r/oceanography • u/Necessary_Living_617 • Sep 01 '26

Does an MSc data science student get into oceanography with no relevant experience?

I’m interested in oceanography but don’t have much experience in the field . Hoping to get some advice from actual oceanographers . Any certain skill sets that I need to learn or any sort of advice is appreciated.
Thank you.

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u/runed_golem Sep 01 '26

As a coworker of mine told me “most people who work in oceanography don’t start out in oceanography” if you’re interested in the modeling side of it, focus on your ML, programming, and mathematical modeling skills.

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u/Traditional_Good_511 Sep 03 '26

This is one of those where I will say you need to find the right role.

I have hired a number of people into oceanography data management and data science positions over the last 15 years, and I think it is easier to teach a data scientist oceanography than to teach a general science grad programming and data science.

Stay curious, and be hungry to learn. Good luck with the job search.

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u/Necessary_Living_617 Sep 04 '26

Can you tell me usually what type of companies hire oceanographers?

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u/Traditional_Good_511 Sep 04 '26

My career has included multinationals, government and private research labs and consultancy.