Oceans and Fisheries
| Degrees Offered: Ph.D., M.Sc. |
Members
Professors
W. Cheung, V. Christensen, S. Donner, C. Harley, E. Pakhomov, D. Pauly, R. Sumaila, C. Suttle, A. Trites, A. Vincent.
Associate Professor
M. McAllister.
Assistant Professors
M. Auger-Méthé, B. Hunt, A. Reid, D. Rosen.
Professors Emeriti
D. Newell, T. Pitcher, C. Walters.
Program Overview
The Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF) provides interdisciplinary graduate studies through the Oceans and Fisheries graduate program (OCF). The mission of IOF is to lead the way to healthy and sustainable marine and freshwater systems through excellent research, inspirational education, and innovative societal engagement. The graduate program trains marine and freshwater scientists to undertake basic and applied research that will help foster healthy marine and freshwater ecosystems and sustainable resource use. Students will deepen and broaden their interdisciplinary expertise by acquiring in-depth training in fisheries science, aquatic ecology, environmental physiology, natural resource economics, marine governance, and climate change. In doing so, students will develop the research capacity and knowledge translation skills necessary for rewarding careers in academia, industry, government, NGOs and consulting.
Students in OCF formulate and follow academic programs that are specific to their individual educational goals and that can draw on the expertise of faculty at UBC and other affiliated universities, and also the private and public sectors. To enable this, OCF offers either a 12 credit thesis or 18 credit thesis Master of Science degree, and a Ph.D. degree. Graduate student supervisors are chosen from the IOF, and other units and departments within the faculties of Science, Forestry, Arts, and Land and Food Systems.
Doctor of Philosophy
Admission Requirements
Students must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies PhD degree admission requirements.
English language requirements for admission to the program are higher than the minimum specified by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please see English Language Proficiency Standards and GRE Requirements for more details.
Program Requirements
- Candidates admitted to the Ph.D. program will be required to take FISH 500 (3).
- Additional coursework is to be selected in consultation with the student's supervisory committee and is to be approved by the IOF graduate advisor.
- For further details on program requirements please refer to the departmental program website
- Candidates must pass a comprehensive examination taken within 24 months of registering in the program.
- Candidates must be enrolled in FISH 699 beginning in the second term of the 2nd year.
The expected time to completion is 4 years.
Master of Science
Admission Requirements
Students must meet the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies master’s degree admission requirements.
English language requirements for admission to the program are higher than the minimum specified by the Faculty of Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies. Please see English Language Proficiency Standards and GRE Requirements for more details.
Program Requirements
The M.Sc. in Oceans and Fisheries requires a minimum of 30 credits, including either a 12-credit or 18-credit thesis (FISH 549(12/18)).
Students writing the 12-credit thesis must complete a minimum of 18 credits of courses. Students writing the 18-credit thesis must complete a minimum of 12 credits of courses.
Students completing a 12-credit thesis must complete: FISH 500 (3), FISH 520 (6) and 9 credits of electives.
Students completing an 18-credit thesis must complete FISH 500 (3) and 9 credits of electives.
Students have flexibility in their choice of elective courses including graduate courses and up to 3 credits of senior undergraduate courses. For specific program requirements, including required courses and suggested elective courses for the 12-credit thesis and the 18-credit streams please refer to the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries M.Sc. program website. Together with a research supervisor, students may also design their own courses in the form of a “Directed Studies” supervised by a faculty member. Students’ academic program must be approved by the supervisory committee and the IOF graduate advisor.
Research conceived independently of the student’s research supervisor is encouraged. However, the minimum requirement for the M.Sc. degree is to successfully complete directed research. The expected time to completion is two years.
Elective Categories
- Ocean and Fisheries Assessment and Scientific Methods: EOSC 478, FISH 504, FISH 505, FISH 509, FISH 510, EOSC 573, EOSC 578, EOSC 510.
- Ecological, Economic & Social Studies. FISH 501, FISH 502, FISH 506, FISH 508, EOSC 575, RES 510.
- Governance & Policy. FISH 503, FISH 507, RES 586, FISH 520 (if the student is in the 18 credit thesis stream (see below)).
- Aboriginal Ocean and Fisheries Management. FISH 506.
- Conservation Science. BIOL 416, RES 506.
- Science Communication. ANTH 478, FRST 544, FRST 545.
No more than 3 credits at the senior undergraduate level (300- or 400-level) may count towards the 30 credits required to complete the M.Sc.
Students’ academic program must be approved by the supervisory committee and the IOF graduate advisor.
The expected time to completion is 2 years.
Contact Information
Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries
AERL 2202 Main Mall
Vancouver, B.C. Canada V6T 1Z4
Tel: 604-822-2731
Email: graduate.program@oceans.ubc.ca
Website: www.oceans.ubc.ca
