URI's Graduate School of Oceanography

The Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) of the University of Rhode Island offers instruction leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanography as well as in interdisciplinary and related areas such as atmospheric chemistry. GSO now offers a non-thesis degree, the Master of Oceanography (MO).

GSO is one of the largest and most widely known graduate schools of oceanography in the United States, with approximately 100 students currently enrolled and more than 600 alumni. It is the cornerstone of an array of marine programs at the University, providing the opportunity for students in several other graduate programs to conduct research in marine-related areas.

Research at the Bay Campus is conducted on approximately 200 research programs which have a combined budget of approximately $23 million in federal funds. This research ranges from the dynamics of present-day ocean circulation to the nature of ocean circulation 100 million years ago, and from the role of bacteria in carbon cycles to the communication of whales and dolphins. The research activities at GSO require an extensive and specialized array of scientific and technical equipment and services. Many of the laboratories and instrument facilities are state-of-the-art and unique to GSO.

Find out more about the Graduate School of Oceanography