Marine science majors often work in aquaculture (raising aquatic organisms for food), for governmental or non-profit conservation organizations, or in research. With a master's or doctoral degree, you can also become a marine surveying or mineral exploration specialist.
Job opportunities are available right across the globe. The average graduate earns about $$65,500 per year.
Along with the life sciences and physics, marine science is one of the few fields where major new discoveries are likely in our lifetime. 70% of the earth's surface is covered in ocean, and frankly we don't know all that much about it. This is especially true about the deepest parts and how human activities will end up affecting marine life in the coming decades.
Also like biology and physics, marine science has plenty of useful real-world applications, especially in terms of conservation and resource extraction. Unlike in those other disciplines, however, marine scientists are expected to be generalists. Geology, oceanography, chemistry, mathematics, physics, ecology, and biology are all covered at an undergraduate level. Even if you later choose not to work in marine science as such, a broad knowledge of science is an incredibly useful thing to have.
Typical undergraduate specializations include aquaculture, marine biology, biological or physical oceanography, and coastal resource management. A good balance of academic study, lab practice, and fieldwork is maintained. In many cases, it's also desirable to spend as much as a year studying abroad to gain first-hand experience of different marine ecosystems.
The most successful students are often those with the ability to synthesize knowledge. In other words, it's great if you can interpret large amounts of raw data and draw conclusions based on your knowledge of several different sciences. Attention to detail, an interest in environmental issues, and a willingness to get your hands dirty will also stand you in good stead.
The college admissions process in the US has become a race to the bottom as students compete with their peers for a single spot in a liberal arts college, convinced by parents and guidance counselors that their survival rests on playing a musical instrument or varsity sport. Many smart kids don’t do well on standardized tests. This doesn’t limit them as much when looking outside of the US, as many colleges in Europe do not require standardized tests. Many countries see entry into universities as a right, rather than a privilege, so admission standards are not as stringent.
When you also factor in the many problems with US higher education, it is imprudent not to consider other possibilities. It is true there are many excellent schools in the United States—I don’t think anyone would argue that. There are some that have managed to look at applicants as people, and not just a checklist of achievements. Some even have reasonable tuition rates, and/or professors that actively teach and have highly engaged students. Despite this, I have yet to find a school in the United States that addresses all of these issues: allows students to opt out of the rat race the admissions process has become, have reasonable tuition, AND have positive results around the educational experience and post-graduation outcomes. Not every school in Europe provides all this either, but the schools listed in our database do.
Finding these programs is burdensome, difficult, and confusing, especially with institutional websites in foreign languages... We know that making the decision to study abroad can be difficult, so we want to make it easy for you. We scoured the continent for vetted programs and made them available to thousands of families looking to leave the US and find a better life in Europe. We found over 11,200 degrees, 870 universities, 550 cities, and 32 European countries to choose from. Europe offers an impressive range of educational opportunities!
We have gathered all of the information you need to know about studying in Europe – from the different types of schools available to how to get housing and everything in between. Our database helps you find these programs quickly and easily, helping you contextualize the many benefits and options around higher education in Europe.
You will be able to find programs and courses that suit your interests and needs, taught in English by experienced professors in state-of-the-art facilities. Search our database of English-taught European bachelor's and master's programs and get started on your journey to Europe today.
Travel opportunities abound when attending college in Europe. For example, Lille, a city in northern France with multiple universities, is close to major cities such as Brussels, London, and Paris via high-speed rail. Air travel, especially with the rise of affordable airlines like Ryanair, EasyJet, and Transavia, can be comparable in price to rail travel, so many more destinations open up for short-term travel.
