The University of Massachusetts School of Marine Sciences (SMS) offers both Master's (M.S.) and Doctoral (Ph.D.) programs in marine science. Students graduating with a MS or Ph.D. degree from SMS receive a joint degree from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, Boston, Dartmouth and Lowell. The degree programs are fundamentally grounded in a broad, integrated, interdisciplinary approach to the study of marine science. Students located at the four participating campuses are required to complete core courses in the areas of biological, physical, and chemical oceanography, as well as a course in policy/management to equip them for interdisciplinary studies and research before focusing upon an area of concentration.

The programs prepare students for employment opportunities in the private and governmental sectors and academia. Emphasis is placed on the education of researchers and scholars who will contribute not only to basic research but also to the application of that research in a coherent approach to resource management and economic development issues.