Ocean Science

Ocean science is an interdisciplinary field that addresses one of the most complex and consequential systems on Earth. The ocean covers more than seventy percent of the planet's surface, drives global climate, absorbs vast quantities of carbon dioxide, and supports the biodiversity and fisheries on which hundreds of millions of people depend. Understanding how ocean systems work, how they are changing under climate pressure, and how human activity is affecting them is an urgent scientific challenge that requires the combination of physical, chemical, biological, and geological knowledge that ocean science provides.

At the University of Plymouth, this three-year programme begins with a foundation year that introduces you to the breadth, importance, and interdisciplinary nature of ocean science, building scientific literacy, critical thinking, and communication skills before you engage with the main degree curriculum. Once into the degree you will study the physical and chemical dynamics of the ocean, marine ecology and biodiversity, oceanographic research methods, and the environmental challenges facing marine systems. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and a year abroad, alongside embedded work placement opportunities, giving you direct professional experience in marine or oceanographic contexts and international exposure to different ocean science communities.

Graduates from ocean science programmes go on to work in marine environmental consultancy, government ocean agencies, research institutions, fisheries management, conservation organisations, offshore energy, and port and harbour authorities. The combination of physical, biological, and environmental knowledge the degree provides is directly applicable wherever the health and dynamics of the ocean matter to human decisions. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in oceanography, marine biology, environmental science, or marine conservation, and doctoral research is a common route for those drawn to scientific careers at the frontier of ocean knowledge.