Students in the Marine Biosciences Program are exposed to a broad spectrum of modern approaches to understand the organization and function of biological systems in marine environments. The Marine Biosciences Program is highly integrative and students are exposed to a wide range of subjects in their course work and research projects, from molecular biology and biochemistry to ecology and ecosystem studies. Areas of faculty interest within the program span the ecology, physiology, genetics, and molecular biology of plants, animals and microbes. Faculty research specializations are particularly concentrated in: microbial physiology and molecular ecology; larval ecology and molecular biology; chemical ecology; fisheries ecology; aquacultural genetics and genomics; wetland restoration. In addition to the sophisticated classroom and laboratory facilities available, students enjoy ready access to a variety of marine ecosystems near the Hugh R. Sharp Campus in Lewes: dunes, salt marshes, mudflats, estuaries, and the Atlantic Ocean. Field research takes place from the Arctic to the Antarctic, in environments ranging from coral reefs to deep- sea hydrothermal vents, to local salt marshes and coastal waters.
Application procedure
Application Procedures and Requirements for Admission
Application Deadline: The University permits each program to establish its application deadline. Applicants should refer to the information given in the academic department segment of this catalog and/or check with the department to which they are applying for specific application deadlines and for other specific admission requirements. Applicants can reference the general Applicant Deadlines web page at: http://grad.udel.edu/apply/application-deadlines/. The University deadlines for application to a graduate degree program if not specified otherwise by a program is July 1 for fall semester, December 1 for spring semester, and April 1 for summer session.
On-line applications are required and may be accessed at http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/applicants/. All applicant related documents should be uploaded into the online graduate application. Completion of the on-line graduate application includes the following:
- A $75 nonrefundable application fee submitted with the application. Credit card payment is accepted. Checks must be made payable to the University of Delaware. Applications received without the application fee will not be processed. Foreign students must use a check drawn on a U.S. bank or an International Postal Money Order. See established application fee waiver categories at http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/apply/appfee.html.
- Applicants must list and upload unofficial transcripts of all post-high school academic work from all institutions attended. For institutions outside of the United States that issue transcripts in a foreign language, a course-by-course English translation must be uploaded along with the original language document. Refer to http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/apply/transcript.html for additional information. The Office of Graduate and Professional Education verifies all transcript related documents. If any document is found to have been altered or falsified, the University reserves the right of expulsion.
- Applicants must submit a Personal Statement or answer specific questions or essays as part of the application; a Resume; also, some programs require Supplemental Information Forms. Refer to http://www.udel.edu/gradoffice/apply/ for more information about these forms.
- Most applicants must submit three letters of recommendation, but some programs require fewer. Please check the program’s web page.
- The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) admission test scores are required by most departments and some departments also require subject test scores. Applicants for the Master of Business Administration or the Master of Science in Accounting program must submit their Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores. Applicants should refer to the information given in the academic department segment of this catalog for specific admission test score requirements in each department. Applicants should request Education Testing Services (ETS) to report official test scores directly to the University of Delaware. The University of Delaware’s institutional code for ETS is 5811. Applicants are encouraged to upload student copies of tests scores with the application. Applicants may self-report scores within the application.
- International student applicants must demonstrate a satisfactory level of proficiency in the English language if English is not the first language. The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) is offered by the Educational Testing Service in test centers throughout the world. The University requires an official paper-based TOEFL score of at least 550 or at least 79 on the Internet-based TOEFL (iBT) for an applicant to be considered for admission. The University expects a minimum score of 18 on the Internet-based Speaking Test. TOEFL scores more than two years old cannot be validated or considered official. Some programs will accept the IELTS, the International English Language Testing System, that is jointly managed by the University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations, British Council and IDP: IELTS Australia. A band score of 6.5 is expected by the University.
- International students applying for a teaching assistantship must report a paper-based TOEFL score of at least 600 or at least 100 iBT with a speaking score of 20. TOEFL scores more than two years old cannot be validated and cannot be considered official. In addition, international students who are awarded teaching assistantships must attend a month-long training program held in late July and through the third week of August at the University of Delaware’s English Language Institute. Eligibility of the international student to be appointed as a teaching assistant is determined by the student’s TSE/SPEAK and UDIA (University of Delaware Instructional Assessment) scores at the conclusion of this session. The UDIA, a teaching test, supplements the TSE/SPEAK by assessing overall language, cultural, questioning, and basic teaching skills as the ITA (International Teaching Assistant) teaches to a group of students in their subject area. Students who do not achieve the appropriate scores may find that their funding in the department is terminated.
- International students must be offered admission to the University and provide evidence of adequate financial resources before a student visa will be issued. The University has been authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. The University has more than 1000 international graduate students enrolled from more than 96 countries. International students are required to purchase the University-sponsored insurance plan or its equivalent.
- Application procedures for senior citizens are the same as for other applicants. The admission application fee and tuition fees will be waived for senior citizen students 60 years of age and older who meet the Delaware residency requirement when admitted to a graduate program. Senior citizens who desire to enroll in graduate courses but who do not seek a degree should contact Professional and Continuing Studies or the Academy of Lifelong Learning for registration information.
- It is a Delaware State Board of Health regulation and a University of Delaware mandate that all graduate students with a birth date after January 1, 1957, be immunized for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR). Also, students may be required to provide evidence of PPD (Mantoux) Tuberculosis Screening Test within six months prior to beginning classes. Students are required to show proof of vaccination against meningococcal disease unless granted a waiver. Students should refer to and complete the Student Health Service Immunization Documentation form upon admission.
Grant opportunities
Application Procedures for Fellowships and Assistantships
Of the approximately 2,700 full-time graduate students, nearly 2,000 receive financial awards. Fellowships, tuition scholarships, assistantships, and internships are awarded on the basis of merit. Application for fellowship or assistantship awards is a part of the admission application form. U.S. applicants are strongly encouraged to complete a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form. Applicants should apply by February 1st in most programs to be considered for financial awards. In some fields, funding from the University may be fully committed by March 15. Awarded financial aid is granted to full-time degree students with regular status who are in good academic standing. The award is valid for the term designated. Information on fellowships and assistantships may be obtained from the department to which the student is applying.
The application deadline for need-based financial assistance (FAFSA) is March 1. Refer to the Graduate Fellowships and Assistantships for details about the various kinds of financial assistance available through various lending agencies.
Learning outcomes
- Physiology of Marine Organisms
- Marine Molecular Sciences
- Marine Biology/Biochemistry
- Physical Oceanography
- Geological Oceanography
- Chemical Oceanography
- International and National Ocean Policies
Prerequisites
Admission to the graduate programs of the School is based on GRE scores, grade point averages, letters of recommendation, and other appropriate information. Prospective students apply online through the University Office of Professional and Graduate Education.
Subsequent evaluation of the applications for Master of Science (MS), Master of Marine Policy (MMP), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is conducted by the respective Associate Directors in consultation with relevant faculty members. The Associate Director forwards a recommendation for admission to the Director, who makes final decisions concerning admission.
International students are also required to take the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), to be considered for admission. A minimum score 95 must be achieved by applicants taking the TOEFL IBT exam. No exceptions will be made to this minimum. The IELTS may not be taken in lieu of the TOEFL exam.
Before qualified applicants are admitted to the School, a specific faculty member must be identified as the primary advisor for the admitted applicant. The Director appoints the faculty advisor pro tem; at the initiative of faculty or applicant, the advisor may be changed. When an appropriate advisor cannot be identified, the relevant Associate Director acts as the point of contact for the applicant regarding academic issues.
ISCED Categories