Thesis-based graduate work in Oceanography is offered at both the Master of Science (M.S.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) levels. Programs are designed to provide the student with a comprehensive understanding of the fundamentals of oceanography, with a core emphasis on communication and data collection/evaluation. Research and thesis completion comprise a significant part of each program.<br>Oceanography is the interdisciplinary science that focuses on the ocean, its contents and its boundaries. Whereas typical graduate programs lead to progressively greater amounts of specialization, oceanography as an interdisciplinary field admits graduates of specialized areas such as biology, chemistry, geology, geophysics, mathematics, physics or engineering and initially generalizes and broadens their education with a core of required courses. These core courses include the four specializations of the oceanography programbiological, chemical, geological/geophysical and physical oceanographyas well as a seminar covering the state of the science. After this exposure to the interdisciplinary nature of oceanography, the graduate student refocuses in his or her particular subject area to pursue research at the leading edge of the science. Work leading to the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is designed to give the candidate a thorough and comprehensive knowledge of his or her professional field and training in methods of research. The Ph.D. program entails 96 credit hours of combined coursework and research when entering with a Bachelor's degree, and 64 when entering with a thesis-based M.S. in a related field.