ɫƵ

  • A dog sled driven by a native Greenlander with instrumentation that allows scientists to gather information while the hunter is on the ice
    background
    Study the Arctic ... in the Arctic
    ... where adventure beckons
  • Photo of the Svalbard town of Longyearbyen where the students stay
    A year in the Svalbard town of Longyearbyen...
  • Large number of UNIS students on the first day the sun is back in Svalbard
    background
    New friends from all over the world
  • Image showing reindeer on an Arctic fjord
    blue background
    Experience a magical wilderness
  • Student collecting samples from below sea ice
    Gain Arctic fieldwork experience

Marine Science with Arctic Studies BSc

This could be YOU...

This is a truly unusual and exciting degree programme to study an extreme and important part of the world, with the chance to spend time in the high Arctic.

For those opting to study in the High Arctic: 

  • >You immerse yourselves in the Arctic and learn much about it through experience
  • >You are trained how to be safe in this extreme and remote environment and how to look after yourself and a team
  • >You discover how to conduct Arctic research on ships, on sea ice, on glaciers and on land
  • >You live in a young and multi-national community and will return with friends from places you had never even heard of before you met them!
  • >And when you apply for jobs, you will stand out from the crowd!

Pathway leader: Dr Helena Reinardy

Each year, students study six 20 credit (10 ECTS) modules, usually three per semester.

Most modules are assessed through a combination of examination and continuous assessment. Continuous assessment is designed to suit the subject area and mostly includes one or several of these: lab reports, field course reports, essays, talks, poster presentations, research proposals, policy briefings etc

Named qualifications are available to students leaving after any year of successful study.

Arctic science pathways students study first and second year with all marine science students.

Marine Science with Arctic Studies students can study all four years at ɫƵ or may choose to spend part or all of their third year at their own expense in the Arctic.

Mandatory module for students spending at least one semester at ɫƵ
  • >Literature review (topic must be relevant to Arctic studies)
Optional modules (choose two)
  • >Marine Pollution
  • >Marine Instrumentation and Data
  • >Marine Conservation
  • >Marine Biogeochemical Cycling
  • >Marine Robotics
  • >Marine Biotechnology
  • >Ocean Circulation and Climate
  • >Marine Zoology
  • >Marine Microbial Ecology

A student who chooses to leave the programme after three years of successful study will be awarded an (ungraded) BSc Marine Science.

Mandatory modules
  • >Dissertation (double module in topic relevant to Arctic Studies)
  • >Polar Seas
Optional modules (choose three)
  • >Aquaculture
  • >Coastal Shelf Sea Dynamics
  • >Fisheries Ecology
  • >Defining the Carbon Cycle
  • >Marine Environmental Impact Assessment
  • >Marine Modelling
  • >Deep Sea Ecosystems

After successful completion of all four years students are awarded the qualification of BSc (Hons) Marine Science with Arctic Studies.

This qualification is graded as first class (70%+), second class (upper) (60-69%), second class (lower) (50-59%) and third class (40-49%).

About Svalbard and Longyearbyen

You will go to the Svalbard archipelago, which is 79oN in the land of the midnight sun, 24-hour-darkness in winter, snow, ice, northern lights and - yes - polar bears.On the largest island of Spitsbergen is the only larger settlement in Svalbard, a small town called Longyearbyen with a population of just over 2000. Longyearbyen has excellent amenities such as an airport (daily flights to Oslo and Tromø), hospital, school. shops, hotels, restaurants/bars, indoor sport centre, church and museum. Go and have a peek

About UNIS, the University Centre in Svalbard

UNIS is a Norwegian run teaching and research centre with approximately 400 students from around 20 nations, most of them on similar 'exchange' programmes. There are around 50 university level courses at bachelor and master level, offered through four departments: Arctic Biology; Arctic Geology; Arctic Geophysics; and Arctic Technology. All courses include substantial field excursions and are delivered in English. Students are commonly highly competent and motivated, achieving good grades with extremely low failure rates.

We have an agreement with UNIS so that the courses students study there will count towards their degree here. Students will receive a completion certificate and a transcript of marks.

What modules can I study at UNIS?

Arctic Biology          Terrestrial Arctic Biology    Semester 1
  Arctic Ecology and Population Biology    
  Marine Arctic Biology Semester 2
  Arctic Environmental Management  
Arctic Geology The Quarternary History of Svalbard Semester 1
  Arctic Marine Geology  
  The Physical Geography of Svalbard Semester 2
  The Tectonic and Sedimentary History of Svalbard  
Arctic Technology Arctic Hydrology and Climate Change Semester 1
  Arctic Environmental Pollution  
  Ice Mechanics, Load on Structures Semester 2
  Frozen Ground Engineering  
Arctic Geophysics Snow and Ice Processes Semester 2
  Air-Ice-Sea Interaction  

Students must take modules from different areas if they stay at UNIS for two semesters.

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Students pay the same course fees as for the Marine Science BSc to UHI. Following Brexit, there has been a change in funding available to pay for UNIS tuition fees. ɫƵ is currently looking in to alternative funding sources. Please contact bsc@sams.ac.uk for more information on costs for the Arctic Studies stream.

As well as tuition fees, students on the Arctic stream in Svalbard should also consider and plan for additional living costs. Living costs are higher on Svalbard than in Scotland, you will need Arctic clothing, and there is the cost of travel to Svalbard.

Approximate costs per semester not including tuition fees

   
Excursions (£24/day) 336
Accommodation (£380 pcm) 1710
Subsistence (£500 pcm) 2250
Air Travel 450
Clothing 900
UNIS SEMESTER TOTAL COST   £5646

Students can also access study abroad schemes or student loans and apply for external bursaries and grants. Many students over the years have been supported by the Thomas and Margaret Rodden Trust and the Scottish Arctic Club for example.

Are you ready to APPLY?

Take the first step towards a marine science career...

Get in Touch

ɫƵ is Scotland’s largest and oldest independent marine science organisation, dedicated to delivering marine science.

ɫƵ, Scottish Marine Institute,
Oban, Argyll, PA37 1QA

+44 (0)1631 559000

info@sams.ac.uk

Contact Us

It would be great to hear from you! If you got any questions, please do not hesitate to send us a message. We are looking forward to hearing from you!