The School of Aquatic & Fishery Sciences is concerned with wise management of fish and shellfish stocks, ecological relationships between aquatic organisms and their environments, culture of aquatic plants and animals, impacts of human population pressures on the aquatic environment; and development of seafood products. It offers both undergraduate and graduate degrees.

The Applied Physics Laboratory is a research and development unit with strong capabilities in marine science and technology, acoustic sensors and sound propagation, marine instrumentation, and polar science technology. No degrees are offered, but a regular seminar series is presented. APL faculty members with joint appointments in other University departments teach courses and advise graduate students on theses.

The Washington Sea Grant Program (OMERP) is a component of the National Sea Grant Program which was created by Congress to enhance the wise use and protection of the nation's marine resources through coordinated efforts in research, education, and public service. The Washington Sea Grant program is administered as a division of the College, but has additional statewide and multi-institutional responsibilities.

The School of Marine Affairs studies policy and institutional issues related to the ocean. It combines natural sciences and engineering with law, economics, international affairs, and public administration. Marine affairs, coastal zone management, ports and marine transportation, atmospheric and marine policy, living marine resources, and inter-national law of the sea are all part of the school's teaching and research programs. It offers a Master of Marine Affairs degree.

The School of Oceanography focuses on research and teaching on the physical, chemical, geological, geophysical, and biological processes in the ocean, as well as interactions of the ocean with the earth, biosphere and atmosphere. It is concerned with the study of ocean currents and mixing, life in the sea, the chemical composition and properties of seawater, the sediments and rocks beneath the sea, and the geophysics of the sea floor. It offers both under-graduate and graduate degrees.