Doctor of Philosophy in Marine Biology at Texas A&M University

Programme overview

The PhD in Marine Biology focuses on independently supervised research complemented by formal coursework. Study covers marine ecology, coastal and oceanic habitats, marine vertebrates and invertebrates, fisheries, marine botany, wetlands, and coastal management and conservation.

Faculty: College of Marine Sciences and Maritime Studies | Department: Marine Biology | Duration: 60 semester credit hours minimum with a prior master's degree (or DDS/DMD, DVM, MD from a US institution); 90 hours minimum from a bachelor's degree | Study mode: full-time | Location: College Station, TX, United States

What you will study

A curriculum on ecology and evolution of marine organisms and quantitative analysis, plus original supervised research written and defended as a dissertation.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Texas A&M University graduate admission (applies to all graduate programs): a formal application; application fee of $65 for U.S. citizens and permanent residents or $90 for international applicants (plus any application-service fee). The normal requirement is a scholastic record over at least the last two years of full-time degree study showing ability to do graduate-level work; applicants changing fields or with weaker records may be required to take additional preparatory work. Departments may set higher requirements, which supersede the university's. International applicants from non-English-speaking backgrounds need a TOEFL iBT of at least 80 (taken before 21 January 2026), a TOEFL iBT score of at least 4.5 with at least 4.0 per skill (taken on or after 21 January 2026), TOEFL Essentials 8.5, or IELTS Academic 6.0 overall; exemptions apply for a US baccalaureate or higher, GRE Verbal 146+, GMAT Verbal 77+, and citizens of listed English-speaking countries (including Ghana and Nigeria).

Requirements published at program group level.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

The graduate application processing fee is $65, in addition to the centralized application service fee. Deadlines and required documents are set by each department.

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