Overview
The Graduate School of Oceanography (GSO) of the University of Rhode Island offers instruction leading to the Master of Science and the Doctor of Philosophy degrees in biological, chemical, physical, and geological oceanography as well as in interdisciplinary and related areas such as atmospheric chemistry. GSO now offers a non-thesis degree, the Master of Oceanography (MO).
URI/GSO Bay Campus Click for larger image (320 KB)
GSO is one of the largest and most widely known graduate schools of oceanography in the United States, with approximately 100 students currently enrolled and more than 600 alumni. It is the cornerstone of an array of marine programs at the University, providing the opportunity for students in several other graduate programs to conduct research in marine-related areas.
Interest in the marine sciences and oceanography at the University of Rhode Island dates back to the mid-1930s when the Narragansett Marine Laboratory was established. With significant reorganization and considerable expansion, the initial marine program became the University's Graduate School of Oceanography in 1961. In 1971, the University was designated one of the original group of national Sea Grant Colleges. The Sea Grant College Program, which emphasizes applied marine studies and public service, involves departments and faculty members throughout the University and is under the supervision of the Vice Provost for Marine Programs, who is also Dean of the Graduate School of Oceanography. In 1989, the Graduate School of Oceanography was named a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center of Excellence in coastal marine studies. Recently, the National Research Council ranked the Graduate School of Oceanography's Ph.D. program one of the best in the country and fifth among oceanographic institutions.
The Graduate School of Oceanography is located on the Narragansett Bay Campus, six miles from the University's main campus in Kingston, and, as a center for marine studies, is ideally situated on the shore of the West Passage of the bay.
Research at the Bay Campus is conducted on approximately 200 research programs which have a combined budget of approximately $23 million in federal funds. This research ranges from the dynamics of present-day ocean circulation to the nature of ocean circulation 100 million years ago, and from the role of bacteria in carbon cycles to the communication of whales and dolphins. The research activities at GSO require an extensive and specialized array of scientific and technical equipment and services. Many of the laboratories and instrument facilities are state-of-the-art and unique to GSO.
