School for Marine Science & Technology

Earn your advanced marine science degree.

UMass Dartmouth's School for Marine Science and Technology offers world-class marine science graduate programs designed to tackle today’s most pressing oceanographic challenges.

Oceanography PhD student Bailey Avila working in the lab

Graduate degree options

Courses emphasize ocean technology, climate change, offshore wind development, & fisheries management and sustainability.

Course List

SMAST graduate students working with fishing captains near Block Island wind farm

Cooperative research

Pursue coastal research with some of the most highly regarded oceanographic institutions as well as government and industry organizations.

Collaborations

SMAST graduates at the 2024 commencement ceremony

Financial aid

We may be able to help finance your education. Before you apply, contact SMAST faculty to learn about assistantships, fellowships, and scholarships.

Admissions & Aid

SMAST news and events

Stay informed with the latest news and events from UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology, highlighting groundbreaking research, faculty expertise, and student success.

Dr. Lauran Brewster in her lab with the acoustic receivers that will be used in her research

2026 News

Research team led by SMAST Professor Lauran Brewster wins NOAA grant for shark research

Brewster will lead a multi-institutional research team tracking harvest-prohibited shark species along the U.S. Atlantic coast

Research team led by SMAST Professor Lauran Brewster wins NOAA grant for shark research

Brewster will lead a multi-institutional research team tracking harvest-prohibited shark species along the U.S. Atlantic coast

UMass Dartmouth SMAST launches dual degree partnership with INHA University, South Korea

The partnership agreement will allow students to earn a PhD in marine science while taking courses at both institutions

A fisherman working on a fishing boat where SMAST researchers test new technology

NSF launches $15 million Seafood Engine in New England

UMass Dartmouth is a core partner in the initiative to strengthen the U.S. seafood industry

UMass Dartmouth Blue Tech interns with industry leaders

Ocean technology internships prepare UMass Dartmouth students for careers in the Blue Economy

UMass Dartmouth continues its proven partnership with Courage Builder to offer students paid internships in the growing ocean technology and research sectors

Sep

3:00PM

Charting the Course: SMAST’s Evolution and the Next Horizon in Marine Science

SMAST Seminar by Dean Kevin Stokesbury

Sep

12:30PM

SMAST Seminar - DEOS - September 23, 2026 - "Weighing a Forest from Orbit: Estimating Kelp Biomass, Production, and Modeling Harvest" by: Tom Bell

SMAST Seminar - DEOS - September 23, 2026 by: Tom Bell

Sep

1:00PM

"Applying Financial and Economic Methods to Multispecies Fisheries Management"

DFO PhD Dissertation Proposal Defense -September 28, 2026 by: Connor Coscino

Oct

1:00PM

Abandoned, Lost, and Otherwise Discarded Fishing Gear as a Source of Plastic Pollution in Inland Fisheries.

DFO PhD Dissertation Defense by Drake Ssempijja

More SMAST News Seminar Series Academic Calendar

Explore marine science careers.

SMAST alums share their success stories.

Learn More

$40M

Active research awards FY '26

Top 5%

SMAST is in the top 5% of institutions in the U.S. for ocean research expenditures

SMAST research grants awarded in FY '25

Feature stories from SMAST

Discover how UMass Dartmouth’s School for Marine Science & Technology is advancing marine science, sustainability, and the blue economy through the work of our students, faculty, and alumni.

SMAST PhD student Lindsay Graff in the field

Feature Stories

Lindsay Graff PhD '27: Shark conservation research

"A lot of people don't realize the important role UMass Dartmouth has played in shark science. It's the reason I came here for my PhD."

- Lindsay Graff PhD '27

Lindsay Graff PhD '27: Shark conservation research

SMAST PhD student shares what it's like to study sharks all over the world.

Data science master's student Trina Xavier with Blue Tech interns

Trina Xavier MS '25: Data and the blue economy

Data science master's student discovers a sea of opportunities in the rapidly growing ocean-based workforce.

SMAST PhD student Kamran Walsh holding a fish on a boat

Kamran Walsh PhD '28: Reel research

SMAST PhD student combines real-world experience and statistical modeling to improve recreational fisheries management.

Donor support keeps Drake Ssempijja, PhD ’28 hooked on sustainability

With support from UMass Dartmouth and scholarships, Ssempijja leads research to bolster sustainability efforts in inland fisheries and support local fishing communities.