Biological Oceanography

Overview

• First semester: The first semester covers the theoretical and practical fundamentals for the systemic analysis of the marine environment. All first semester modules are compulsory.

• Second semester: Building on the first semester's knowledge, students begin to form their individual focus within the curriculum in compulsory/elective and elective modules. Students also take part in the theory and practice of running research projects.

• Third semester: This semester is devoted to further specialization (including a 9 day research cruise), first contacts to the research group where the individual students plan to do their master's thesis and an introduction to cutting-edge research, instrumentation and literature.

• Fourth semester: Here, students apply the knowledge they have gatheres in the first three semesters toward work on the master's thesis as part of ongoing research projects (how to start your master thesis). Most students perform their thesis in one of the research groups within FB3 (marine ecology) or within FB2 (Marine Biogeochemistry).

Occupational fields/employments: 

Graduates of the Biological Oceanography program from University of Kiel are especially qualified for work in the fields of research and teaching, for example of marine science institutes, universities etc., but also in areas as:

• Marine environmental monitoring for environmental authorities and fisheries research institutions

• Environmental Management: Assessment and monitoring of existing biological, energy and mineral resources and their environmentally friendly use

• Private sector: e.g. environmental analysis, marine consultants, maritime technology (shipping, pipeline projects, offshore wind farms, etc.) 

• Food industry (marine food supplements) 

• Pharmacy and medicine (biologically active substances from the sea) 

• Science journalism, science publishers

• etc.