Admissions

Application

The University of New England School of Marine Programs participates in the Graduate Centralized Application Service (GradCAS). All applicants are required to apply online through this service.

Degree Requirement

Completion of bachelor’s degree from a U.S. regionally accredited institution, or international equivalent, prior to matriculation.

• All applicants are required to submit official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. Official transcripts should be sent directly to GradCAS. Please refer to the GradCAS application for additional information and instructions.

GPA Requirements

• Minimum cumulative undergraduate and science GPA of 3.0 (inclusive of all coursework taken with no forgiveness for retakes).
• All applicants must meet minimum GPA requirements to be considered for admission.

Prerequisite Coursework Requirements

Marine Science Track

Oceanography Track

Other Important Prerequisite Coursework Considerations

• All prerequisite courses must be successfully completed with a grade of “C” or better ("C minus" grades are not acceptable).
• Prerequisite courses may be in progress or planned at the time of application, but all courses must be completed with an official transcript submitted to the Office of Graduate Admissions & Recruitment before the start of the program.
• Online courses offered through UNE’s Online Science Prerequisites and online courses from other regionally accredited U.S. colleges or universities are acceptable with program approval.

Resume

• A current resume is required and should be uploaded directly to the GradCAS application.

Letters of Reference

Three (3) letters of reference are required – submitted via GradCAS.

• Letters should come from a person of your choice who can speak to your academic and/or professional experience.
• Letters from friends or family members are not acceptable.

International Applicants

International applicants and those with foreign degrees and coursework are required to satisfy the following additional requirements:

• Official credential evaluation by World Education Service (WES), confirming degree and grade equivalency to that of a U.S. bachelor’s degree. The completed credential evaluation should be sent directly to GradCAS. Please refer to the International Admissions section of the UNE website for more information on the type of credential evaluation required for admission review.
• Applicants whose first language is not English must demonstrate written and spoken fluency through the successful completion of a UNE-approved English language proficiency test.
• Applicants should refer to the English Language Proficiency page on the UNE website for specific information on acceptable tests and minimum score requirements.

Other Important Notes

• Applicants are strongly encouraged to complete and submit an application well before the application deadline for earliest consideration.
• Prior to or early in the application process, applicants are strongly advised to communicate with UNE faculty with whom they would like to work.
• Meeting with faculty during the application process does not in any way negate the need to fully complete the application process.
• Program faculty review all qualified applicants and admit students based on a combination of academics and experiences that best fit with current research opportunities.
• All completed applications will be reviewed by the program admissions committee after the application deadline, with decisions expected around mid-March.
• Applications completed after the posted deadline will be reviewed on a space-available basis.
• Applicants offered admission will be expected to pay a non-refundable deposit to secure a seat in the program.
• The non-refundable deposit is applied toward fees not covered by any assistantships or grants received upon acceptance.
• Should the candidate decide not to matriculate in the program, the deposit will be forfeited.

All materials submitted as part of the application become the property of UNE and will not be returned or released to anyone, including the applicant. This policy includes letters of reference, primary and secondary applications, personal statements, transcripts, and other supporting materials.

Policy Exceptions

• Policies are established to ensure fair and consistent admissions practice for all applicants to the university and its programs.
• All criteria presented in this summary are subject to change per professional accreditation requirements, changes in curriculum and/or other institutional standards, and clinical affiliation requirements.
• Exceptions to existing admission policies are rare and made only when it is deemed necessary and appropriate to maintain fair and consistent practice for all candidates, not individual candidates.

Satisfactory Academic Progress

To remain in the M.S. in Marine Sciences program, the student's cumulative graduate GPA must be a minimum of 3.0. A student whose GPA falls below 3.0 or who receives a grade below B- in any course taken for graduate credit will be placed on academic probation.

Program Completion Timeline

Students have a maximum of five (5) years to complete the graduation requirements. After two (2) academic years (fall and spring terms), students who have completed their coursework but are still completing their theses are required to enroll in a thesis continuation credit per semester to remain in the program.

Probation/Dismissal

A graduate student whose grade point average (GPA) for any semester falls below 3.0, or whose cumulative grade point average is below 3.0, or who receives a class grade below a B- for any class taken for graduate credit is automatically placed on probation. A student placed on academic probation will be granted one (1) fall or spring semester to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 or above, will be required to achieve a minimum GPA of 3.0 for the semester, and cannot receive a second class grade below B-. Marine Programs and the Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences will consider for dismissal any student who fails to meet these criteria.