Universities near caves (Florida or Mexico)

[Manatee Diver]

Have you seen the cost of medical or law school? Or how much even a post-doc in marine sciences gets paid?

Same dealio

I see a lot of Marine Biologists working as scuba instructors, and not all of them as a side gig.

 

[rjack321]

I see a lot of Marine Biologists working as scuba instructors, and not all of them as a side gig.

I'm not sure if this is a good thing, a bad thing, or just a Florida thing?

I'm a product of a liberal arts background. I didn't go to university to learn a trade or with some specific career trajectory in mind. I am perfectly ok with the concept of going to university as a way to be a well rounded and educated citizen. By the same token spending a fortune for a degree that leaves you saddled with debt and terrible employment options while eating Ramen noodles for the rest of your life isn't wise either.

The OP is in or from the EU but its unclear what emigration / work options might be available for him.

 

[RyanT]

There are great jobs to be had in marine science as a university professor. As with anything in life there are pros and cons to this route. The beauty of an academic job is that you get a decent salary (OK, livable), good job security, and extraordinary freedom both personally and professionally. As a professor, you get to steer your own research program and go where your intellectual curiosity takes you. You also don't have to fill out a leave request form to go to the doctor. As long as you don't have to be in class, you just go to whatever appointment you might have. My wife has to request leave for everything; that would drive me absolutely nuts.

The downsides are many however, (as @taimen suggested). First, the path is long. For me, it was 4 years for a masters, 5 for a Ph.D., and 1 years as a post-doc. I was 33 when I got my first academic job. These days 4-6 years of post-doc work is normal (post-doc salaries are getting better though, we currently pay 45k plus health insurance). So it's not unusual for people to get their first job in their mid to late 30s. You also do not get to choose where you live. Each year there are only a handful of faculty positions available in a particular field of study. So you apply for the available jobs in a competitive market and you take the job you get. If you're really exceptional in your field, you might get multiple offers, but it's quite common to only get one job offer after many, many applications. You also might think that in marine science all the jobs are coastal, but this isn't true. You could end up in Kansas. Your first 6 years in an academic job are also brutal. It is effectively a 6 year probation period. You are expected to be an excellent teacher, publish high-quality research papers, and obtain federal grants (which these days are incredibly competitive). For example the National Science Foundation funds roughly 10% of the grant proposals they receive. If you fail to do all these things, you don't get tenure and you lose your job. If you can survive all of these "trials by fire," however, it turns out to be a pretty good gig.

 

[greeniguana]

I chose the alternate path. I'm an environmental consultant. Never had much interest in academia. Being a generalist rather than a specialist has worked out ok. Not having an advanced degree has not been a hindrance, however I do have plenty of other wildlife and wetland related certs. I work with specialists all the time. Avian, acoustic, herp, marine, hydrology. Everyone has a niche.

 

[KevinNM]

The OP is in or from the EU but its unclear what emigration / work options might be available for him.

Europe doesn't have the requirement to have an ATP before you can get a 1st officer job. It's still really expensive and not easy to get the minimum qualifications to get hired by an airline, but you don't need the ATP, which for most people is either an another huge expense or requires you to work several years doing a job whose primary pay is in the 'free' flight hours.

 

[EireDiver606]

Are you a US or Mexican citizen?

Neither

 

[EireDiver606]

May I ask how did you end up with these career options? Funding your academic studies in the US as (apparently) a European is one question to begin with. You of course don't have to answer that. But really, if you have your ass covered for undergraduate studies in the US, please don't waste that on diving.
Another thing to consider is that if you ever want to get a permanent job in sciences these days, it will be a long journey with graduate school, often more than one post-doc and so on. Trust me, all of these are not going to happen near nice dive spots. And if you ever imagine getting one of the few jobs as a diving scientist, you will be chosen based on your academic merits, not perfect trim and buoyancy.
Financially, (and also career wise) it is probably worthwhile to do at least undergraduate studies in Europe, and aim for graduate school or post-doc in the US.
Or if finances don't matter at all, stay where you are and take looong vacations and dive in your favorite spots...

Waste what money on cave diving? Its not wasting.

These arent career options. These are ideas. It would be to build up contacts in the diving world and gain experience. Post grad not undergraduate.

 

[jadairiii]

As other have stated, UF , FSU and FAMU (in Tallahassee), then you have UCF in Orlando, USF in Tampa (hour and a half to G'Ville), and dont forget University of North Florida in Jacksonville

A bit farther south, but well within driving range you have Florida Atlantic, Florida Gulf Coast. Along with a ton of 2 year Universities throughout the State, like and Santa Fe in G'vill and TCC in Tallahassee.

 

[tursiops]

I've been in the marine sciences for 50 years, in academia and government, in the US and elsewhere. Which Florida universities might provide the best training/experience/networking will depend on the subfield of marine sciences, but the top of the list are probably FSU, USF, UF, amd FAU. FAU has the advantage of being connected to Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, but USF also has a sea-going operation. FSU focuses more on ocean modeling and geophysical fluid dynamics, while UF is more biology/ecology oriented. All things considered, I'd rank USF as a good all-around choice, if a specialization area is not yet known.

 

[rjack321]

Neither

It would help to know where you want to apply your undergrad degree and where you are authorized to work.

Unless university is just a 4 year cave diving vacation, well then party on.