Applying to the program

The Graduate Program in Ocean Sciences is accepting applications for admissions in Fall 2024, due early January.

A full list of application requirements is available on the applications website. Broadly speaking, you should expect to provide a summary of your background, academic transcripts, and contact information for three people who can write you letters of reference. You will also be asked to write a personal statement which addresses the following questions:
Please address the following questions:

1. What brings you to pursue a PhD in Ocean Sciences? We are looking for evidence that you are passionate about the discipline, and why a research-based graduate degree will help you to achieve your goals. (please limit to one page, single spaced)

2. The graduate student experience can involve a range of challenges. Describe an example of how you demonstrated resilience and/or perseverance in the pursuit of your academic goals or in your personal life and how you have grown as a result. (please limit to half a page, single spaced)

3. It is important for researchers to stay curious and be willing to question their own and other’s work in the pursuit of great science. Please describe a time when you worked on something you were excited about, either academic or personal, in which you exhibited these qualities. If you have had the opportunity to conduct your own research, this would be a great time to tell us about it. (please limit to half a page, single spaced)

4. Pursuing a PhD seeks to advance our understanding of the world beyond current knowledge. Describe a specific topic of research which you could pursue at USC. This topic need not become the actual topic of your thesis research, but please describe why you are excited about the research and which Ocean Sciences faculty group (or groups) you would be interested in joining. (please limit to half a page, single spaced)

5. (Optional) Please add anything you would like to say in support of your application or anything you would like us to know about your application that is not addressed by the questions above. (please limit to one page or less)

Here we also provide here a few pointers, and even more information is available in the FAQs below!

1. Reach out to faculty whose research is of interest to you. Students are typically admitted to the program linked to a particular thesis advisor with whom they intend to pursue a PhD. It’s best to get started early with the process of identifying faculty whose research is of interest to you, and starting a discussion about common scientific interests.

2. A non-traditional background is ok. It is important, both for yourself and for your advisor, to have some indication that you have the skills to succeed at independent scientific research. But those skills can be demonstrated in many ways, not just limited to traditional academic pathways but also including a diverse array of life experiences. If you think you have the commitment and determination to pursue a PhD, don’t let the lack of a traditional background stop you from starting a conversation with advisors about research.

3. Don’t let the application fee be an impediment to submitting an application. If the application fee presents a hardship, contact Faculty Directors Seth John (sethjohn@usc.edu) or Naomi Levine (n.levine@usc.edu) and we can easily arrange a waiver.

Apply here

FAQs

Learn more about the program by reading answers to some commonly asked questions.

  • Students should have at least a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, preferably in a technical field. Some prior research experience is always useful, among other things because it helps students to determine whether a research-intensive PhD program is the right choice for them, but is not required.

    A passion for science and the ability to work creatively, diligently, and independently are necessary for any PhD program. Beyond that, students come to oceanography from a wide variety of backgrounds.

  • Certainly not!

    Many students come to ocean sciences with degrees in basic sciences such as chemistry, biology, or physics, as well as engineering and mathematics.

    The graduate school curriculum is designed to introduce all incoming graduate students to basic oceanographic concepts in their first two years, preparing them for a successful graduate experience.

  • No, it’s a “Graduate Program”.

    The “Ocean Sciences” faculty all have primary appointments in a USC department, usually either the Department of Marine and Environmental Biology (MEB), or the Department of Earth Sciences (ES). Because of this, all Ocean Sciences graduate students wind up also being de facto members of the department in which their advisor holds a primary appointment. The Graduate Program in Ocean Sciences was created so that students can easily bridge between departments and follow a curriculum that focuses on oceanography.

  • If you already know the advisor(s) with whom you would like to work during your PhD, you might ask them for their advice. Otherwise, you can choose the program which best aligns well with your interests. You can always switch programs later, and your chances of acceptance to USC will not be affected by which program you apply to (see detailed answers below).

    The graduate programs in Ocean Sciences (https://dornsife.usc.edu/oceansciences), Earth Sciences (https://dornsife.usc.edu/earth/graduate/), and Marine and Environmental Biology (https://dornsife.usc.edu/meb/prospective-students/) all follow similar procedures in terms of classes, qualifying exams, and expectations for research. Faculty and students in the OS, ES, and MEB programs all interact regularly, so no matter which program you wind up in you will have the opportunity for collaboration.

  • If your research interests are primarily in the interdisciplinary ocean sciences, as opposed to more strictly in marine biology or earth sciences, applying to the Graduate Program in Ocean Sciences is a good way to indicate this interest. Your application will be quickly and easily seen by all Ocean Sciences faculty.

    The program you choose also determines the official title of your degree, so over the longer term you may want to choose a degree which reflects your research focus.

  • That won’t be necessary.

    Even if you are uncertain which of these programs is the best fit for your graduate studies, there is no need to apply to multiple programs.

    Students can continue to switch programs during the admissions process through discussion with potential advisors, or after acceptance, or during their first years of study, so there is no ‘wrong’ choice for your application.

  • No.

    All students are evaluated by the same admission committees, and decisions are made based on the strength of the application and fit with a potential advisor. The program through which a student has applied does not impact the decision.

  • USC is a great place to pursue a PhD in Ocean Sciences!

    The Ocean SCe

     

    USC Ocean Sciences Faculty include many internationally recognized leaders in the field.

    An active and inclusive graduate student community provides a network of peers to help you succeed.

    Los Angeles is an amazing city with easy access to museums, amazing food, the beach, and the mountains.