About this Program

The masters in Ocean & Earth Science integrated curriculum uses active learning by promoting research and education. It is designed to give graduates the skill sets to prepare them for a range of careers in academia, and the public and private sectors. The graduate program in OEAS draws from the strength of our diverse faculty and their active research programs that span the globe. Graduate students have the opportunity to take part in research projects among a broad suite of field sites from the local waters of the Chesapeake Bay to the polar regions.

Program Highlights

  • Our graduate students present their research at national conferences, including the American Geophysical Union, Ocean Sciences and the Geological Society of America meetings

  • Community building is a strong aspect of graduate life in our Department thanks to our active Graduate Student Organization

  • Many of our graduate students participate in sea-going research expeditions around the world

  • We have faculty doing active research from here in Hampton Roads to the Arctic and Antarctic

AT A GLANCE
Degree Level
Graduate
Degree Earned
Master of Science
Delivery Modes
On-Campus

Careers

Check out these ideas from ODU's Center for Career & Leadership Development and the Occupational Information Network (O*NET). A median salary is a midpoint of what people typically earn—half of those surveyed earned above the median salary, and half earned below.

Environmental Science Teachers, Postsecondary

$87,660 Median Salary

Teach courses in environmental science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Hydrologists

Research the distribution, circulation, and physical properties of underground and surface waters; and study the form and intensity of precipitation, its rate of infiltration into the soil, movement through the earth, and its return to the ocean and atmosphere.

Forestry and Conservation Science Teachers, Postsecondary

$93,200 Median Salary

Teach courses in forestry and conservation science. Includes both teachers primarily engaged in teaching and those who do a combination of teaching and research.

Geoscientists, Except Hydrologists and Geographers

$105,830 Median Salary

Study the composition, structure, and other physical aspects of the Earth. May use geological, physics, and mathematics knowledge in exploration for oil, gas, minerals, or underground water; or in waste disposal, land reclamation, or other environmental problems. May study the Earth's internal composition, atmospheres, oceans, and its magnetic, electrical, and gravitational forces. Includes mineralogists, crystallographers, paleontologists, stratigraphers, geodesists, and seismologists.

Requirements

What are the requirements to apply for Ocean & Earth Sciences at ODU?
Students entering the Master of Science program in Ocean & Earth Sciences should meet the minimum university admission requirements Graduate Admission.

Cost of Attendance

We believe in providing students with transparent and accessible information about the cost of attendance. 

Review the estimated tuition rates for the 2024-25 academic year (subject to change). Non-resident rates are charged for anyone who is not a current Virginia resident, including international students.

Virginia Resident
Cost Per-Credit $620
Technology Delivered Courses Outside Virginia and/or the United States
Cost Per-Credit $642
Non-Resident
Cost Per-Credit $1,486

Ways to Fund Your Degree

There are a few ways for you to save on the cost of attending Old Dominion University, including scholarships, assistantships, and student loans. For more details about financial aid at Old Dominion, visit the Financial Aid Office page.

Scholarships

Dorothy Brown Smith Scholarship for New Students: $30,000, plus tuition, health insurance, and up to $2,000 in research supplies or travel. These scholarships are available to exceptional STEM majors applying to the OEAS M.S. and Ph.D. programs for the first time. Evaluation criteria include: GPA, GRE scores and research experience. Other scholarships available to current students are listed on the Ocean, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences site.

Contact

Graduate Program Coordinator

337 OCEANOGRAPHY & PHYSICS BLDG
NORFOLK, 23529