Course overview
- Description
The spectacular coastal and marine environments off the vast coastline of Western Australia are shaped by a wide range of dynamic physical, chemical, geological and biological processes occurring within the Indian and Southern Oceans. These ocean processes shape the present and future status of diverse marine ecosystems, how humans interact with the oceans, and the risk to coastal populations from hazards, including climate change. This course emphasises learning through practical work to gain knowledge and skills in oceanography that underpins understanding of a range of marine and coastal systems, with a broad focus extending from the nearshore zone (including beaches and estuaries) to continental shelf waters and the deep ocean. Practical work includes fieldwork, hands-on laboratory work and computer-based problem solving. Application of practical skills and interdisciplinary knowledge in oceanography opens pathways for a wide range of career opportunities. The course will prepare graduates to tackle the challenges presented by rapid climatic and environmental changes occurring within marine and coastal environments.
- Course title
- Master of Oceanography (coursework or coursework and dissertation)
- Award abbreviation
- MOcean
- Course code
- 71590
- Course type
- Master's degree by coursework or by coursework and dissertation
- Status
- Current / 2025
- Administered by
- Earth Sciences
- CRICOS code
- 107555J
Course details
- Intake periods
- Beginning of year and mid-year
- Attendance type
- Full- or part-time (Student visa holders should read Education Services for Overseas Students Act 2000 for more information.)
- Articulation
- The Master of Oceanography has the following exit awards: 74270 Graduate Certificate in Oceanography (24 points) (24 points), 74360 Graduate Diploma in Marine Sciences (48 points) (48 points)
- Credit points required
- 96
A standard full-time load is 24 points per semester. - Standard course duration
- 1.5 years at the minimum volume of learning full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising 72 points of taught units and 24 points of admission credit, as recognised and granted by the School
- Maximum course duration
- 2 years at the maximum volume of learning full-time (or equivalent part-time) comprising up to 96 points of taught study (see Rule 5 for further information)
- Time limit
- 5 years
- Delivery mode
- Multi-mode
- Locations offered
- UWA (Perth)
- Domestic fee type
- Commonwealth supported and/or HECS-HELP; or postgraduate fee-paying/FEE-HELP
- Available to international students
- Yes. For information on international student fees see 'Student Procedures: Fees'. (Enquiries: https://www.uwa.edu.au/askuwa)
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Dr Jeff Hansen
- Fees
- Visit the fees calculator.
Prospective students should see the Future Students website for details on admission requirements, intake periods, fees, availability to international students, careers information etc.
Example Study Plan
See study plans for more information.
Specialisations
Course structure
Key to availability of units:
- S1
- Semester 1
- S2
- Semester 2
- N/A
- not available in 2025 – may be available in 2026 or 2027
- NS
- non-standard teaching period
All units have a value of six points unless otherwise stated.
Students who have not completed a bachelor's degree with a major in Marine Science, Marine and Coastal Processes, or Integrated Earth and Marine Science, or equivalent as recognised by the School of Earth Science and Oceans Graduate School. must complete relevant conversion units up to the value of 24 points from this group, as advised by the School(s):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | CITS1501 | Introduction to Programming with Python | None | Lectures: 2 hours per week for 12 weeks; Labs: 2 hours per week for 10 weeks from week 1. |
| S2 | ENVT3307 | Oceanography |
| lectures: 2 hours per week; laboratories: 2 hours per week from week 2 |
| S1, S2 | ENVT4411 | Geographic Information Systems Applications |
| The total workload for the unit is 150 hours. This includes podcasts for viewing and reading to be undertaken prior to attending one compulsory 3-hour workshop per week where students will be contributing to interactive discussions together with practical lab work using GIS software. Completion of the practical workshop labs is necessary to enable skills for completing written unit assessment. Independent learning is required throughout the unit. |
| S1, S2 | SCIE4403 | Ethical Conduct and Communication in Science | Weekly face-to-face OR online workshops. This unit runs in Semester 1 and Semester 2, and can be taken in either semester. |
Take all units (36 points):
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NS | EART4415 | Coastal Hazards and Adaptation |
| 2 x 4 hour blocks of contact hours per week for six weeks; up to 2 x one day fieldtrips |
| NS | GEOS4413 | Climate Geoscience |
| Lectures and practical work. There may be a one-day field trip (TBC) |
| NS | GEOS5514 | Marine Geoscience |
| 2 x 4 hours workshops per week for 6 weeks |
| S1 | GEOS5515 | Coastal Dynamics |
| 4 hour workshops per week |
| NS | OCEN4008 | Physical Oceanography | 2 x 4 hour workshops per week for 6 weeks | |
| NS | OCEN4010 | Ocean Observational Methods and Modelling | 2 x 4 hour workshops per week for 6 weeks |
Students in the course by coursework only take 6 points:
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | GEOS5596 | Geoscience Internship |
| internship or placement hours as appropriate up to 150 hours. |
Students in the course by coursework and dissertation take 24 points.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S1, S2 | SCIE5517 | Masters Research Project in Oceanography Part 1 |
| Supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program at the start of semester. |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5518 | Masters Research Project in Oceanography Part 2 |
| supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction program starting the week before semester |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5519 | Masters Research Project in Oceanography Part 3 |
| supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction programme starting the week before semester. |
| S1, S2 | SCIE5520 | Masters Research Project in Oceanography Part 4 |
| supervision sessions with one or two supervisors over two semesters; independent research and study. Students are guided in this process through an induction programme starting the week before semester. |
Students in the course by coursework only take 30 points but must include at least 18 points at Level 5. Students in the course by coursework and dissertation take 12 points.
| Availability | Unit code | Unitname | Unit requirements | Contact hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| S2 | ENVT4408 | GIS Programming |
| 42 hours |
| S1 | ENVT4409 | Remote Sensing of the Environment |
| 42 |
| N/A | ENVT5502 | Marine and Coastal Planning and Management |
| 3 hours per week (the total workload for the unit is 150 hours) |
| S1 | ENVT5562 | GIS and Spatial Analysis: Coastal Resilience |
| 150 |
| S2 | ENVT5566 | Advanced Spatial and Environmental Modelling |
| total of 150 hours |
| S2 | OCEN4007 | Renewable Ocean Energy |
| lectures: 3 x 45 mins per week; practical classes: 2 x 1 hrs per week; labs: 3 hours every third week |
| S1 | OCEN5002 | Ocean Engineering and Technology | None | |
| N/A | PLNG5511 | Climate Change Policy and Planning | None | One day a week over six weeks. |
| S1 | SCIE5505 | Global Change and the Marine Environment | 7 hours per week for 6 weeks |
See also the rules for the course and the Student Rules.
Rules
Applicability of the Student Rules, policies and procedures
1.(1) The Student Rules apply to students in this course.
(2) The policy, policy statements and guidance documents and student procedures apply, except as otherwise indicated in the rules for this course.
Academic Conduct Essentials and Communication and Research Skills modules
2.(1) A student who enrols in this course for the first time irrespective of whether they have previously been enrolled in another course of the University, must undertake the Academic Conduct Essentials module (the ACE module) and the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module).
(2) A student must successfully complete the ACE module within the first teaching period of their enrolment. Failure to complete the module within this timeframe will result in the student's unit results from this teaching period being withheld. These results will continue to be withheld until students avail themselves of a subsequent opportunity to achieve a passing grade in the ACE module. In the event that students complete units in subsequent teaching periods without completing the ACE module, these results will similarly be withheld. Students will not be permitted to submit late review or appeal applications regarding results which have been withheld for this reason and which they were unable to access in the normally permitted review period.
English Language competency requirements
3. To be considered eligible for consideration for admission to this course an applicant must satisfy the University's English language competence requirement as set out in the University Policy on Admission: Coursework.
Admission requirements
4. To be considered for admission to this course an applicant must have—
(a) a Bachelor of Science, or an equivalent qualification, as recognised by UWA;
and
(b) the equivalent of a UWA weighted average mark of at least 50 per cent;
and
(c) successfully completed prior tertiary study in—marine science, environmental, engineering or physical sciences; or a related cognate discipline, as recognised by UWA
Admission ranking and selection
5. Where relevant, admission will be awarded to the highest ranked applicants or applicants selected based on the relevant requirements.
Articulations and exit awards
6.(1) This course has the following exit awards:
- 74270 Graduate Certificate in Oceanography (24 points)
- 74360 Graduate Diploma in Marine Sciences (48 points)
(2) A student who withdraws from the Master of Oceanography course before completing it, but after completing 24 points, which includes at least 18 points from course core units and at least 18 points from units offered in the course, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Certificate in Oceanography.
(3) A student who withdraws from the Master of Oceanography course before completing it, but after completing 48 points, which includes at least 24 points from core units and at least 24 points from units offered in the course, may apply to the School to be awarded the Graduate Diploma in Marine Sciences.
Course structure
7.(1) The course consists of units to a total value of 96 points (maximum value) which include conversion units to a value of 24 points.
(2) Units must be selected in accordance with the course structure, as set out in these rules.
(3) Students who have completed a bachelor's degree with a major in Marine Science, Marine and Coastal Processes, or Integrated Earth and Marine Science, or equivalent as recognised by the School of Earth Science and Oceans Graduate School. are granted credit for conversion units up to a value of 24 points.
Satisfactory progress
8. To make satisfactory progress a student must pass units to a point value greater than half the total value of units in which they remain enrolled after the final date for withdrawal without academic penalty.
9. A student who has not achieved a result of Ungraded Pass (UP) for the Communication and Research Skills module (the CARS module) when their progress status is assessed will not have made satisfactory progress even if they have met the other requirements for satisfactory progress in Rule 8.
Progress status
10.(1) A student who makes satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 8 is assigned the status of 'Good Standing'.
(2) Unless the relevant board determines otherwise because of exceptional circumstances—
(a) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the first time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'On Probation';
(b) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the second time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Suspended';
(c) a student who does not make satisfactory progress for the third time under Rule 8 is assigned a progress status of 'Excluded'.
11. A student who does not make satisfactory progress in terms of Rule 9 is assigned the progress status of 'On Probation', unless they have been assigned a progress status of 'Suspended' or 'Excluded' for failure to meet other satisfactory progress requirements in Rule 8.
Award with distinction
12. To be awarded the degree with distinction a student must achieve a course weighted average mark (WAM) of at least 80 per cent which is calculated based on—
(a) all units above Level 3 attempted as part of the course that are awarded a final percentage mark;
(b) all relevant units above Level 3 undertaken in articulating courses of this University that are awarded a final percentage mark;
and
(c) all units above Level 3 completed at this University that are credited to the master's degree course.
Deferrals
13. Applicants awarded admission to the course are entitled to a deferral of up to 12 months, as per the University Policy on: Admissions (Coursework).
Additional rules
Research Project
14. Students who request approval to undertake a research project in this course must—
(a) have a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3 units in their UWA undergraduate major. These units must be relevant to the master's specialisation; or
(b) have a weighted average mark of at least 65 per cent in at least 24 points of Level 3, 4 and 5 units completed within the course; or equivalent as recognised by the School.
(c) have a supervisor, approved by the School, who has confirmed their willingness and availability to supervise the research project.