BS in Oceanography

What is an Oceanography Degree?

Oceanography is a broad, multidisciplinary science that attempts to unlock the mysteries of the oceans that cover 70% of our planet. Students in Florida Tech’s oceanography degree program study and apply biology, chemistry, geology, meteorology, physics, and math toward a better understanding of marine ecosystem dynamics, geophysical fluid dynamics, seafloor geology, and more.

Whether you want to develop a new way to restore wetlands and shorelines, design and manage parks and sanctuaries, or solve the mystery of red tides, and oceanography degree from Florida Tech develops a strong background in oceanography, engineering, and technology.

Why Pursue an Oceanography Degree at Florida Tech?

The Florida Tech oceanography program is the only oceanography program in the country that is integrated with ocean engineering, environmental science, and meteorology programs.

Low Student-to-Faculty Ratio — Personalized Attention

Oceanography students can expect small classes and the opportunity to work with faculty addressing a variety of environmental challenges (such as beach erosion, air pollution, and the preservation of endangered species). The program’s reputation as one of the leading oceanography colleges and its proximity to a variety of scientific agencies and marine ecosystems means you can also expect to build valuable field experience off-campus.

Unlike other oceanography colleges, Florida Tech students enjoy small classes. They also benefit from working closely with faculty, students, and staff from a variety of disciplines. The department also has an outstanding reputation among employers, many of whom are alumni.

Students Learn from those Preserving, Protecting, and Enhancing Natural Resources

The Department of Ocean Engineering and Sciences has an integrated collaboration of faculty members from environmental science, oceanography, meteorology, and ocean engineering. Florida Tech’s professors have a keen interest in preserving, protecting, and enhancing natural resources, staying active in research, and sharing their current knowledge and experiences in their classrooms. Many students volunteer in faculty research labs or conduct experiments, do field sample studies, and create computer simulations with faculty guidance.

Their research areas include:

• Offshore oil spills
• Antarctic oil drilling
• Water and air quality
• Sea-level rise
• Drinking water resources in Florida
• Managing environmental resources

Located in the Heart of Florida’s High-Tech Corridor

Florida Tech is the perfect place for a BS in Oceanography. The 130-acre campus is located on the Space Coast (so named because of the presence of NASA and the Kennedy Space Center on Cape Canaveral just north of us), minutes away from the Indian River Lagoon, the most diverse estuary in North America.

The area has the fifth-largest high-tech workforce in the country, with more than 5,000 high-tech corporations and government and military organizations located nearby. This workforce also provides an abundance of internship and employment opportunities.

Florida Tech is just over the causeway from the Atlantic Ocean with its 72 miles of beautiful beaches, and a short trip to the Florida Keys or the Orlando theme parks. We also have a rich campus life that includes a wide range of intramural and collegiate sports, clubs, and social activities.

Build Lasting Professional Relationships through Campus Organizations

Beyond the classroom, oceanography majors build leadership and professional experience through exciting internships and participation in academic organizations like Sigma Xi (a scientific research society), the Marine Technology Society, student government, and over 100 other campus-wide student organizations.

The newly formed Florida Tech Environmental Club helps promote “green” living and encourages environmentally-friendly practices through educational events and campus cleanups.

It All Started With 37 Cents

Florida Tech was founded in 1958 as "Brevard Engineering College." It all started as an idea in the mind of Jerome P. Keuper, a visionary physicist working at Cape Canaveral.

As university lore would have it, Keuper expressed his desire to create a scientific and technological university to a friend over drinks at a local pub. Overhearing the conversation, a fellow patron pushed 37 cents in change across the bar and said, “There’s your first donation, Jerry. Now, go and build that college.”

So, Keuper did. And what started with 37 cents as a night school for the early “missilemen” of the U.S. space program is now a comprehensive national research university recognized worldwide for excellence in preparing students for careers of the future.

Core Values

• Research for the Benefit of All Humankind
• Education for a Lifetime of Success
• Global Citizenship for a Better World

Mission Statement

Florida Institute of Technology’s mission is to provide high-quality education to a culturally diverse student body in order to prepare students for entering the global workforce, seeking higher-education opportunities, and serving within their communities. The university also seeks to expand knowledge through basic and applied research and to serve the diverse economic, cultural, and societal needs of our local, state, national and international constituencies.

In support of this mission, we are committed to:

• Promoting student development by fostering and sustaining a productive institutional culture of assessment that leads to the continuous improvement of academic and administrative programs
• Developing an organizational culture that values and encourages intellectual curiosity, a sense of belonging and shared purpose among faculty, students, and staff, and the pursuit of excellence in all endeavors
• Recruiting and developing excellent faculty to become leaders in their respective fields and internationally recognized scholars
• Achieving recognition as an effective, innovative, technology-focused educational and research institution
• Recruiting and retaining an excellent, highly select, and culturally diverse student body
• Continually improving the quality of campus life for all members of the university community
• Providing personal and career growth opportunities for both traditional and nontraditional students and members of the faculty and staff
• Securing and maintaining professional accreditation for all appropriate programs

We Are Florida Tech

What we are is a private, coeducational, residential, research-intensive, doctoral-granting university located in Melbourne on Florida’s sunny “Space Coast.” But who we are is so much more. We are a community of researchers, scholars, and learners hailing from all around the world. We are engineers, aviators, innovators, leaders, educators, athletes, and astronauts. We have the brains of rocket scientists and the hearts of Panthers. We are Florida Tech.

We Are Relentless

Florida Tech is a university of leaders and learners—a diverse community of students, staff, faculty, and alumni who are united in the relentless pursuit of greatness.

We Are International

Students from more than 90 countries worldwide choose to live and learn at Florida Tech, making us a truly global university. When we say #YouAreWelcomeHere, we mean it.

We Create The Future

One of the primary tenets of Florida Tech’s mission is advancing science and technology for the benefit of Earth and all of its inhabitants. So, that’s what we do.

We Have Panther Pride

You may feel it the first time you visit the campus, the day you graduate, or at some point in between. But when you do, you’ll see that Panther Pride is more than school spirit. It’s a family.

We Make Connections

Florida Tech is proud to be part of the Brevard County community and welcomes its neighbors to explore the many personal, professional, corporate, and cultural opportunities we have to offer.

We Are STEM

There's a reason Florida Tech is known as Florida's STEM University™. To put it simply: Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math are in our DNA. This makes STEM a driving force behind who we are, what we do, and why we exist.