Université du Québec à Rimouski offers MA/MS in Oceanography, a master's degree in Marine Science programme in Rimouski, Canada. The programme runs for 2 years, delivered on campus. Tuition for international students is CAD 24,918 per year (CAD 4,408 per year for local students).
This Master of Science in Oceanography trains students to conduct research into marine phenomena through a thesis-based, 45-credit program built around a 27-credit research project. Core coursework in general and experimental oceanography is paired with two elective courses drawn from areas such as marine ecology, marine chemistry, or aquaculture, and students specialize in one of four areas: chemical, biological, geological, or physical oceanography. In their first term, students take part in a research mission aboard the Coriolis II research vessel, giving early exposure to shipboard data collection methods. The program is delivered full-time, in person, at the Rimouski campus, with courses held on weekdays during day and evening hours. Admission requires applicants to secure written agreement from an ISMER thesis supervisor before being accepted, in addition to holding a bachelor's degree in a natural science or engineering field and meeting French-language requirements. The structure suits students seeking disciplinary research training grounded in biology, environmental science, geology, physics or chemistry who want to move directly into supervised marine-science research rather than a purely course-based master's. The thesis requirement and mandatory supervisor arrangement mean successful applicants typically have already identified a research focus and faculty mentor before starting.
Requirements
Minimum GPA:3.20 / 4.3
Admission Requirements: Applicants need a bachelor's degree in a relevant natural-science or engineering discipline, such as biology, environmental science, geography, geology, physics, chemistry or engineering, with a cumulative average of at least 3.2/4.3 for Quebec credentials, or 12/20 for credentials from outside Quebec. Before applying, candidates must secure the written, in-principle acceptance of a thesis director among the faculty designated by ISMER. The application must include a roughly 500-word letter of motivation, two confidential reference reports, and an official transcript and diploma, with a birth certificate required except for Quebec residents applying on the university-studies basis. As with all UQAR programs, applicants must meet the French Language Mastery Policy, providing an accepted French test (TEF 460, TCF 460 or Bright Language 3.5 across written comprehension, oral comprehension and written expression) if their diploma does not exempt them, and sitting the institutional French exam on arrival with a mandatory French course required on failure.
Application Details
Start Date:September, January and May
Application Deadline:UQAR divides its academic year into fall, winter and summer trimesters; most programmes admit for fall and several also for winter or summer, and for non-contingented programmes an application can be filed at any time up to the start of term, making admission effectively rolling, while contingented (quota) programmes each carry their own fixed deadline published on that programme's own page rather than centrally. UQAR applies this same timeline to Canadian and international applicants and does not publish a separate blanket international closing date; international candidates must still secure a Certificat d'acceptation du Quebec and a study permit before arriving, and must upload supporting documents within six weeks of starting an application or the file is closed, so early application is strongly recommended. Admission is therefore rolling except where a specific programme is contingented. These are institution-wide dates; this programme publishes no deadline of its own.
