Oceanography - BS, Ocean Climate Track - 5-Year Bachelor of Science and Master of Ocean Science and Technology
The Department of Oceanography offers a 5-year (3+2) combined degree program that allows a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography major with a track in Ocean Climate to enter the Master of Ocean Science and Technology at the start of their senior year (typically year four) at Texas A&M University. This enables students to receive their Oceanography undergraduate degree (BS) and a Master of Ocean Science and Technology (MOS) graduate degree in five years. For additional information, please visit https://ocean.tamu.edu/.
| First Year | ||
|---|---|---|
| Fall | Semester Credit Hours | |
| CHEM 119 | Fundamentals of Chemistry I | 4 |
| ENGL 104 | Composition and Rhetoric | 3 |
| GEOS 101 | Introduction to the Geosciences | 1 |
| MATH 151 | Engineering Mathematics I 1 | 4 |
| OCNG 251 | Oceanography | 3 |
| OCNG 252 | Oceanography Laboratory | 1 |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Spring | ||
| CHEM 120 | Fundamentals of Chemistry II | 4 |
| MATH 152 | Engineering Mathematics II 1 | 4 |
| PHYS 206 | Newtonian Mechanics for Engineering and Science | 3 |
| PHYS 226 | Physics of Motion Laboratory for the Sciences | 1 |
| American history | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Second Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| BIOL 111 | Introductory Biology I | 4 |
| OCNG 203 | Communicating Oceanography | 1 |
| STAT 211 | Principles of Statistics I | 3 |
| MATH 251 | Engineering Mathematics III | 3 |
| American history | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 14 | |
| Spring | ||
| BIOL 112 | Introductory Biology II | 4 |
| COMM 203 or COMM 205 | Public Speaking or Communication for Technical Professions | 3 |
| MATH 308 | Differential Equations | 3 |
| PHYS 207 | Electricity and Magnetism for Engineering and Science | 3 |
| PHYS 227 | Electricity and Magnetism Laboratory for the Sciences | 1 |
| Technical Elective 3 | 2 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 16 | |
| Third Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| OCNG 420 or OCNG 440 | Biological Oceanography or Chemical Oceanography | 3 |
| OCNG 456 or OCNG 469 | MATLAB Programming for Ocean Sciences or Python for Geosciences | 3 |
| Creative arts | 3 | |
| Government/Political science | 3 | |
| Technical elective 3 | 3 | |
| Track elective 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 18 | |
| Spring | ||
| GEOS 470 | Data Analysis Methods in Geosciences | 4 |
| OCNG 430 | Geological Oceanography | 3 |
| OCNG 481 | Seminar | 1 |
| POLS 207 | State and Local Government | 3 |
| Social and behavioral sciences | 3 | |
| Track elective 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 17 | |
| Fourth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| OCNG 303 | Professional Communication in Oceanography | 3 |
| OCNG 443 | Oceanographic Field and Laboratory Methods | 3 |
| OCNG 608 | Physical Oceanography 4 | 3 |
| OCNG 655 | Experimental Design and Analysis in Oceanography | 3 |
| Track elective 3 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Spring | ||
| OCNG 461 | Advanced Oceanographic Data Analysis and Communication | 3 |
| OCNG 620 or OCNG 640 | Biological Oceanography 4 or Chemical Oceanography | 3 |
| OCNG 657 | Data Methods and Graphical Representation in Oceanography | 3 |
| Language, philosophy and culture | 3 | |
| Track elective 2 | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 15 | |
| Fifth Year | ||
| Fall | ||
| OCNG 656 or OCNG 669 | MATLAB Programming for Ocean Sciences or Python for Geosciences | 3 |
| OCNG 604 | Ocean Observing Systems | 3 |
| Advanced specialzed OCNG graduate course | 3 | |
| Advanced specialzed OCNG graduate course | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Spring | ||
| OCNG 603 | Communicating Ocean Science | 3 |
| OCNG 661 | Advanced Oceanographic Data Analysis and Communication | 3 |
| Advanced specialzed OCNG graduate course | 3 | |
| Advanced specialzed OCNG graduate course | 3 | |
| Semester Credit Hours | 12 | |
| Total Semester Credit Hours | 150 | |
| 1 | A grade of C or better is required. |
| 2 | Select from ATMO 363; BIOL 213, BIOL 214, BIOL 351; CHEM 315, CHEM 362, CHEM 383, CHEM 415; GENE 302; OCNG 350, OCNG 425, OCNG 453, OCNG 456, OCNG 469. |
| 3 | Select from OCNG 400-499, ATMO 201, ATMO 203, ATMO 251, ATMO 300-499; BIOL 213, BIOL 214, BIOL 300-399; BICH 300-499; CHEM 300-499; CVEN 221; GENE 300-499;GEOG 442/GEOS 442, GEOG 361, GEOG 370/MARS 370, GEOG 390; GEOS 442/GEOG 442, GEOS 444; MATH 251; MATH 300-499; PHYS 221; PHYS 300-499; OCEN 300-499; STAT 212, STAT 400-499. |
| 4 | Applied toward both the Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and the Master of Ocean Science and Technology. |
Any of the required courses may be taken during the Summer Sessions to diminish the heavy semester loads during Years 2 and 3.
Students will not be permitted to receive credit for both the 400- and 600-level versions of certain courses because the content and learning outcomes are too similar (OCNG 440/ OCNG 640; GEOS 470/OCNG 655)
The program includes a total of 156 hours with 6 hours being applied toward both the Bachelor of Science in Oceanography and the Master of Ocean Science and Technology.