The Rutgers Master’s of Operational Oceanography program offers a comprehensive education in operational oceanography, emphasizing applied experiences and cutting-edge technology, with a focus on numerical forecast models, data synthesis/analysis, and real-time ocean observing teams, preparing graduates for careers in research and industry to contribute to the sustainable growth of the Blue Economy.
Today’s students will be challenged over their professional lifetimes to provide society with 60% more food, 55% more water, and 80% more energy for a growing global population forecast to exceed 9 billion by 2050. Our individualized instruction allows students to build the skills necessary to address this challenge, engage with technology, and join our team of professionals.
The Rutgers Master’s of Operational Oceanography program is designed to provide aspiring professionals with a comprehensive education in operational oceanography and stands at the forefront of academic excellence. With a strong emphasis on applied experiences, our 12-month program targets undergraduate candidates with degrees in oceanography, marine science, atmospheric sciences, or engineering. One of the key highlights of our program is our commitment to providing students with access and instruction related to cutting-edge technology, including autonomous underwater vehicles and high-frequency radar. This immersive, experiential learning equips students with essential skills and readies them to address the broader challenges and opportunities in this field. Our curriculum also places a strong focus on numerical forecast models and data synthesis/analysis, ensuring that graduates become proficient in transforming raw data into actionable insights. Another distinctive aspect is the inclusion of students within our real-time ocean observing teams gaining authentic experience in monitoring and analyzing ocean conditions. Our mission is to prepare graduates with scientific knowledge, technical proficiency, data literacy, and overall experience required to excel in both research and industry careers, contributing to the sustainable growth of the Blue Economy.
Our Core Research Areas include:
Joseph Brodie | Middlesex County College | Tom HerringtonDr. Thomas Herrington is the associate director of the Urban Coast Institute at Monmouth University and serves as the New Jersey Sea Grant Consortium Resilient Communities and Economies Specialist. Dr. Herrington has 30 years of experience in coastal resilience and hazard mitigation research, including the monitoring and analysis of coastal system changes to storm surge and wave impacts, and the analysis of Nature and Nature Based Features for ecosystem restoration and community resilience. | Liesl HotalingLiesl Hotaling is President of Eidos Education, works with the Marine Technology Society leading the microcredentialing effort and serves as the Project Manager of the Student Enabled Network of Sensors for the Environment using Innovative Technology (SENSE IT). She specializes in real time data education projects and hands-on STEM educational projects supporting environmental observing networks. She holds a B.S. in Marine Science, a M.A.T. in Science Teaching, and a M.S. in Maritime Systems (ocean engineering). |
Gain Marketable Skills in 12 Months
A combination of hands-on experience, research, and targeted coursework empowers our students to tackle real world challenges and provides them with an edge over other candidates in the job market.
The Master of Operational Oceanography track is a compact 12-month Master of Science degree program providing thorough but efficient applied training for students from around the world. For Rutgers students, it also provides a concise path for marine science undergraduates to earn a master’s with a single year of additional training (a “4+1” model).
With small class numbers and an individualized mentorship model, we support our students in building :
- marine science expertise
- collaborative skills
- observing system technology experience
- data literacy
- ocean modeling literacy
- communication skills
- job preparation
Our Program
The Master of Operational Oceanography track is grounded in a three prong approach: building foundational knowledge and practical skills through core courses, providing opportunities to gain real experience working with marine technology, and fostering connections with professionals and peers.
Core Courses
Summer Session III:
16:712:507 Field Laboratory Methods 1:
This field course provides hands-on training in the field. The focus will be on providing a range of practical skills for the remote sensing and fixed point ocean data systems.
Fall Semester:
16:712:501 Physical Oceanography:
Physical properties and basic equations for describing waves, tides, currents, and the large-scale wind-driven and thermohaline circulation. Ekman, geostrophic, and inertial flows. Gulf Stream; air-sea interactions; El Niño.
16:712:505 Integrated Ocean Observing 1:
The course exposes students to a wide range of operational data streams anchoring ocean forecasting with hands on training using Eulerian tools and time series approaches.
16:712:509 Integrated Ocean Observing – Software Bootcamp:
The aim of the course is to introduce some widely used software tools and teach basic coding practices. The goal is to help students jump start research by acquiring the skills to work efficiently with their data. Topics to be covered include: Jupyter notebooks/lab, the Unix shell: interacting with your computer programmatically and reproducibly, Python programming (including common geoscience libraries: numpy, matplotlib, pandas, xarray, cartopy …), version control (git), accessing public earth science datasets. The course will assume no prior coding experience and is aimed at beginners. The course will aim to build a solid programming foundation to accelerate your data analysis. The course will culminate in a project of each student’s choosing. Ideally this will be a task that directly builds on/complements your research.
16:712:510 Operational Ocean Modeling/Visualization 1:
Course provides an overview of the major modeling and numerical tools with a focus on using operational modeling systems, running the models, and using model outputs as a synthesis tool.
01:450:321 Geographic Information Systems:
Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a rapidly growing field that is increasingly popular for a wide range of spatial analyses. Some of the uses for GIS include environmental modeling, urban and land use planning, facilities management, social and demographic change analyses, economic development, site suitability analyses, marketing, and community development and enrichment initiatives.
Spring Semester:
16:712:506 Integrated Ocean Observing 2:
The course exposes students to a wide range of operational data streams anchoring ocean forecasting with hands on training using Lagrangian tools and time series approaches.
16:712:508 Field Laboratory Methods 2:
This field course provides hands-on training in the field. The focus will be on providing a range of practical skills for using mobile autonomous systems.
Field Experience
Our students benefit from joining one of the worlds most advanced and longest operating ocean observatories. As part of our team, students work directly with our faculty, technicians, and partners across NJ and worldwide to deploy and repair gliders, help install and maintain our high frequency radar network, and operate marine equipment to support ongoing RUCOOL research.
Mentoring
Students participate in group and individual meetings throughout the program so that we can best support them both during the program and as they embark on their career path. Group meetings allow students to learn from and collaborate with the entire RUCOOL group. Meanwhile, 1-on-1 meetings help our faculty to identify and work with each student to meet their research and career goals.
Application Instructions
Applications received by January 1 receive full consideration. Applications received after that may be considered on a rolling basis but are not guaranteed. The program begins in late July each year.
For information about applying to Rutgers graduate school see this page: http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/.
Application requirements include: a Personal Statement, official undergraduate transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. The GRE is not required for this degree program.
Application Requirements
A baccalaureate degree in marine science or related field, and one year of calculus and physics.
Costs and Funding
Master of Operational Oceanography students are self-funded, however funding assistance may be available depending on research focus. Full cost of the program attendance is based on university tuition and fees rates for the School of Graduate Studies, found here.
Apply Today. Additional information can be found on our Program Flyer, or you may complete this form to be contacted by the program’s faculty advisor.
Alexander López, Assistant Teaching Professor
MS in Operational Oceanography (MOO) Degree Program Advisor
Department of Marine & Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University