Careers
Why pursue scientific or recreational diving at TAMUG?
The TAMUG Dive Program has a long history of producing graduates that become leaders in the scientific and recreational diving industry. Scientists and engineers need a varied tool kit, and diving is important if you are interested in becoming a marine biologist, marine scientist, oceanographer, maritime archaeologist, and even those interested in ocean engineering. Scientists and engineers dive to collect information or specimens that are then returned to the laboratory for additional study. Underwater survey techniques are of particular interest to nautical archeologists and oceanographers. Many careers in the diving industry require high levels of certification, training, and diving proficiency, and hiring committees are looking for the best possible candidates.
The TAMUG Dive Program has a reputation for developing and graduating divers with training that considerably exceeds the standards that may be obtained elsewhere. This is achieved through additional classroom lectures, confined water training opportunities with highly-qualified faculty divers, and travel to diverse national and international locations to experience diving in different environments.
Benefits of the TAMUG Dive Program
- 180,000 gallon campus pool that is available for group and individual diving and fitness training
- Two on-campus dive lockers providing in-house service of life support equipment used in teaching and research
- Research and Teaching vessel (R/V Trident) available for offshore diving opportunities, such as to the Texas Flower Gardens
- Public school costs with private school environment: 12 to 1 student/faculty ratio in labs
- Active extracurricular diving program to maximize in water opportunities
- Internships with prestigious external scientific and non-governmental organizations, such as Moody Gardens Aquarium, Texas Parks and Wildlife (TPWD), and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric administration (NOAA)
Potential Job Opportunities
- Diving operations managers at aquariums, such as Moody Gardens, Kemah Aquarium, Downtown Houston Aquarium
- Diving administrators and instructors for the cruise ship industry
- Diving instructors and divemasters for the tourism and resort industry
- Entrepreneurs: manage your own dive company
- Research Assistants at State and Federal agencies such as NOAA, EPA, USGS, Army Corps of Engineers, and TPWD
- Dive Safety Officers and Assistant Dive Safety officers at educational institutions and private organizations
- Technicians at consulting firms (e.g., aquatic environmental impact assessments)
- Safety Consulting companies
- Astronaut training assistance in the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)
- NOAA Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary
- Preparation for national and international graduate programs in marine science
