PhD (Doctorate of Philosophy) Marine Biology, Admission, Syllabus, Colleges, Salary and Career options 2023

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Sounak Banerjee

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PhD Marine Biology is a 3 Years’ full-time popular and exciting course, which is  selected by the students existing from Science background after completing their Post Graduation degree.

PhD Marine Biology explores the life that glides under the various depth stages of oceans like underwater animals, plants, corals, insects, microorganisms, and tiny creatures etc. It helps the students to gather the detailed knowledge of biology of various underwater animals and plants, their habits and life cycle.

The students who have accomplished their MSc with at least 55% marks can apply for this course with preferable specializations Marine Biology, Zoology, Botany, Biochemistry, Biotechnology, Fisheries, and Life Science etc. It is the minimum eligibility criteria to pursue PhD Marine Biology in various colleges and universities in India. 

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On the contrary, most of the colleges and the universities conduct their admission test or require passing entrance examinations to get admission in PhD Marine Biology followed by personal interview. So the admission process is observed in both the ways i.e. merit based and entrance examination.

The average course fee for this course may go up to INR 200,000. Students after PhD Marine Biology can expect to fit in the job profiles like Researcher, Marine Researcher, marine Scientist, Marine Biologist, Biotechnology Specialist, Environmental Consultant, and Research Biologist etc. 

The salary package after PhD Marine Biology differs accordingly based on the profiles. The students can expect their average salary trend between 2.40 to 4.50 LPA. T

The most attractive aspect of the PhD in Marine Biology is the uniqueness in the course and the fascinating facts regarding marine animals, plants and their life under the deep ocean. 

Check: Top PhD Colleges in India

PhD Marine Biology Course Highlights

The detailed course highlights for PhD Marine Biology are presented in the following table.

Course Level Doctorate
Full-Form Doctorate of Philosophy in Marine Biology
Duration 3 Years – Full Time
Examination Type Semester System/Yearly System 
Eligibility MSc from any recognized University with at least 55% marks. 
Admission Process Entrance Examination and Merit-based
Course Fee INR 20,000 – 200,000
Average Salary INR 2.40 to 4.50 LPA
Top Recruiting Companies Laboratories, Research Laboratories, Colleges, Universities, Marine Firms, and Research Firms etc.
Job Positions Researcher, Marine Researcher, marine Scientist, Marine Biologist, Biotechnology Specialist, Environmental Consultant, and Research Biologist etc.

What is PhD Marine Biology All About?

PhD Marine Biology including Oceanography and Marine Science is one of the fascinating courses opted by the Indian students during their PhD research degree. Followings are some important points that conjure the detailed academic importance of this subject and the motive of this course. 

  • PhD Marine Biology is a verse research programme especially designed for the candidates who want to gain knowledge and expertise in the field of Marine Biology.
  • PhD Marine Biology is the ultimate professional programme that is centered by Marine Science exposing the lives that develop under the deep oceans and their entire unique life cycle. These underwater lives include animals, plants, corals, microorganisms, tiny creatures and different species of marine animals and plants.
  • The research papers of PhD marine Biology deal with different major areas like Biology of Marine organisms, Marine Ecosystem, and Oceanography etc.
  • This 3 Years’ Full Time Course Structure that secondarily focuses on the future of the candidates by preparing them future Researchers, Biologists, and Marine Experts etc.
  • In the entire course Programme, the candidates will get to know the various forms of those animals and plants, their behavior, mutation, and transformation etc. 
  • While studying PhD Marine Biology, the students can avail various skills and knowledge by conducting different researches, projects, and practical works etc. Analyzation is one of the extensive aspects of this professional course programme.
  • PhD Marine Biology will ensure the students to earn professionalism in the field of Marine Science and Oceanography.

Why Study PhD Marine Biology?

PhD Marine Science is a popular research programme for the students who belong to the Science Background. In India, it has also gained much popularity as a Biology course and research programme because of its uniqueness. 

The key points to pursue PhD Marine Biology are –

  • PhD Marine Biology is a unique course subject and research fellowship that deals with marine animals, marine plants, corals, different microorganisms and creatures etc. 
  • The students can learn in depth knowledge about the marine science covering above mentioned fields.
  • PhD Marine Biology is the ideal course for the students who have great interests for Oceanography, Marine Science and Marine animals, plants and microorganisms.   
  • This course Programme PhD Marine Biology teaches the students various skills, techniques and practical knowledge while working on research papers.
  • These various skills including analysis depth can promote a student to become future Marine Scientists, Marine Biologist and Research Biologists.
  • PhD Marine Biology will fulfill all the goals of the students by providing a detailed, in-depth, framed knowledge on Marine Science and Marine Biology.
  • After completing PhD Marine Science, the students can go abroad to practice Marine Biology there.

Top PhD Marine Biology Colleges ?

The top colleges in India that provide PhD Marine Biology are tabulated below.

Name of the College Location Admission Process Average Annual Fees (INR)
Pondicherry University Pondicherry UGC NET/CSIR NET 36,283
CSIR – National Institute of Oceanography Goa UGC NET/JRF 14,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology Kochi Departmental Admission Test (DAT) and Interview 8,525
Annamalai University Tamil Nadu Admission Test and Personal Interview 45,010
Vikrama Simhapuri University Andhra Pradesh Entrance and Personal Interview 14,040

What is the PhD Marine Biology Admission Process?

There are various famous colleges and universities that invite applications for PhD in Marine Biology. The admission in PhD Marine Biology follows merit-based admission and entrance-based admission. This depends upon the various universities as per their rules and regulations.

Merit-based Admission-

The steps of Merit-based admission for PhD Marine Biology –

  • Merit-based admission requires minimum 55% marks in Post Graduation level to file admission in the necessary college or university.
  • The candidates have to fill up the application form of the desired college. Once the application process is completed, the short listing process of the applications will be started by the particular college/university authority.
  • The qualified candidates will be notified by the college for counseling after publishing the merit list.
  • The selected candidates must attend the counseling session to secure their seats in the desired college or university.

Entrance-based Admission-

The steps of Entrance-based admission for PhD Marine Biology –

  • The candidates have to meet the minimum eligibility marks of 55% for the PhD Marine Biology Course.
  • The popular names of some entrance examinations suitable for PhD Marine Biology are UGC NET, CSIR NET, AURCET, and JRF etc.
  • The candidates have to apply online for the entrance examinations and secure comfortable ranks to get into the college or the university providing PhD in Marine Biology.
  • In some cases, the candidates may also have to go through the Personal Interview after entrance examinations, at the time of Counseling.

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What is the PhD Marine Biology Eligibility Criteria?

The eligibility criteria for PhD Marine Biology are written in the following points. However, the various colleges and universities have their different rules and circulations. So there is a great chance to contradict the eligibility criteria with the various colleges and the universities. 

  • The candidates who aspire to get admission in PhD Marine Biology should obtain a minimum of 55% marks in their Post Graduation examination from any recognized college or university.
  • The candidates must have the mentioned specializations in their Post Graduation level. The specializations are Marine Biology, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Fisheries.
  • The candidates have to appear to the entrance examinations and must secure a decent rank or score to have their admission in PhD marine Biology.
  • Further, they may have to go through the Personal Interview round and successfully clear it.

What are the popular PhD Marine Biology Entrance Examinations?

For admission in PhD Marine Biology, the candidates may have to go through the following entrance examinations.

Entrance Exam Exam Date
CSIR UGC NET To be announced
UGC NET To be announced
ICAR AICE JRF/SRF To be announced
IIT JAM Check here
VITMEE Check here
NIPER PhD Entrance Exam To be Announced

Read More: Top PhD in Science Entrance Exams

How to prepare for the PhD Marine Biology Entrance Examinations?

Most of the students find it very difficult to make their compact preparation for the entrance examinations. If you want to clear an entrance examination for PhD Marine Biology, all you need is to prepare technically for that entrance examination. The 

Following are some useful tips to prepare for the entrance of PhD Marine Biology.

  • At the very first stage awareness is the crucial point before preparation for any entrance examination. So collect all the possible information about the entrance examination from various sources and understand the complete question pattern to be observed.
  • To prepare well for the entrance examination of PhD Marine Biology, make sure you are updated enough about the syllabus of the examination. Download the latest syllabus of the exam from the official website of the conducting body of the examination.
  • Every entrance examination possesses a huge syllabus to complete. So before jumping up to the preparation set your goal to complete the full syllabus in a limited time frame.
  • If the entrance examination is MCQ based, then try to practice every kind of MCQs after gaining in-depth knowledge about the complete syllabus. Help yourself with different books to practice MCQs.
  • Collect previous 10 Years’ questions papers of that entrance examination and practice yourself. Try to understand the pattern and key areas from those question papers. You can easily get an idea from that and figure out the important chapters or portions of the syllabus.
  • If possible, try to give mock tests conducted by coaching centers or you can collect mock papers and solve it by yourself. This will boost up your confidence and help you to get familiar with the syllabus.

How to get admission in a top PhD Marine Biology College?

To pursue PhD Marine Biology, college plays an important role to teach you the subject and offer in depth knowledge about the subject. 

Followings are some important points announcing to get admission in a top PhD Marine Biology College –

  • The admission in PhD marine Biology is conducted in both the basis merit-based and entrance- based. For merit-based, try to secure a good score in your Post Graduation examination because the admission is done based on the performance of the previous qualifying examination. You must score 55 -60% in your Post Graduation level examination to get admitted in a good college.
  • If you are going for any entrance examination, then have your satisfying preparation for that entrance to get your admission in a top PhD marine Biology College. Preparing for that entrance examination from a year before will be highly appreciated.
  • You must score a fair CGPA in the entrance examination. Some colleges and Universities conduct further procedures for admission i.e. Group Discussion, and Personal Interview Round etc. So you must technically prepare for a Personal Interview.  
  • Before choosing any college, you must ensure that the college has a decent infrastructure for a PhD in Marine Biology. The college should have the sufficient faculty members and adequate opportunity to gain practical knowledge on PhD marine Biology.

Read More: Top PhD Courses

Top PhD Marine Biology Colleges

The followings the details of the top PhD Marine Biology colleges in India –

Name of the College Location Admission Process Average Annual Fees (INR)
Pondicherry University Pondicherry UGC NET/CSIR NET 36,283
CSIR – National Institute of Oceanography Goa UGC NET/JRF 14,000
Cochin University of Science and Technology Kochi Departmental Admission Test (DAT) and Interview 8,525
Annamalai University Tamil Nadu Admission Test and Personal Interview 45,010
Vikrama Simhapuri University Andhra Pradesh Entrance and Personal Interview 14,040
Shivaji University Maharashtra - 48,753
Bharathidasan University Tamil Nadu Admission Test and Interview 51,350
Goa University Maharashtra Entrance Examination 48,720
Berhampur University Odisha URET -

PhD Marine Biology: College Comparison

Listed below are the names of the top three colleges that provide PhD Marine Biology. This table is created to make a comparison between these three colleges from different parameters.

Parameters Pondicherry University Cochin University of Science and Technology CSIR – National Institute of Oceanography
Overview Pondicherry University is a popular primary university that offers Undergraduate, Post Graduate and PhD Course in different disciplines. It is the ideal university for PhD Marine Biology. Cochin University of Science and Technology is one of the cheapest colleges to pursue PhD in Marine Biology.  National Institute of Oceanography is one of the prestigious institutions in India especially designed for Oceanography, Marine Biology and Marine Biology. This institution is an autonomous body under the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research.
NIRF Ranking 81 89 -
Location Pondicherry Kochi, Kerala Panji, Goa
College Grade by NAAC “A” Grade “A” Grade -
Eligibility Criteria Post Graduation with minimum 55% Marks having specializations like Marine Biology, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Fisheries etc. Post Graduation with minimum 55% Marks having specializations like Marine Biology, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Fisheries etc. Post Graduation with minimum 55% Marks having specializations like Marine Biology, Botany, Zoology, Biochemistry, Biotechnology and Fisheries etc.
Selection Process UGC NET/CSIR NET Departmental Admission Test (DAT) and Personal Interview UGC NET/JRF
Course Fee (INR) 36283/- 8525/- 14,000/-
Top Recruiters TCS, CTS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL, HP, IDBI, HSBC.  Oracle, Cognizant, Infotech, CEAT etc.  -

PhD Marine Biology Syllabus

PhD Marine Biology, the whole course programme is divided into both semester system and annual examination system. The syllabus for PhD Marine Biology under semester system is discussed below –

Subjects Subjects
Physical Oceanography Vertebrates
Biological Oceanography Marine Microbiology
Chemical Oceanography Cell Biology
Invertebrates Biochemistry
Practical – I Practical – II
Molecular Genetics Pollution & Toxicology
Marine Ecology Coastal Aquaculture
Ocean Management Marine Biotechnology
Fishery Science Project
Practical – IV -

PhD Marine Biology Books

To pursue any Higher education programme, books play a crucial role to study and learn the particular subjects. Followings are the names of some widely recommended books on PhD Marine Biology are mentioned below –

Name of the Book Name of the Author
Marine Biology: Function, Biodiversity, Ecology Jeffrey Levinton
Introduction to the Biology of Marine Life John Morrissey
Essentials of Marine Biotechnology Se Kwon Kim
Essentials of Oceanography Alan P. Trujillo
Monarchs of Sea Danna Staaf

PhD Marine Biology Vs PhD Ecology

The primary difference between PhD marine Biology and PhD Ecology are mentioned below –

Parameters PhD Marine Biology PhD Ecology
Overview PhD Marine Biology deals with the study and research of the underwater marine lives including marine animals, plants, corals, microorganisms, tiny creatures and different species of marine plants etc. It is restricted to one particular species of organism. PhD Ecology deals with the various aspects of our environment including global warming, water pollution, soil pollution and air pollution etc. It is not restricted to one particular organism. 
Degree Level Doctorate Doctorate
Admission Criteria Merit-based/Entrance-based Entrance-based
Course Fee INR 20,000 – 200,000 INR 2,000 – 500,000
Hierarchy Higher Education, Research-based and Vast. Higher Education and balanced combination of Research and conceptual framework.
Duration 3 Years Full Time 2-5 Years Full Time
Average Salary 2.40 – 4.50 LPA 4-8 LPA
PhD Marine Biology

What After PhD Marine Biology?

PhD Marine Biology courses have high demand in India as well as abroad. So the job prospects and the availability of the jobs are enough and comfortable in India. PhD Marine Biology is the ultimate academic qualification that a student can achieve in the field of Marine Science and Marine Biology. 

After the completion of this course, the candidates will be available to apply for different job roles open in several companies.

The names of some common job profiles in the field of Marine Biology are AquaCulturist, Researcher, Marine Researcher, marine Scientist, Marine Biologist, Marine Biology Professor Biotechnology Specialist, Environmental Consultant, and Research Biologist etc. 

Following table highlights the top PhD Marine Biology jobs, along with the description and the average salary

Job Profile Job Description Average Salary (INR)
Marine Biologist Marine Biologists are responsible to research and analyze various underwater ocean animals, plants, tiny creatures, corals and other microorganisms. They study their behaviors, life cycle and other important things to contribute to Marine Science. 9.00 LPA
Professor Professors of Marine Biology are those hired by different colleges and universities to teach Marine Biology to the students in their department. They have to generally teach Postgraduate level and PhD level Marine Biology.  3.50 LPA
Environmental Consultant Environmental Consultants are responsible to provide various environmental aspects of any product or material produced by companies. They are hired by the companies and the need to provide advice on environmental hazards. 6.26 LPA
Marine Illustrator Marine Illustrator is responsible for making visual representations of Marine Science and Marine Biology from different purposes. They have to illustrate and make charts, diagrams on different marine animals, plants, creatures and microorganisms  2.88 LPA
Research Biologist Research Biologists are responsible to deeply research on the Marine Science and Marine Biology including the marine animals, Plants and Microorganisms etc. They have to collect samples from various sources to conduct various experiments on them and prepare an authentic report.  4.50 LPA

PhD Marine Biology: Salary Trend Graph

The Salary Trend Graph for PhD Marine Biologist shows as follows –

PhD Marine Biology Salary Trend

What are the Future Scopes of PhD Marine Biology?

PhD Marine Biology is the highest possible degree in the field of Marine Biology. After the completion of PhD Marine Biology, the students can pursue any desired foreign fellowship or can enable them to get into the industry of Marine Biology. The popular areas of employment after PhD In marine Biology are Laboratories, Research Laboratories, Colleges, Universities, Marine Firms, and Research Firms etc. 

PhD Marine Biology has a great market value in India and as well as outside India because the whole world and the society is closely dependent on the Ocean and Marine life.

The candidates after completing PhD Marine Biology can also devote to the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture as a scientist. They are one of the most prestigious organizations in India. 

Besides working as a scientist, they can also work there as researchers. PhD Marine Biology has a great scope to work as researchers in the various coastal research centers and as well as in various universities in India.

You shall be highly welcomed, if you wish to make funding in the various projects backed by others in the field of Marine Biology and Oceanography.

PhD Marine Biology has an entrepreneurial side as well. The students who possess fascination being entrepreneurs, then he or she devotes themselves with Marine Biology. 

They can invest themselves producing permanent slides Plankton, Herbarium Sheets etc. These products have great demand in the market and they are very much essentials for the colleges and the universities offering PhD Marine Biology.

PhD Marine Biology: FAQs

Ques. Is Marine Biology a worthy course?

Ans. Yes, Marine Biology is very much worthy in India and outside India also. It is one of the popular and exciting courses in India. Moreover, after PhD in Marine Biology there are plenty of scopes.

Ques. What are the scopes of PhD Marine Biology in India?

Ans. In India, PhD marine Biology has plenty of scopes. After completing the course, the students can work as a Scientist in the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and Central Institute of Brackish water Aquaculture. Moreover, the students will be available to various universities and colleges to work as a Marine Biology Professor.

Ques. What is the average fee in the Private colleges of India for PhD marine Biology?

Ans. The average fee in the private colleges of India is INR 42.12K.

Ques. Ques. What is the average fee in the Public colleges of India for PhD marine Biology?

Ans. The average fee in the Public colleges of India is INR 65.23K

Ques. Which state has the cheapest PhD Marine Biology College?

Ans. Generally, Kochi is considered comparatively cheapest colleges to pursue PhD marine Biology.

Ques. What is the average salary after PhD Marine Biology abroad?

Ans. The average salary after PhD Marine Biology outside India is 60,934 dollars.

Ques. Is it mandatory to give Entrance Examinations or Admission Test for PhD Marine Biology?

Ans. The students who have cleared SET/NET/JRF do not require giving any further entrance examination and going through any personal interview.

Ques. What is the difference between PhD Marine Biology and PhD Oceanography?

Ans. There is no such difference between the two streams. PhD marine Biology includes the study of Oceanography. Oceanography deals with only the study of Oceans from the perspective of Physics, Chemistry, Geology and organisms.

Ques. What is the minimum eligibility mark for a PhD in Marine Biology?

Ans. The students should secure a minimum of 55% marks in their Postgraduate examination to get eligible for PhD in Marine Biology.

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