Seas and oceans play an important role in our day-to-day lives, and over 65% of the world’s population lives or works in coastal areas. Vital for our economy and health – as well as for climate, food, and biodiversity – seas and oceans have immense societal significance. However, the oceans are changing rapidly as human-induced pollution and CO2 emissions lead to global warming and ocean acidification. The impact on organisms, ocean chemistry, and currents on short to long timescales is uncertain, affecting both business and policymaking.

As part of your two-year Master’s programme in Marine Sciences, you will learn how marine systems and processes operate naturally – and how they change through human intervention. The programme offers multidisciplinary cutting-edge information in this rapidly developing field.

Diverse community of students

If you are a science student with an educational background in biology, chemistry, physics, or earth science, this programme offers you the perfect preparation for a career as a marine scientist. Students with a Bachelor's degree in another natural science or technical discipline and students from University Colleges who would like to contribute to the sustainable use of sea and ocean resources are also invited to apply.

Programme Objective

The Marine Sciences Master’s programme will enable you to specialise in the physical, chemical, biological, and geological processes taking place in seas and oceans. You will investigate how seas and oceans functioned in the past, are functioning at present, and will function in the future.

You will explore issues such as energy and climate change, mining, pollution, the flow of traffic at sea, fisheries policies, and coastal defenses. Examining the consequences of these themes – such as the fact that the disappearance of the Arctic’s summer ice cap will allow drilling for oil and gas – requires an multidisciplinary approach.

Careers:

As a Utrecht University Marine Sciences graduate you will be able to work in a highly specialised research field. You will also be equipped with a complete set of skills to work in diverse positions in organisations focussing on marine processes in the public or private sectors. This Master’s programme also provides a solid basis for a PhD if your ambition is to become an independent scientific researcher.