The postgraduate training programmes offered by the Institute are aimed at producing qualified marine scientists capable of dealing with various issues in marine and coastal resources management and marine and coastal environment. As such basic oceanographic concepts will be imparted while exposure to the use of state of the art tools including GIS and Remote sensing will be emphasised. The departments pool together their courses required to constitute a given multidisciplinary teaching programme. The Institute offers both MSc and PhD programmes as follows:

1. MSc by coursework and dissertation
2. MSc by thesis
3. PhD by thesis

Plans are underway to offer PhD by coursework and dissertation as well.

The University of Dar es Salaam General Regulations governs admission conditions for both MSc and PhD degrees for Postgraduate Study Programmes. A candidate for admission to the Masters degree shall have
an honours degree from the University of Dar es Salaam or an equivalent from another recognized University but a candidate for MSc by Thesis will have a slightly higher minimum qualification at a GPA of at least 3.5 during the first degree.

A candidate for admission to the Doctor of Philosophy degree shall have a Masters degree from the University of Dar es Salaam or an equivalent from a recognized University.

1. Master of Science (MSc) by Coursework and Dissertation
Students specialise in one of the following:
1. MARINE AND COASTAL GEO-INFORMATICS
2. MARINE AND COASTAL RESOURCES MANAGEMENT

General description
The Master of Science programme by coursework and dissertation is aimed at producing marine scientists with the general understanding of oceanographic concepts but specialised in either marine and coastal resources management or marine and coastal geo-informatics.

The marine and coastal geo-informatics specialisation is designed to provide an advanced education in the principles and practice of GIS and remote sensing in marine sciences. The programme comprises taught courses, covering data models and data structures, acquisition and
management of data, spatial analysis and modelling, remote sensing, GIS design and implementation issues, GIS programming and customisation and database technology. Concepts and techniques are illustrated using case study material drawn from a variety of application areas. Practical
work is undertaken using a variety of commercial software including, BILKO, ArcGIS and ERDAS Imagine. For the award of MSc the student must undertake an independent research project, submitted as a written dissertation.

The Marine and Coastal Resources Management specialization will give emphasis to marine resources management as well as environmental and Socio-economic issues. The programme can be seen as a convergent programme in the sense that it may link/collaborate with other relevant
programmes and basic research and thus an opening for multidisciplinary research. It is hoped that this programme in collaboration with others will contribute much in the offshore stock assessment that is poorly known in Tanzania. The specialisation trains students to address scientific and socio-economic issues related to coastal and marine resources through an interdisciplinary education in marine science, policy, law, quantitative analysis, databases and modelling.

Programme structure
The courses with GI and OC codes are specialisation courses for the coastal and marine geo-informatics specialisation and those with MR code are specialisation courses for the marine and coastal resources management. Students take the specilaisation courses along with compulsory ones as core courses while additional courses are selected from the list of optional ones to make up the required number of units while broadening student’s knowledge horizon.

The course work is taken in two semesters (one year). The minimum units are thirty (30).

2. Master of Science (MSc) by Thesis
The programme lasts for 24 months and is pursued through research followed by writing a thesis. Some coursework may be taken when directed by the Institute’s Higher Degrees Committee. A student may submit a two-page statement of the intended research topic, which will guide the department in assigning the supervisor. Within 4 months of registration, the student must present a comprehensive substantive research proposal.

3. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) by Thesis.
The duration of each programme is three years for full-time candidates and five years for part time candidates. A student must submit a substantive and comprehensive research proposal within 6 months after registration. Full studentship commences immediately after formal registration.

GENERAL REGULATIONS
Each candidate must satisfy all the requirements of the University’s regulations for higher degree in all faculties.

Special regulations:
The following special regulations shall also apply to the course work for the MSc. programme of the Institute of Marine Science.

• To be eligible for admission to the programme, the applicant should normally have an overall grade of B or higher in the BSc degree subject he/she wishes to study under the programme.
• Admission may be based on equivalent qualifications.
• Each MSc. study programme shall start in the beginning of the academic year and conclude 24 months later for fulltime students and 30 months later for part-time students. Beyond these limits, Senate approval is necessary.
• The MSc programme shall consist of coursework Part I and research project Part II.
• A minimum of 30 units must be completed. Completing a course is defined as obtaining a B grade or higher.
• For departments offering a core/compulsory/elective combination in their course work, these courses must amount to at least 50% of the total units.
• A maximum of 6 units of undergraduate courses, approved by the Department, may be taken and counted towards fulfilling the MSc requirements. Such course must be passed by MSc candidates with at least a B grade
  
  Examination Regulations
• Candidates will be required to score at least a B grade in all their MSc courses examined.
• Candidates who fail in one or more examination s but, whose GPA is 2.7 and above shall be allowed to do supplementary examination in the failed courses
• After the supplementary examination(s) those candidates who have upgraded their GPA to 3.0 and above, will be allowed to proceed with the thesis phase of the MSc programme.
• Candidates who fail in any supplementary examination and have a GPA of 3.0 and above may be allowed to repeat the failed course(s) but shall not be allowed to proceed to the dissertation phase.
• Candidates who fail to attain a GPA of at least 2.7 shall be discontinued from studies.
• Courses will be assessed and grades awarded within the semester in which they are completed.
• Part II of the MSc examination shall consist of an assessment of a dissertation by at least 2 examiners one of whom shall be external to the University, Examiners may require the candidate to present himself/herself for oral questioning in addition to such other examinations as may be prescribed.
• In order to qualify for MSc degree, a student must satisfy the examiners in both Parts I and II of the MSc examination.
• At least one month before a dissertation is submitted a candidate shall give notice in writing to the Chief Academic Officer of the University with the proposed title and an outline of the plan and general scope of the work.
• Every dissertation or thesis submitted shall be examined by at least two or three specialists, respectively. The specialist must be approved by the Institutes Higher degrees Committee and SENATE.
  One of these must be external to the University.
• PhD and MSc students by Thesis shall appear for a viva voce examination.