examining the role oceans play in a changing global climate system and how we can best communicate these changes to a broad audience.  Students stay five weeks on the Woods Hole campus and five weeks on a sailing ship.