Alumni

Your degree from Ocean and Earth Science means that you have been taught well and gained a sound base from an internationally recognised institution to build upon in your chosen career.

In my experience, sharing knowledge is one of the best ways to know your strengths and weaknesses.

I gained most of the important skills needed for a research career in marine science: lab experience, at-sea experience, analytical experience, writing experience as well as managing my time and thinking independently and creatively.

I place a lot of my success down to the excellent teaching at Southampton and I am very pleased that I chose to go there; it was definitely the right choice for me!

The knowledge gained on my course was a great advantage in my later studies in meteorology at MSc and PhD level

Being at NOCS meant that you could be learning about marine biology in one of the best research centres in the country with access to all the facilities and labs, facilitating practical work and the ability to learn useful analysis skills

Many of the teaching staff had great links to industry, which made gaining professional experience easier.

The University of Southampton stood out as it was one of the few universities in the country to offer this degree.

I chose Southampton partly because of its reputation as the best place to study marine biology/oceanography in the UK and partly because of the excellent facilities and staff.

Antarctic Studies was my chosen final year dissertation topic, which gave me grounding in Antarctic science and helped me get my current job.

Having all the lecturers and support staff in one place was helpful and the facilities at NOCS are very well organised for the degree programmes

My days in Southampton are still very important to me. Not only has my course shaped my subsequent career (I still dig out my lecture notes occasionally) but also because even as an undergraduate the University encouraged me to become an active member of the marine science community.

Southampton was one of the first to encourage independent learning and give students a choice of modules

I gained an understanding of a broad range of fields within marine biology and learnt numerous research techniques, all thanks to the fantastic teaching staff and hi-tech equipment available to students

The course provides you with so many skills that there are so many different paths you can take after finishing the course.

Studying geology at Southampton provided me with an excellent skills base to handle both the theoretical and practical demands of my job.

Studying at NOCS was such a fulfilling experience; you are surrounded by such a supportive, vibrant community of scientists, with leading researchers always willing to share their vast experiences and knowledge.

I decided upon Oceanography after studying my undergraduate degree in physics. I did not want to study the physics of the very small or very large as a postgraduate, and wanted to do something more applied and tangible.

My studies and experiences at Southampton shaped my future massively as it gave me the skills employers were looking for.

Studying at NOCS was an enriching experience – I had access to, and interactions with, some of the leading professionals in the field of oceanography, encompassing all disciplines from geophysics to marine biology

Much of what I learned while studying at Southampton applies to my sailing. Weather patterns, ocean currents and seabed topography were just a few of the subjects covered in depth during my time there.

My MSci in Marine Biology gave me the opportunity to study in a diverse set of locations! I worked with complex underwater scanners while directing a 50ft research vessel off the coast of Cornwall. I worked in Bermuda in a secured underground rock pool with over 100,000 upside-down jellyfish! I also spent time in Dale Fort, Wales and Falmouth in Cornwall. What better way to learn about tropical biology than to swim with tropical turtles in Bermuda?! What other degree in the world lets you do that?!

I am now working as a seismic processor - the company I work for has projects all over the world, with plenty of opportunities for advancement in my career.

I chose the University of Southampton for my Masters because the National Oceanography Centre was the best place to study the subject.

My studies at Southampton completely shaped me as a researcher. The new skills I developed allowed me to secure a NERC funded PhD studentship, based at the British Antarctic Survey and tied with the University of Bristol.

On top of the world-class facilities and teaching, I have found that doing the Study Abroad programme gave me the independence, confidence and desire to travel and work abroad.

I am confident that was it not for my time at Southampton, I would not have had the knowledge and enthusiasm that had enabled me to pursue a career in geology.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Southampton and would recommend it to anyone thinking about studying ocean and earth sciences.

Being part of the National Oceanography Centre Southampton means students are essentially immersed in an environment of current and leading oceanographic research.

Studying for an MSc in Oceanography led directly into both the technical career I have pursued ever since as well as influencing my writing

There are so many advantages about studying in Southampton, especially for the marine sciences.

Both the knowledge gained on the course and the links that Southampton University have with the National Oceanography Centre were invaluable in gaining me my current role.

The flexibility of my MSc course allowed me to initially follow a general pathway and later specialise in geological and marine geophysical courses

While my MSc gave me the skills I needed to successfully pursue a PhD in marine science, it also gave me a really broad knowledge base in oceanography, which has been incredibly valuable. It also gave me valuable skills to work across diverse teams.

I wouldn’t be the photographer I am today without my time at Southampton.

Without my time at the University of Southampton I do not think I would be where I am now, and I am very proud to say that I was part of the 2005 Master of Geology family. I would recommend, and have recommended, Southampton to anyone with an interest in geology.

My MER journey took me to four of the most highly reputed institutions in Europe - University of Bordeaux in France, University of the Basque Country in Spain, University of Liege in Belgium, University of Southampton in the UK - and exposed me to quite dynamic, energetic and exciting learning and researching environments at each institution.

Studying at the NOCS was truly an invaluable experience for my career in research.

The University is firmly linked to industry and it hosts many company presentations, career fairs and recruitment events. ECE students are highly valued by maritime firms.

Due to the National Oceanography Centre’s and the university’s reputation as a world-renowned research institution and centre of excellence in teaching, many projects involve work which is completed in close collaboration with and are part- or fully-funded by industry.

From oceanographic surveying at sea to coding at a computer, the skills I developed at Southampton were instrumental for me to make the most of my year abroad in Miami and securing a job at DSTL.

I’ve had the opportunity of being involved in exciting and challenging projects, both locally and abroad.

The University of Southampton is well positioned in both national and international rankings, and you get to learn from the world’s leading experts.

This course helped me prepare for employment by tailoring certain modules to be nearly identical to the work I now undertake on a regular basis.

Studying at the National Oceanography Centre Southampton, you really will be surrounded by experts in your field from day one.

I like working at the interface between industry and academia, and am currently undertaking research for a commercial abalone farm in South Africa on the high density culture of the commercial sea cucumber Holothuria scabra in Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS).

I hold all my career achievements up as being a direct result of my BSc and MSc from the University of Southampton and I have often lauded the benefits of geology as a degree when I give evidence in court and when giving my many presentations to students, members of the legal profession and the general public.

I decided to come to Southampton, and especially to NOCS, because of its international reputation as an excellent research and educational facility.

The wide range of research going on at NOCS also means there’s a supervisor available for almost anything you’re interested in studying.

Studying at UNCW provided me with a more rounded marine biology degree, modules at Southampton provide both oceanographic understanding behind biological processes and general ecology.

I've been on three Arctic cruises (one whilst still an undergraduate on the MOcean course), three cruises to the NE Atlantic and I've spent two months working on an ice shelf in Antarctica. I wouldn't change it for anything

The course was highly interesting and enjoyable, while the skills and knowledge I have acquired have proved to be invaluable to employers in this sector.

After a year in the tourism industry in the Turks and Caicos Islands, I was headhunted by the Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources to manage the artificial reef projects in place, to salvage threatened corals in the area.

I enjoyed my time at the NOCS. It was such a friendly and encouraging atmosphere, and it was a great place to be based, with its excellent facilities and teaching standards.