Dalhousie University offers MA/MS in Oceanography, a master's degree in Marine Science programme in Halifax, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years. Tuition for international students is CAD 19,382 per year (CAD 11,303 per year for local students).
At a glance
Degree:Master's Degree
Field:Marine Science
Duration: 2 years
Local tuition: CAD 11,303 / year
International tuition: CAD 19,382 / year
Information for the 2027/28 academic year · Last reviewed September 2026 ·
Program details
Overview
The Master of Science in Oceanography is a thesis-based graduate program delivered in person at Dalhousie's Halifax campus, open to full-time and part-time students, with standard completion of two years or longer. As with other thesis-based Dalhousie graduate degrees, students work with a faculty supervisor to design, carry out, and defend an original research project rather than completing a coursework-only degree. The department gives students access to specialized research infrastructure, including a large running seawater system with environmentally controlled rooms, high-pressure facilities for simulating deep-sea conditions, and large tanks used for fish studies, supporting research with both theoretical and applied components. Halifax's coastal location and marine research community are presented as advantages for students pursuing ocean-focused research. Admission is handled through the Faculty of Graduate Studies alongside the oceanography program's specific requirements, and prospective students are directed to the graduate coordinator for further guidance. The program suits students seeking hands-on, supervised research training in physical, biological, or chemical oceanography, with graduates going on to careers as researchers, educators, government or industry consultants, and other roles spanning academia, policy, and applied science.
Requirements
Admission Requirements: The Oceanography (MSc) page does not set out its own admission requirements; it defers entirely to Dalhousie's Faculty of Graduate Studies minimum requirements and to the Department of Oceanography's graduate FAQ page, and no department-specific minimum average, prerequisite courses, or degree type is published on the programme page itself. For English-language proficiency, Dalhousie's institution-wide policy (linked from the same admissions pathway) requires, for example, IELTS Academic 6.5 overall with no band below 6.0, or TOEFL iBT 90 overall with no section below 20, unless the applicant is exempt. The programme is thesis-based, offered full-time or part-time in person, and applicants must arrange supervision with a faculty member before applying; no portfolio, interview or work-experience requirement is stated on the page.
Application Details
Application Deadline:Dalhousie's live Dates and Deadlines page still shows the September 2026 entry cycle as of mid-September 2026, not the 2027 cycle. For that cycle, Bachelor of Science (Nursing), Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Science (Medical Sciences) and Bachelor of Social Work close February 15, 2026; the Bachelor of Environmental Design Studies (Architecture) closes March 1, 2026; and the Health Sciences post-diploma option closes June 15, 2026. All other undergraduate programmes are considered on a rolling, space-available basis for both domestic and international applicants, with no separate international closing date published; May 15, 2026 is only the deposit and English-proficiency deadline, not an application deadline. Dalhousie has not yet published September 2027 entry dates. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
