The School of Oceanography offers a unique undergraduate major program leading to a either a Bachelor of Science or a Bachelor of Arts in Oceanography that integrates a foundation in biology, chemistry, physics and geology into science of the marine environment.  Ample opportunities for field and research experience exist. 

The Bachelor of Science program culminaties in a senior thesis in areas such as biological, chemical, physical oceanography, marine geology and geophysics, or ocean technology.

The Oceanography Bachelor of Arts degree provides a solid background in the basic principles of Oceanography using the same foundational core as the Bachelor of Science degree. The B. A. diverges from the B. S. during the senior year, with additional flexibility that allows students to tailor their course of study to their individual interest in other areas of the sciences or humanities. 

To see a prerequisite map of how our courses work together, go here.

Oceanography has a departmental honors program.  This will give you honors with distinction upon graduation.  You do not need to be accepted to the UW Honors Program to recieve oceanography honors.  

The Oceanography minor is designed for students pursuing other degrees to tailor their studies to the marine environment. The minor could also serve as a background for a career in teaching, administration, marine affairs, environmental studies, production, inspection, ocean engineering, instrumentation development, and statistical analysis.  Oceanography partners with other departments to support interdisciplinary minors in Marine Biology, Climate Science, Arctic Studies and Data Science.

Although not a formal degree, tailoring elective coursework within the Ocean Technology Program allows students to develop skills that are highly valued by future employers.