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  2. Hatfield Marine Science Center Programs

Hatfield Marine Science Center Programs

Not your average classroom!

See our list of Hatfield courses!

The Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences offers a variety of marine-focused courses relating to coastal ecology, marine ecosystem interactions, and management of marine species and natural resources. Our program is designed to provide a diverse array of field based courses that include hands-on data collection and analysis in addition to traditional classroom/lab instruction. Although there are introductory courses open to all majors, most courses are of particular interest to those majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife, Biology, Zoology, Environmental Science, or Natural Resources.

The proximity of Hatfield Marine Science Center to the ocean means students can take full advantage of the natural laboratory located steps from the classroom to study sea life conservation at all trophic levels. The summer program is the most popular with several upper division courses to choose from in different 4-week sessions. The fall program offers three hybrid courses for senior level students. The hybrid format allows students the opportunity to participate in field based courses and gain field experience with only a few days required at Hatfield before the start of fall term.

Frequently Asked Questions About Courses Offered Through HMSC 

Who can take courses at HMSC?

Advanced undergraduate and graduate students who have an interest in coastal ecology, marine fish ecology, and the management of natural resources can participate.

Most of the courses in our program are currently offered as 400/500-level splits (undergrad/grad), with additional laboratory or primary literature discussions for graduate students. Many courses have pre-requisites - please check the course list offerings and contact us if you have questions. Registration for OSU students is identical to registration for classes on campus. Students from other institutions are also encouraged to apply. Many schools have tuition and credit transfer agreements with OSU, and special admissions arrangements can be made.

What is Hatfield Marine Science Center?

In addition to being Oregon State University's primary marine laboratory, the Hatfield Marine Science Center is also home to a number of federal and state natural resource agencies. Agencies include NOAA'S Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Science Centers, the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Oregon Department of Fisheries and Wildlife.

Many scientists at these agencies actively participate in classes and provide internship opportunities, creating an educational opportunity well beyond that which is usually offered in an academic setting. This also presents potential employment prospects for our students.

What does it cost?

Tuition and fees are through Oregon State University and are dependent on the number of credit hours enrolled, residency, term, and campus location. During the summer term, Corvallis-based courses are billed at the in-state tuition and fee rate for all students. Hatfield Marine Science Center based courses are charged the same tuition and fee rate as Corvallis courses. Note that some courses require an addition fee to help cover some of the costs for field trips and equipment. Please check the schedule of classes for additional fee costs/course.

Ecampus (same price for Oregon residents, out-of-state residents, and international residents)
Corvallis/HMSC Campus
Summer Session (all tuition is in-state)

See the Tuition Comparison Chart to compare Ecampus and Corvallis Campus rates. Students taking a mixture of courses pay separate tuition and fees for each campus and those are added together. This can end up being quite expensive so students should talk to an advisor if they are unsure what to do.

What about housing?

Inexpensive housing is available from dormitory apartments at the Hatfield Marine Science Center. One- and two-bedroom apartments are available on the HMSC campus. Rates depend on the number of students sharing an apartment. For details, please reference HMSC's Housing web page.

Learn More

For additional information please contact: Itchung Cheung (541) 867-0380 at the Hatfield Marine Science Center or the FW Advising Office (541) 737-4531 or at FW.Advising@oregonstate.edu.