University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa
Marine Biology Graduate Program
Creating future leaders in Marine Science
Begin Your Adventure
The Marine Biology Graduate Program is an interdisciplinary program co-administered by the College of Natural Sciences and the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology, offering MS and PhD degrees in Marine Biology.
Marine biological studies at the University of Hawaiʻi have a long history of excellent research and graduate training in highly competitive programs like Botany, Microbiology, Oceanography, and Zoology. The Marine Biology Graduate Program provides graduate students access to experts in all of these disciplines. We encourage you to have a look and explore what we offer.
What We Offer
The faculty and students in this program have access to one of largest coral reef habitats in the United States including the Main Hawaiian Islands, the Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument, and the U.S. Affiliated Pacific Islands.
The unique location of the Hawaiian Archipelago in the central North Pacific Ocean makes it one of the most remote locations in the world allowing the processes that govern adaptation and evolution in the marine environment to be studied with minimal anthropogenic influence.
The program emphasizes scientific training in marine biology as a high demand, interdisciplinary occupation for the future.
Our Partners
This program takes advantage of the 40+ faculty members whose research interests span the study of marine ecosystems, marine biogeochemical processes, reef and oceanic fisheries, and human/marine interactions.
We also partner with state and federal agencies such as the Pacific Islands Fisheries Science Center for NOAA, the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources, and the Department of Business, Economic Development, and Tourism to offer research and internship opportunities.
Degrees Available
Our Program offers the following two degrees in Marine Biology:
Sponsorship
In graduate school, a student is mentored by a primary advisor who provides mentorship, laboratory space and resources for students to perform research.
Identification of a sponsor involves finding a Marine Biology graduate faculty mentor who agrees to consider your application for a space in their lab where you can perform your graduate research and training.
Identification of a sponsor is not required to apply. However, students must be sponsored by a Marine Biology faculty member to be admitted. Visit this page for more information about identifying a graduate faculty advisor.
Prospective Students
Students are expected to have strong undergraduate or MS training in biological oceanography, biology, botany, environmental science, marine biology, microbiology, zoology, or other life sciences.
We encourage you to prepare academically before applying to the program, as the time required to take courses in order to have the necessary knowledge after enrollment may hinder your graduate progress in the program.
Contact Us
For our current students visit the Intranet.