The Freshwater and Marine Sciences (FMS) Program is an interdisciplinary graduate training program that offers M.S. and Ph.D. degrees to students interested in the science of freshwater and marine ecosystems. The current chair of FMS is Trina McMahon. Please contact Kelin Boldiis for questions about applying to the program.

On a national scale, the program is unique in its emphasis on the science of freshwater and marine systems from physical, chemical, and biological perspectives. The program is designed to highlight its interdisciplinary scientific strength, and thus core course requirements are limited so that course work can be tailored to students’ needs and interests. The primary focus is to promote excellence in research through faculty mentorship. Affiliated faculty are active researchers who provide students with diverse, interdisciplinary training opportunities.

The FMS Program is part of the College of Letters & Science (L&S), the largest college on the UW-Madison campus. L&S offers a liberal arts education that is both broad and deep, encouraging intellectual curiosity, independent thinking, and a lifelong love of learning.

FMS is an inclusive and welcoming environment. We do not tolerate racism, sexism, homophobia, or discrimination of any type for any reason.

“Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background—people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.”

Institutional Statement on Diversity, 2016