Oceanography
Advisors:
Nicholas Bader, Geology
Kate Jackson, Biology
About the Program
Whitman College is associated with the School of Oceanography of the University of Washington in a program for liberal education in biological or geological oceanography. The plan requires five years of study; typically, three years at Whitman College and two years at the University of Washington. Students complete a Bachelor of Arts degree in either Biology or Geology from Whitman College and a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography from the University of Washington. At Whitman College, all candidates must complete the appropriate requirements outlined below, receive a recommendation from Whitman College, and apply as transfer students to the University of Washington.
This plan requires careful scheduling. Students must declare one of these majors by the end of their fourth semester in residence at Whitman College (transfer students must declare at the end of their second semester in residence at Whitman College). Interested Whitman students should contact a Whitman Oceanography advisor in their first year at Whitman, and the University of Washington Oceanography academic advisor (Michelle Townsend, mtown@uw.edu) when they apply for transfer to coordinate with the admissions office, and to answer questions about course planning.
In order to secure a recommendation from Whitman, a student must satisfy the following requirements during their three years at Whitman.
Distribution
Students completing the Oceanography program are required to complete the Whitman General Studies requirements (see General Studies).
Common Requirements for all Oceanography Program Participants
· Required courses
o Biology 101, 101L, 102, and 102L;o Chemistry 125, 126, 135, and 136; or 140
o Chemistry 245
o Choose one pair of courses from the following options:
§ Geology 110 and 111
§ Geology 120 and 121
§ Geology 125 and 126
o Mathematics 124 or 125; and 126
o Mathematics 225 or an approved statistics course
o Choose one set of courses from the following options:
§ Physics 155 and 156 at Whitman College
§ Physics 121, 122, and 123 at the University of Washington
§ Physics 155 at Whitman College and Ocean 285 at the University of Washington
· Other program requirements
o Earn at least 94 credits and spend three years at Whitman.
§ For transfer students, at least 62 credits and two years at Whitman.
o Maintain a Whitman College GPA of at least 3.0 overall as well as in the program’s required science, mathematics, and statistics courses.
· Notes
o A Geology course related to oceanography is strongly recommended.
The Biology Major Option
For students interested in biological oceanography.
· Required courses
o Complete the common Oceanography Program course requirements.
o Eleven additional credits of Biology at the 200-level or above
o At least seven semester-equivalent credits of upper-division Biology electives taken at the University of Washington
o Three semester-equivalent credits of independent research taken at the University of Washington
The Geology Major Option
For students interested in geological oceanography.
· Required courses
o Complete the common Oceanography Program course requirements.
o Geology 227, 350, 358, and 368
o At least four credits of Geology at the 300-level or above taken at Whitman College
o At least 12 semester-equivalent credits of upper-division Geology electives taken at the University of Washington
· Other requirements
o Take and attain a passing score on the written exam for Geology majors at Whitman College.