Any degree seeking student with at least a B.S. or B.A. degree in a basic science may apply to enter the Master's program. Most successful applicants without a Master's degree in oceanography or a closely allied field are accepted into the Master's degree program. However, such applicants, as well as applicants with Master's degrees in oceanography or a related field, may also apply directly to the Ph.D. program. Admission to the M.S. or Ph.D. program is granted upon a favorable majority vote of the faculty and upon agreement of a faculty member to act as a major professor.

Chemical oceanographers study the mechanisms that control the distribution of elements and compounds in the atmosphere, ocean, coastal waterways, and sediments on the sea floor.