The Master of Marine Studies degree is a broad program, which can include topics such as marine ecology, organismal biology, ecosystem processes, and oceanography. Students will select courses offered by the graduate program in either Marine Biology or Oceanography, and a variety of electives, which can also be from the fisheries program, the statistics, and/or biology and wildlife departments. While the Master in Marine Studies degree is primarily based on a project or literary search instead of a research-oriented thesis, graduate students still are afforded excellent opportunities for laboratory and field experiences through the Institute of Marine Science. Laboratory facilities are available in Fairbanks, the Seward Marine Center, the Juneau Center, and at the Kasitsna Bay Laboratory. The Master in Marine Studies degree program will provide students with the knowledge base to be competitive in obtaining positions within state, federal, and tribal organization in Alaska and elsewhere.