Master's Degree Requirements
A minimum of 45 credits (27 coursework credits and 18 thesis credits), a thesis, and successful Final Examination in defense of that thesis are required to earn a Master of Science in Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. Most Master’s students in the School complete more than 45 credits in order to meet all degree requirements. Information regarding supervisory committee, thesis, and Final Exam procedures can be found by using the navigation bar to the left.
Course and Credit Requirements
Degree requirements are set in part by the Graduate School and in part by the School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences. The Graduate School sets University-wide requirements for minimum scholarship (a GPA of 3.0 or higher), residence at the University of Washington, number of required credits, and continuous enrollment; SAFS determines the required curriculum and has added some credit requirements to the University minimums. Each separate requirement fulfills a different purpose.
School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences Core Courses
The following courses are required for students in the SAFS Master's Program:
- QSCI 482, Statistical Inference in Applied Research, 5 credits.
- FISH 510-514, Current Topics series (offered credit/no credit only), 2 credits each; students are required to complete at least two of these courses (each course must be a different number, such as 510 and 512) during their graduate program.
- FISH 521, Research Proposal Writing, 4 credits.
- FISH 522, Hot Topics in Aquatic & Fishery Sciences (offered credit/no credit only), 2 credits.
- FISH 700, Thesis Research, 18 credits.
Additional Course Requirements
At least 12 credits of coursework at the 400- or 500-level are required in addition to the SAFS Core Courses listed above. Four of the 12 credits must be in 500-level courses. At least nine of the additional 12 credits must be numerically graded. The student in consultation with his or her Supervisory Committee chooses the specific classes. If any SAFS core required course is waived, students must substitute those missed credits with additional coursework.
Graded Credits
The Graduate School requires that numerical grades be received in at least 18-quarter credits of coursework taken at the UW. This work must be in approved 400- or 500-level courses. A grade of 2.7 or higher is required in each course that is counted toward a graduate degree. A minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 is required for a graduate degree at the University. A UW Graduate School webpage provides University minimums for the Master’s degree.
Residency Requirement
This requirement ensures that UW degrees are awarded for work substantially completed at the University of Washington. Students must complete a minimum of 30 credits in residence at the University of Washington of the total 45 credits required for the degree. There is no longer a requirement that students complete three full-time quarters in an academic year, but international students will likely need to be enrolled full-time to meet requirements of student visas. Also, students with certain types of funding (including graduate student appointments) need to maintain full-time enrollment to maintain eligibility for funding.
Time Limit for Completion of Degree Requirements
All work for the Master’s degree must be completed within six years. This includes all applicable transfer credit and quarters spent on-leave or otherwise not enrolled. Students may petition the Graduate School for an extension to the six-year limit. However, extensions are not automatically granted.
Last updated
For student service issues, contact safs@u.washington.edu
For browser issues, contact the webmaster
